Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-02-04
Gagged
" Courtney Rylcy Cooper :
Copu61f BY Courtney pyAey Coooer q

Joe Barry longed for just that. Dur
Ing his city life his one extravaganza
had been the comparative luxury Of
turkish bath. Now with the soil OF
jail upon him and the doors OF the
cell block still in his nostrils. he had
merely followed natural impulse at
the sight OF sign. AS for the clerk
who handed him his key upon its rub
Der ring, he was Just another fellow
with q hangover. bearded. soiled, I'M
kempt, seeking the purifying qualities
of heat and soap and water after the
pollution OF liquot. Joe snapped the
rubber band about his wrist and
turned first for the barber shop.
All this had been done hazily; al
most subconsciously. The condition
continued until he stepped from the
chair, after the extravaganza OF a
haircut, shave and a shampoo. A
crumpled tabloid newspaper was on a
chair; he sighted picture on the
n
glance, then looked at 1t more sharp
ly. A word above the picture had
jerked him to attention: heavy, black
lettering. followed by bulky ex-
slamation:
"ESCAPED!"
There came to Joe the 0verpower-
ing realization OF this omnipotent
thing known to him as the police. He
had been free only q short time, but
the news OF 1t was already established
and old-old enough for one of Its
carriers to be crumpled. discarded.
even by barber shop loungers. Every
one must know him now; he clicked
his teeth with rapidly tightening jaws.
His barber had pressed against him,
In survey OF the photograph.
Then guys are certainly getting
free with their hardware" he said.
"First thing we know, they'll steal the
city hall Tough baby. amt her,
Then the barber moved on, leaving
Joe Barry still staring at his own
photograph. Must the man be blind
that he could not have seen the re-
semblance? At last Joe Barry glanced
into the mirror.
The person he saw was not the man
who glared at him from rogue's gal
1ery photograph on that tabloid page.
There was the difference between
youth and age, innocence and granite
hardness. For the features Of the
man In the picture were hard with
hate: he had looked what the picture
portrayed him to be, sullen gangster,
hating his captors. The face that he
looked upon In the mirror was only
tired and tagged; boy worn by
grief, and looking piteously at the
world, as II trying to understand. The
barber returned, and handed him his
check, to be settled on his departure
from the big bathhouse. Joe Barry
went onward, to the elevator, and to
the locker floor. there to be assigned
his bed, to divest himself of his
clothing, and to give his orders to the
floor boy, as he handed over his shoes
for shining and his clothes for the
tail0r's Iron.
The door opened to take him to the
clatter and heat OF the bathrooms
deep In the basement.
No one noticed him; the sweating
men In the steam room, the shouting
figures which plunged about the pools.
Joe Barry wondered what the rubbers
would do; they who had time to study
men under their energetic manIpula-
TONS But they only asked him, after
the soapng and showering was over,
IL he would have oil or alcohol. Final
fy he was back on his floor and the
boy was preceding him to pull back
the blankets on his bed.
Dulled. relaxed for the first time in
days. he felt the soft touch of clean
pillow. The smoothness and gentle
warmth OF blankets crept about his
shoulders. When he awoke, 1t was
with the knowledge OF new light. Joe
Barry threw the covers from him, al
most excitedly, and swung to the side
Of the bed.
1t was as II he had forgotten some
thing OF vast Importance. His sub
conscious mind was telling him to
hurry, as Ii there was train to be
made. or an all-engrossing appoint
mani which cnuId unf mott In
dressed and washed with the air OF q
man whose minutes must be counted.
He fidgeted at the counter downstairs
and wrote scratchily ON the account
pad when the clerk passed 1t over for
him to enumerate the amount OF his
tips. Then he reached eagerly for the
trifie less than ten dollars which was
due him and hurried from the build
ing. Yet he did not know where to 60
he did not truly realize why he must
rush so-there was something to be
done-somethlng to be done-halfway
down the block, he halted, his lower
jaw sagging. That screaming thing
within his brain was calling to him to
run. to run, and because Of that he
only walked along, an unnoticed early
morning worker moving across town
toward-where, he did not know.
Common sense held him from the
railroad stations; the very fact that
these were denied him sent him into
the subway and to a Jersey City ferry.