Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-06
DAILY Short Story
"Hone "

prisoners cant. That makes
all the difference"
You have 10 take this
money. John. It's the law"
"AIl right" John Mesler
agreed. III It's the law, I'll
take il because all my life
except for n few minutes, I've
been a law-abidlng citizen.
GOOdby, warden, and thanks
for all the faVOrs YOU done
me. But I'll never come back
here again"
His face suddenly con-
VulSed With PASSION.
II hate every stone and
every bar that made shadow
Of the sun and every lock that
ever turned on me. l hatc
every screw I'm the place.
You're a decent man hut L
hate you, too, because YOU
were set by the law 90 guard
me.
I'D stand here and curse
all Of YOU il | didn't learn
better in 20 wears. l know
you're all doing your duty.
Now let me get out OF here
before my tongue gets me into
the same kind of trouble my
trigger finger did"
"Good-by. John" the warden
smiled, Il know just how yea
feel" ~
son WAITS At GATE
Henry. his older son. was
waiting for him at the prison
gate and a lump came up IN
John Mesler'S throat. a fine.
big. strapping man, Henry
was with his own straight
gazing gray eyes. You'd never
think ne had lived 90 years.
He was weather beaten and
hardened. He didn't stoop
like his father did and John
only stopped a little. lie
stopped a little and he walked
kind of stiff. You could tell
he was an old man but you'd
never guess his real age.
Henry had a car and he got
into the drivers seat but he
didn't offer to help his father
in because he knew his father
would resent it,. They drove a
long way through boiling
country and John MeSlcr
drank il il with his mouth
and his nose and his cars.
He believed the air was
freSher and the newly budding
trees were greencr. lie
imagined the loan was
bTackcr antl-fieheF thap-hp-
remembered it. He said:
"How's your wife and the
children? How's Ed and his
wife and kids? How many
cattle have we? Hen, ! won
der II know how hungry i am
for home"
NOTE OF INDIFFERENCE
81 guess do" Henry said
hut John MeSler thought there
was Indifference behind his
statement. "Everybody's fine
and healthy. We got 40 head
of cattle and seven horses. We
got a caterpillar tractor and
n thresher. We got $4,000
In money.
II guess you'd say we had n
pretty prosperous farm and
me and Ed s kept 1t uP fine.
We got n little help from the
government hut we're back on
our feet again. The women's
fine. They're good workers
and they get along well to-
gether."
That's the way ] always
dreamed il would be," John
Mesler said. And that's
good. You don't know how
good"
But II wasn't quite like
Henry said. John found that
out when he'd been back
three days. They were plant
ing and he took his part OF
il, or he tried TO. But every
time he started a task. he
, .zT.Tst is7s;, s.ss7sr lew gt -
forestalled him.
They did il very gently and
tactfully but they did II. one
day when he'd been back a
month. he got both of his
sons down in the barn.
II got something on my
mind" he told them, land 1
want 70 get II off. You amt
letting me pull my load
around here. You're treating
me like an old stranger. 1
amt old and I amt n stranger
and this here farm j. mine. 1
aim To run il myself"
sPEAKS FOR BOTH
Henry and I'd looked at
each other. Ed was a silent
one. Ever since they were
boys. Henry did the talking
for both of them. So Henry
cleared his throat.
There amt any reason
why you shouldn't pull your
load. pa" he explained. Il
never noticed YOU weren't.
Did YOU. Edo"
Ed shook his head and rub