Show t r Reprieving I Steinie j By MORRIS SCHULTZ 1 M WM Iw W CD m 1921 by McClur Newspaper Syndicate happily un unconscious s of the I great events In his life Ute that were Impending was watering the flowers In the wardens warden's garden The wardens warden's little granddaughter a a. a child of ot seven watched vatchell him Steinie dont don't forget the fairy rosebush rosebush rosebush rose rose- bush she sho said the bush I 1 saw the fairies In lu Steinie took up the watering can The fairies must be e awful thirsty this hot weather said Dot Steinie Well give em a drink said Steinie had been a model prisoner for twenty-seven twenty years Twenty nine years before when he was sent up for tor life Ufe for killing a man he had been a wild beast Incorrigible He had hud been put In the silent cell he had had every punishment on the prison category Then a new warden had come old methods had ch changed now nov he was was' wasa a trusty and his life lito had molded Itself upon the peni peni- He Ho had no one no-one one outside the walla At that moment the governor was saying Steinie I Huml Hum I That fellows fellow's fellows fellow's fellows fellow's fel fel- fel- fel lows low's certainly had his spell of punishment punishment punishment punish punish- ment and he appears to have been a n amodel amodel model prisoner All right Mrs Armstrong Armstrong Armstrong Arm Arm- strong well we'll get him out by Septem Septem- ber The ladles' ladles delegation meant well But when the news reached he was In despair For sake l let t me stay warden warden war war- den he pleaded Ill work for you for nothing I cant can't leave you and Dot Why I wouldn't know what to do with things has changed so And AndI I aint got no trade except gardening Sorry Steinie The warden clapped a a hand on his shoulder But we cant can't employ outside labor The only way you can get back Into the Pen pon Is to commit another offense Come be a man I he added The society's society's so so- society's going to try to get you work But Steinie was not to be aged agod The tears were in his eyes as he shook the wardens warden's hand In farewell Dot was crying so was the wardens warden's wife rife who was very fond of old Steinie east cast a last glance around the flower garden and walked out of the gates a n free man He had his railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road ticket to the nearest city and a afew afew afew few dollars In his pocket He put up at a cheap heap lo lodging ging house but he didn't go ne' ne near near ner r the society Prisoners Prisoners Prisoners-ex- ex- ex prisoners seldom doAnd do And everything was changed He did not recognize the town of his birth at all and he was scared to death of ot the sky-scrapers sky and trolleys And he needed money pretty soon What was he to do Two weeks later he was wag haunting the little town in which was the Nobody knew him of ot course He was sleeping In a disused barn and wondering who was looking after atter the therose therose therose rose garden He wondered If Dot missed him Then 1 he he remembered e that iL It was vas Friday morning On Fridays the warden warden warden war war- den came back from the post office with the government check In payment for the various expenses of the peni peni- He should be passing the bend of or the road at eleven cleven had often been to get the mall himself he knew the routine I He pulled a thick stick from the hedge Twenty minutes later the warden driving the pony trap was suddenly confronted by oy a a figure which leaped upon him from the roadside one hand upon i his ls shoulder the other brandish brandish- brandishing ing n a stick j Hand it over I 1 IThe Thc The ward wardens warden's ns n's automatic was was already pointing at the others other's head C Rut lt h he dropped droll d I it I Steinie 1 Steinie let the stick fall I guess you ou got me warden he lie muttered The The warden looked the picture of dismay My God Id I'd rather anything had happened than this Well you ou got me so can cnn the spiel growled Steinie Ive I've run awa away forgotten this Anyway I guess It was Just a joke wasn't It looked the picture of dismay Say Its It's attempted robbery with violence violence violence vio vio- lence and dont don't you forget It neither he growled You got to to pinch me you Jest got to A light began to shine In the wardens warden's wardens warden's wardens warden's war war- dens den's e eyes es Steinie you you you-you you want me mel m to you to-you you old ld rascal he exclaimed Sure you ou got me with the goods goos and I got no kick coming said sald Steinie climbing into the trap I guess you'll take me to Jo the station eh warden The warden turned the pon pony's s head After a while said Gosh it It sure will be fine to see Dot and the rose ros rose garden again I guess well we'll want to manure manure that new strip pretty he heavy vy warden |