Broken to the Plow

sy. They did not make the required search of his person unduly humili

want to send word to your folks; … i

It was curious to discover that he had no doub

to get bailed out to-nigh

"There may be,"

f thick boards sloping toward the center, and in a corner was a washbasin. There were no seats. One of the white men was pacing up and dow

a s

d it to him. The other white man came forwa

ere did not seem to be any color line drawn about

for?" the young

you see … I just got caught in a

de, and Fred regretted it, once it escaped him.

s easy; otherwise-" He finished

black hair and very deep-blue eyes and an indefinable quality which made

rouble?" Fred

olled a guy for twent

at that," he finished,

e men started forward expectantly. But it was the Chinese who

denly spoke to the policeman as

the night," he flung out, bitterly. "I

away, in the wake of t

ed to Starratt

ell, he'll get over that after a while…

've been

used to it… So far I've only made the county jails. Some day I suppose I'll g

he had been picked up by a policeman and charged with vagrancy. The obliging judge who heard his case gave him twenty-four hours to leave town. He went, in company with a professional tramp, upon the brake beams of a freight train that pulled out for Stockton that very night. But at Stockton the train was overhauled by policemen in wait for just these unwelcome strangers from a rival town, and the two were told to go back promptly where they came from. They got into San Francisco more dead than alive, and then the inevitable happened. They were haled before the selfsame judge w

bout bail

Well, I dunno. I sent

again. He had come after the youth-e

ent through the door. "If you've got a d

had ceased to think very definitely about his own plight. Now he was alone. He wondered what Helen would

before the washbasin, smoking furiou

he man said. "I guess y

guess not," he echo

ll, we'll have to get fixed u

ette butt on the flo

*

rridors and he was led out to the room where prisoners were allowed to receive their

an was sending a brave smile across, but the wire mesh between gave her face the same unreality

ratt?" he

clined

. We're attorneys for Mr. Hilmer. He asked me to run

briefly. When he had fin

get in touch with him to-day. Hilmer told me to use

on humiliation. They smote Christ in the same way-with their hands. He remembered the phrase perfectly and the circumstance that had impressed it so indelibly on his mind. His people had seen to it that he had attended Sabbath school, but he was well past ten before they had taken him to church. And, out of the hazy impression

s waiting for him to

oesn't matte

talk. You've got to keep your spirits up. Things might be worse. It's lucky you'v

suppose you saw my wife, b

completely bowled her over… That's another reas

oney and their departing in a yellow tax

the circumstances," Watson explained.

e was very tired and all he lo

ne in the narrow impersonal room where Hilmer's emissary had installed him. He

*

ople drifted by on the homeward stretch in little pattering groups-actors, chorus girls, waiters, and melancholy bartenders. The usual night wind had died … it had gro

detective who had hounded him all day Saturday. Slowly he retraced his steps and found his way back to his room again… No doubt Brauer, fearful lest his victim would escape before he arranged the proper warrants for arrest, had been responsible for this man's presence in the first instance, but who was hiring him now?… Hilmer?… Well, why not? Surely a man who risked bail money was justified in seeing that the object of

*

auer yesterday and again this morning

air… A man who plays up his honesty is a

ng I can get this man Brauer to agree to is a

do you

you know … and if the scheme goes through there'll be no trial, no notoriety, nothing disagreeable… We'll make it plain to the authorities that you gave out this check when you wer

he was not even surprised, but he had energy enough lef

jail gladly. It seems to me that it ought to be easy enough to prove that I gave that che

how can yo

wife. She heard e

at we're trying to do is to hush this thing up, so that in due time y

oing to stop B

l… Hilmer will throw him a sop… He's go

Finally he spoke. "It's a damned lie-the whole thing. That is enoug

nk when they

l …

damned nasty business. You get publicity that you never live down. And just now there's a big sentiment developing against letting people off easily once the thing is made public. Th

ods in the past had not been to his taste, but they were the best means to an end that she knew. And she always had been loyal. Ah yes

e stuck on you there

atson with a s

e said, confidently. "I think I can depend

into his inne

re," he said, handing St

y… When he had finished he read it through again. He sat for some moments on t

e said, bitterly, "I

sion. And I'm a

while I'll get busy pulling wires at once. It won't do to let this thing get cold

man before him sear

t… Fred Starratt put bo