The Eagle's Heart

residence of the sheriff, and brick walks ran diagonally from corner to corner for the convenience of citizens. Over these walks magnifice

stures of the men at the windows, but ordinarily the grounds were quiet and peaceful. The robins nested in the maples, the squirre

had loitered with Dot-now he was one of those who clawed at the window bars like monkeys in a cage in order to look out at the sunshine of the world. The jai

d slept. Most of them brooded, like Harold, on the sunshine lost to them, and paced their cells like wild animals. It had, however, the advantage of giving to each man a separat

y after his trial, but the boy said: "I'm not askin

ods. He could spring from the floor, catch the hand rail of the runway above, and swing himself with a single effort to the upper cells. Every possible combination of strength and agility which the slender variety of means allowed he used, and not one o

nticed into the residence part of the j

nd, the kind they use out on the plains, and a belt and ammunition. I want a valise-a good strong one; and I want you to put all my clothes in it-I mean my underclothes-I won't need cuffs and collars and such knickknacks out there. I shall never enter father's door again. Then I want you to be on the lookout for a chance to drive cattle for somebody goi

light of the prison. For an hour after one of these talks with Jack he tore around

He considered them "a little off their nut"-that is to say, fanatic. He kept his cell closely, and the devoted ones seldom caught a glimpse of him, though he was the chief object of their care. They sang Pull for the Shore, Trust it all with Jesus, and other well-

were amazed to hear female voices joining in the songs. Heads appeared at every door to see the girl

the singing. Harold lay on his iron bed dreaming of the wild lands whose mountains he could see shining through his prison walls. Jack had purchased for him some photographs of the Rocky Mountains, and when he desired to forget his surroundings he h

gh windows. She was singing alone, a wonderful thing in itself, and in her eyes was neither fear nor maidenly shrinking; she was indeed thrillingly absorbed and self-forgetful. There was something singular and

voice, a pers

vel the whole

the wings of th

men with a

them to

ere a

of her voice when she uttered the words "And tell them to be true," dropped down into the boy's sullen and lonely heart. He did not look at her, but all the week he wondered about her. He thought of her almos

hey were speedily silenced by their neighbors. Harold was eager to seek Jack in order to learn

to solace himself with his pictures. The second week wore away and Jack came, but by that time the image of the g

hand clapping, and a volley of applause made the cells resound. The girl started in dismay, and then, as she

ell bawled: "Sing The Voi

nd said: "Sing for t

nished the last verse, and then he stood so close to her he could have touched her, and his solemn dark eyes burned so strangely into her face

e, miss," one of

replied the ot

ll as into a mountain lake. Every man there perceived the girl's divine purity of purpose. She was stainless as a summer cloud-a passionless, serene child, with the religious impulse strong within her. She could not have bee

y child, straight in the back, wid

gesture and utterance. Her dress was a studiously plain gray gown, not without a little girlish ornament at the neck and bosom. Every detail of her lovely personality entered Harold's mind and remained there. He had hardly reached the analytic stage in matters of this k

th shrank, he from a sense of unworthiness, she from the instinctive fear of men which a young girl of her type has deep-planted within her. She studied him shyly when

ecept could not do, all that the judge, jury, and prison could not do, this slip of a girl did with a glance of her big gray eyes and the tremor of her voice in song. All his mi

swer half a dozen of them. "Who is she? Where does she live? Do you know her? Is she a good schol

speak to her, she's so distant. She just says 'Yes,' or 'No,' when you ask her anything. She's religious-goes to prayer meeting and Sunday school. About a dozen boys go to prayer meeting just b

grandest girl I ever saw.

ed: "I wish you was

ack. It won't be long till I am. I'm going to write t

e said no one else was worthy to tie Mary's shoe, for he, too, worshiped her-but afar off. He

d's was not a nature of finedrawn distinctions; he wrote as he fought, swift

y see you give that to her

, and hung about the corner, in the hope of meeting Mary on her return from school. He knew very exactly her hours of recitation and at last she came, her arms filled with books

rd formality. "Miss Yardwell,

s," she replied, qui

step with her

e had to do it, for you see Clint was big as two of him and he'd just badgered the life out of Harry for a month, and so they jugged Harry, and he's there-in jail-and I suppose you've seen him; he's a fine-looking chap, dark hair, well built. He's a dandy bal

eak Jack was gone, and she walked on, flushed with excitement, her breath shortened and quickened. She had a fair share of woman's love of

impid gray of her eyes was clouded with emotion. She climbed the

used up Clint Slocum because I had to. He had hectored me about enough. He said some mean things about me and some one else, and I soaked him once with my fist. He struck me with the whip and downed me, then a kind of a cloud came into my mind and I guess I soaked him with my knife, too. Anyh

I'm going to come back. I hope you won't get married before that time for I'll have something to say to you. If you run across any pic

ery Sunday till I get

LD EX

Jack is my chum; I'd trust hi

on, and though it contained no subtleties, it came from one who was in jail, and she had been taught to regard people in jail as lost souls, aliens with whom it was dangerous to hold any intercourse, save in pr

sked herself, and ended by kneeling down and pra

It was God's grace working through her, and her devoutness was not without its human mixture of girlish pride and exaltation. She worshiped him in her natural moments, and in her momen

d caught from revivalists and wrote of her studies and of the doings of each member of the class, and all other subjects which a young girl finds valuable material of conversation. She was just becoming acquainted with V

she had been raised in a family where religious observances never remitted; where grace was always spoken. In this home her looks were seldom alluded to in any way, and vanity was not in her. She had her loveline

her effort to see him. Simply because Mary wished it, Harold consented to see his father, and they he

ble to the other nature become easy. You will know this, you should know it now, for in you there is the same murderous madman that is in me. You must fight him down. I love you, my son," he said, and his voice was deep and tremulous, "and it hurts me to have you stand aloof from me. I have tried to do my duty. I ha

heart swelled with emotion, but something arose up

r pleads, but the pale lad, with bitter and sullen mien, lis

hen your term ends," he sa

I can't do that. I

and take your place at the table just once. There is a

himself to a

l raised

ands over your

rever. I think you are right in going. There is no chance for you here; perhaps out there in the great West you may get a start. Of my shortcomings as a father you know, and I suppose you can

he burst forth: "I don't blame you at all, only let me g

dness came over his face. He had failed-Harold was farther away

man like his father, who looked like a soldier and a man of action, and who ought not to cry like a woman. If only he would act all the time as he did when he threw the sheriff across the walk that day on the street. "I wish he'd stop preaching and go to work at something," he said to Jack. The p

tter from Mary wh

ends. Mother isn't very well, and just as soon as

wrote in re

you come in when Jack does, he knows all about us, COME SURE. I c

t everything and talk. Besides you mustn't kiss me. We a

m going out where the cattle are thick as grasshoppers, and I'm going to be a cattle king and then you can be a cattle queen and ride around with me on our ranch, that's what they call a farm out there. Now, you'r

go about the country singing to make men like me good, you can do it, only don't let them fall in love with you, they

CELL, Cat