The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Inmate Of The Dungeon, by W. C. Morrow

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Title: The Inmate Of The Dungeon
1894

Author: W. C. Morrow

Release Date: October 24, 2007 [EBook #23177]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INMATE OF THE DUNGEON ***

Produced by David Widger

THE INMATE OF THE DUNGEON

By W. C. Morrow

Copyright, 1894, by J. B. Lippincott & Co

After, the Board of State Prison Directors, sitting in session at the
prison, had heard and disposed of the complaints and petitions of a
number of convicts, the warden announced that all who wished to appear
had been heard. Thereupon a certain uneasy and apprehensive expression,
which all along had sat upon the faces of the directors, became visibly
deeper. The chairman--nervous, energetic, abrupt, incisive man--glanced
at a slip of paper in his hand, and said to the warden:

"Send a guard for convict No-14,208."

The warden started and become slightly pale. Somewhat confused, he
haltingly replied, "Why, he has expressed no desire to appear before
you."

"Nevertheless, you will send for him at once," responded the chairman.

The warden bowed stiffly and directed a guard to produce the convict.
Then, turning to the chairman, he said:

"I am ignorant of your purpose in summoning this man, but of course I
have no objection. I desire, however, to make a statement concerning him
before he appears."

"When we shall have called for a statement from you," boldly responded
the chairman, "you may make one."

The warden sank back into his seat. He was a tall, fine-looking man,
well-bred and intelligent, and had a kindly face. Though ordinarily
cool, courageous, and self-possessed, he was unable to conceal a strong
emotion which looked much like fear. A heavy silence fell upon the room,
disturbed only by the official stenographer, who was sharpening his
pencils. A stray beam of light from the westering sun slipped into the
room between the edge of the window-shade and the sash, and fell across
the chair reserved for the convict. The uneasy eyes of the warden
finally fell upon this beam, and there his glance rested. The chai