Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1917 — In Honor Bound [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

In Honor Bound

By GEORGE ELMER COBB

(Copyright, 1817, by W. G. Chapman.) “Don’t do It. Rowland.” “I must I Listen, you are human, you, whose kindness has won me back to believe there is some good in the world after all. I crave the heaven -of one last look at-a woman's face. This is my last opportunity. Don’t deny me.” “If you should be tempted, Rowland, once beyond restraint —” “Nothing can tempt me from honor.” declared Harvey Rowland vehemently. “Then go. I trust you, but if you should fail to return, remember everyman in the honor squad will suffer because of your act, and privileges withdrawn. Besides that. I happen to know that the pardon board is considering your case. Tt would be a pity to spoil all your prospects.” It was a strange situation. Harvey Rowland was convict No. 1978. He did not look it, for he was an innocent man and that consciousness kept at bay the prison taint and the prison demoralization. He had served two years of his ten years’ sentence. His record as a prisoner had attracted the favorable attention of the warden and he had been made a member of the honor squtfQ.

It seemed like a~ new life to be dressed in civilian attire, free from surveillance, trusted, with full freedom within his power if he was willing to riskrecapture. But of that' Rowland thought little. It was now, however when the squad of some thirty men under charge of Trusty John Dore was on its way to a road-making job fifty miles across country, that, as they camped two miles from a town called Ellisville, a devouring longing for a few hours’ freedom assailed him. Briefly, he wished to steal into the town and get a stolen glimpse of the woman he had once loved, whom he loved now, whomhewould continue to love to his dying day. She was Eunice Landon. From the day of his arrest he had not seen her nor heard a word from her. They were all but engaged when, like an obliterating avalanche, there overcame all his hopes, prospects and ambitions the dreadful charge of crime. It was not at Ellisville that he had known Eunice Landon, but at the palatial city home of the Landons. From a stray newspaper item, in the gloom of his prison cell a week previous he had read of the summering of the Landons at Ellisville. “Go,” said his staunch friend, the trusty. “I pity you, I hope for you, but I tremble for you.” "I will keep my wmrd of honor!” declared Rowland staunchly. “I will return before midnight. And I will have seen her! Then I will go back to the dull old grind, content.” As he reached the purlieus of the town Rowland observed that the place was in gala attire. The center of the town was alive with lights, decorations, activity. People arrayed in mask and —costume-were-fleekfag-to-t-he-gteat -central square. A street carnival was on. Rowland slunk from s.tree.t„tO-.str.e.eL-Finally his wish to conceal his identity was gratified. A half-drunken parader in reckless abandonment flung aside the halT mask and - faneiful tinsel cUPe pewore. Rowland donned these. —= — Now/mixing with the throngs. lm was bolder and felt more secure. He did not know where the Landons lived, but he planned to make inquiries that would lead to that discovery. As he approached the public square he came to a halt with a shock. An automobile had drawn up to the curb in a side street. It contained an old naan, the chauffeur and a girl. At her Rowland stared, breathless, ecstatic. It was Eunice! It was the object of the undying love he had clierished all these yeqrs. Her father" spoke to her as if askfag her to join him in a tour of the gay square. Uer face was set, . cheerless. She shook her head, .settled herself back in her seat-and her father and the chauffeur mingled with the throngs and were lost to view. Eunice Landon gazed with" jackjluster eyes at the bubbling-ove’r living panorama. It did not interest her, Only her own secret thoughts kept her. company. She started as a hand touched Tier arm. She num who had approached the machine, lialf-miiSked, looking up at her. Then Rowland lilted aside mask which he wbfe. . . . .—.—ZZ_. /"/.

She was not startled, she was not agitated. Over that beautiful, fdce there spread a joyous sjniie, glad, welcoming, ineffable. She put out both her jeweled hands to clasp his own,, with* the fervent thrilling words: “Oh, at last—l knew you w’ould come. My love! My love I” —— The man fairly staggered. She did not release his hands. He stammered forth: “You do not know—that I am still a convict?” r “You are my love, my own true love, that isall I know and- the moment is rapturous I” she said simply. “A convict? Yes, but —Innocent!” '/“You believe —’’ v “I know!" she declared. “The man you suffered for, my unworthy relative, confessed to me, dying, and died ere I could secure a witness to .his confession, And then my father—l promised-

him I would never seek you or write to you, but I knew that some day you would come to me, and you are here, and I am content!" She drew him towards her as if to have him by her fclde; Ina rapid storm Rowland told of his situation, of his brief furlough of an hour. “Listen!” she burst forth, as he had finished., “There has not been an hour ' since you—you went away that you have not been in my thoughts}. I prom--1 ised my father I would not seek nor ‘ write to you. I shall keep my pledge. ■ But you have come to me. Take me away, here, now. Speak the word and I will go with you anywhere. I care not what poverty or hardships may be before us —let us hide from all the world, happy man and He was amazed, he was thrilled. For a moment he was urged to take her at her word. Then he straightened up. His soul of honor spoke in his eyes. “Eunice,” he said, his voice quivering with profound emotion, “you offer me paradise, but I dare not accept it. I THu sr foil ow out the rugged path fate has awarded me. I must return to the prison, as Iriiave promised.” “Too late!” gasped Eunice, and fell back fainting. Her father was returning to the autojnobile. Rowland kissed the cold, lifeless hands of his love and “You’re a man, every inch of you!” spoke the trusty, as Rowland appeared at the honor camp at midnight. “Your pardon, and you deserve it,” were the words of the warden at the prison, as he handed Rowland a legal looking document a month later. It was several weeks after that when the girl, who kept her word to her £a-

ther and the man who ha.d kept his word to the law, met again. The father of Eunice had died and she was her own mistress. The loyal pair quickly drifted away from their old environment to a new district, staunch souls, all in all to each other, and, therefore, blessed and true.

Approached the Machine.