Part 16 (1/2)
CHAPTER IV
A RAY OF LIGHT
I yearn for coht of a huerly listen for the fastones of the hallway: it is the old range up” The sensitive mouth puckered up in an inaudible whistle, the one-ars the broom with his left, the top of the handle pressed under the are or tier of cells
”hello, Aleck! How're you feeling to-day?”
He stands opposite my cell, at the further end of the wall, the broolance of the kind blue eyes, while his head is in constant ht and left, alert for the approach of a guard
”How're you, Aleck?”
”Oh, nothing extra”
”I kno it is, Aleck, I've been through the ht, old boy You're young yet”
”Old enough to die,” I say, bitterly
”S--sh!+ Don't speak so loud The screw's got long ears”
”The screw?”
A wild hope tre expression in the mysterious note,--perhaps this eman His back turned toward me, head bent, he hurriedly plies the broom with the quick, short stroke of the one-ar, as he crosses the line of ular swish-swash of the broom But theshadow falls across the hall The tall guard of the malicious eyes stands at my door
”What you pryin' out for?” he de”
”Don't you contradict me Stand back in your hole there Don't you be leanin' on th' door, d'ye hear?”
Down the hall the guard shouts: ”Hey you, cripple! Talkin' there, wasn't you?”
”No, sir”
”Don't you dare lie to me You was”
”Swear to God I wasn't”
”W-a-all, if I ever catch you talkin' to that s---- of a b----, I'll fix you”
The scratching of the broo the doors The even strokes of the cat-o'-nine-tails sound nearer Again the ht and left, the while he diligently plies the duster
”Aleck,” he whispers, ”be careful of that screw He's a ---- See him jump onto eon, you know I'd lose my job, too”