“You stay out of this, Tremayne.”
The tall man took a sip of coffee, shrugged, and said no more.
Before this group left, she pulled Billy to one side. She felt sorry for the young man. “How old are you, Billy?”
“Seventeen.”
“And what are you in for?”
“I was convicted of burglary. I got in with the wrong bunch, Miss Charity.”
“That big man, the one called Canreen, does he bully you?”
Fear touched the young man’s eyes. “Yes, ma’am, he bullies everybody—except Casey Tremayne.”
“If I give you some cookies, can you hide them from him?”
“No, ma’am, he’ll shake me down as soon as I get out of here.”
“Before I leave, I’ll have my uncle bring you back, and I’ll give you something extra good. Are you a Christian man, Billy?”
“My ma was. I guess I’m nothing.”
“Here, take this.” She handed him a small New Testament, and he took it awkwardly. “Thank you, ma’am, I’ll sure read it.”
She watched the young man go and then greeted the next group. At noon she had lunch with her uncle who did not eat the prison food but what Eileen brought in covered dishes. They had a meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green salad that she was surprised to see.
“Eileen knows how to grow things,” Uncle Paul said.
“She’s a good cook,” Charity said. Her mind returned to the prisoners. “I feel so sorry for these men.”
“So do I,” Paul said, shrugging his shoulders. “Most of them are here because they couldn’t control themselves. Others, more or less, got caught up in the machinery.”
“I think that young fellow Billy Watson must be one of those.”
“Yes, he is. Doesn’t have any business being here. The other prisoners brutalize him. There’s nothing I can do about it, I’m afraid.”
“The big man, Canreen. He bullies him.”
“Canreen’s a hard case. He bullies everybody.”
“But not the one called Tremayne.”
Paul’s wife shot his niece a glance. “You met Tremayne? You get a smile out of him?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You never will. He’s a hard one. Canreen wouldn’t bully him. He tried it once and lost a couple of teeth in the process.”
“He seems angry about something, Tremayne I mean.”
“Yes, his name is Casey Tremayne. He’s got an interesting story. He’s not from the North, you know. He grew up in the West. As a matter of fact, his folks were killed in an Indian raid, and he was raised by the Sioux until he was twelve. Then he got away from them.”
“What’s he in for?”
“He half killed a man. They got him for attempted murder. Trouble is, the man he shot was the nephew of the attorney general of the state of Pennsylvania. He was pretty well railroaded, and he’s bitter about it.”
“He looks different from the others.”
“Well, that’s his Western side, I guess. He’s been all over the West. He was a trapper for a while, trapping beavers and prospecting for gold. He knows that country.”
“How long is he in for?”
“He comes up for parole pretty soon, but he’ll never make it.”
“Why not?”
“He can’t behave himself. He’s angry at the world, and anytime anybody crosses him he lashes out and that includes guards. No way to get out of this place.”
“I’d like to have that young man Billy back and give him some extra food. He took a Bible, too, but he said Canreen would take the food away if I gave it to him.”
“You can have him back in. Would two o’clock be about right?”
“That’ll be fine, Uncle Paul.”
* * *
LATE THAT NIGHT CHARITY was tired, for she had spent all day at the prison. Many of the prisoners were eager to talk, and some would listen to her urging to look to Jesus for salvation. Some rebuffed her, and some simply remained silent. She had finished dinner, and she was sitting in front of the fire with her Uncle Paul. Eileen was in the kitchen.
The two talked for a long time. Finally, Charity asked, “Do you think the dream I had about you
The tall man took a sip of coffee, shrugged, and said no more.
Before this group left, she pulled Billy to one side. She felt sorry for the young man. “How old are you, Billy?”
“Seventeen.”
“And what are you in for?”
“I was convicted of burglary. I got in with the wrong bunch, Miss Charity.”
“That big man, the one called Canreen, does he bully you?”
Fear touched the young man’s eyes. “Yes, ma’am, he bullies everybody—except Casey Tremayne.”
“If I give you some cookies, can you hide them from him?”
“No, ma’am, he’ll shake me down as soon as I get out of here.”
“Before I leave, I’ll have my uncle bring you back, and I’ll give you something extra good. Are you a Christian man, Billy?”
“My ma was. I guess I’m nothing.”
“Here, take this.” She handed him a small New Testament, and he took it awkwardly. “Thank you, ma’am, I’ll sure read it.”
She watched the young man go and then greeted the next group. At noon she had lunch with her uncle who did not eat the prison food but what Eileen brought in covered dishes. They had a meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green salad that she was surprised to see.
“Eileen knows how to grow things,” Uncle Paul said.
“She’s a good cook,” Charity said. Her mind returned to the prisoners. “I feel so sorry for these men.”
“So do I,” Paul said, shrugging his shoulders. “Most of them are here because they couldn’t control themselves. Others, more or less, got caught up in the machinery.”
“I think that young fellow Billy Watson must be one of those.”
“Yes, he is. Doesn’t have any business being here. The other prisoners brutalize him. There’s nothing I can do about it, I’m afraid.”
“The big man, Canreen. He bullies him.”
“Canreen’s a hard case. He bullies everybody.”
“But not the one called Tremayne.”
Paul’s wife shot his niece a glance. “You met Tremayne? You get a smile out of him?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You never will. He’s a hard one. Canreen wouldn’t bully him. He tried it once and lost a couple of teeth in the process.”
“He seems angry about something, Tremayne I mean.”
“Yes, his name is Casey Tremayne. He’s got an interesting story. He’s not from the North, you know. He grew up in the West. As a matter of fact, his folks were killed in an Indian raid, and he was raised by the Sioux until he was twelve. Then he got away from them.”
“What’s he in for?”
“He half killed a man. They got him for attempted murder. Trouble is, the man he shot was the nephew of the attorney general of the state of Pennsylvania. He was pretty well railroaded, and he’s bitter about it.”
“He looks different from the others.”
“Well, that’s his Western side, I guess. He’s been all over the West. He was a trapper for a while, trapping beavers and prospecting for gold. He knows that country.”
“How long is he in for?”
“He comes up for parole pretty soon, but he’ll never make it.”
“Why not?”
“He can’t behave himself. He’s angry at the world, and anytime anybody crosses him he lashes out and that includes guards. No way to get out of this place.”
“I’d like to have that young man Billy back and give him some extra food. He took a Bible, too, but he said Canreen would take the food away if I gave it to him.”
“You can have him back in. Would two o’clock be about right?”
“That’ll be fine, Uncle Paul.”
* * *
LATE THAT NIGHT CHARITY was tired, for she had spent all day at the prison. Many of the prisoners were eager to talk, and some would listen to her urging to look to Jesus for salvation. Some rebuffed her, and some simply remained silent. She had finished dinner, and she was sitting in front of the fire with her Uncle Paul. Eileen was in the kitchen.
The two talked for a long time. Finally, Charity asked, “Do you think the dream I had about you
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