The business in the warden's office was simple and quickly dispatched.
Once in the room, Andy was permitted to stand with his friends. The
officers made their report and the clerk wrote some entries in his books
and gave them a receipt. Then, he rang a bell.
Professor Young was talking to the warden when a guard came through the
iron door from the interior of the prison.
"Take Bishop in," the clerk directed briefly, without looking up from
his books.
Andy turned to Professor Young, took his hand and tried to stammer out
some words of gratitude.
"There, there, old man, brace up!" said the lawyer, patting him on the
shoulder. "Hope it won't be for long!... Here, Boy, say good-bye to
Andy."
Troubled, the baby clung to his friend.
"I don't want Andy to go. I want 'im to come home," insisted the child.
Kissing the little fellow passionately, the dwarf gave him to Deforrest
and turned to Tessibel. She took his hands firmly in her strong ones and
looked earnestly into his face.
"Remember the hands stronger'n Waldstricker's," she whispered. "They'll
bring you right back home, dear. They did Daddy Skinner, Andy, darling."
Shaken by suppressed emotion, the little man sank to the floor.
"Oh, God help me to come back to ye!" he moaned dully.... "God help me!"
A moment, Tess fought the uprushing tears.
"You are coming back, Andy, remember that," she said quickly. Then, she
lifted her friend to his feet and kissed him.
"Here, sir," she said to the officer, "take him!"
Infected by Tessibel's faith, Andy ceased to weep. He flashed a last
loving glance at her and the boy, and preceded the guard through the
iron door into the prison.
* * * * *
Some time later, after what seemed an eternity of waiting, the warden
came to Professor Young.
"The lady can see Bennet now," he said.
Silently, an attendant conducted Tessibel through the long stone
corridors to the prison hospital.
As she passed, eager eyes watched her from the rows of cots against the
wall. She was piloted to a bed near the end of the room.
"Here's your company, Bennet," said the officer.
The figure on the bed turned and pain-ridden eyes peered up. Tess felt
her throat throb with sympathy.
"What do ye want, miss?" growled a weak voice.
Tess smiled and bent over the bed. "I want to talk to you," she said.
"May I?"
Bennet's face softened immediately. He thought a beautiful angel had
dropped from Heaven to the side of his prison bed.
"Yep," he whispered, blinking at her. "There air somethin' under the bed
to set on, ma'am."
Drawing forth a stool, Tess raised the lowered back and sat down.
In the presence of such misery, she had almost forgotten her little
friend in the cell outside. Just then, she wanted to comfort Owen
Bennet, to say something which would take away that writhing expression
of suffering.
"You're very sick," she murmured. "Poor man, I'm sorry!"
Bennet kept his watery eyes on the pleading young face.