Pippin; A Wandering Flame

orn desk and stool, its chair facing the window (what tales that chair could tell, if it had power of speech!), its piles of reports and pamphlets, its bookshelf within arm's reach of th

okshelf, as all

. Look, bearing, voice-that clear ringing voice we remember so well-all bespoke the soldier; and a soldier he was, not

ld Pete was walking lame, that French Bill was drooping and poking his head forward, a bad sign with him; that Mike was whistling, a good sign

n tilted back on two legs for meditation,

pin,

pin! I was lo

g the same build, both tall and square shouldered, holding their chins well up and looking straight forward; but there the resemblance ceased. The chaplain was sandy fair, with blue eyes as kindly as they were piercing; the other was

r!" he said. "I s'pose

s. Well, Pippin, we're going to miss you her

to speak, but the

you've been to me this past year, especially the past six months. I d

his throat an

Honest I will. I'd be proud, sir, if I could he

lad to have you go as I am sorry to lose you. You'll be helping outside instead of inside, that's all. We shall not let go of you altogether. How a

nsidered

er. I've been round with him, as you say. I kind o'

aplain

eastways he's sick to death of crooks and their games, and that's the first step. I-kind o'-think-"

t a glance full of meaning, and smiled. "So you knew,

tell you ever since. I'd ben tryin'-tryin' hard. I'd found the Lord-found Him for keeps, and I knowed it; but yet, along that summer, after-th

by learning to walk? He'll tumble down twice for every

pudd'n head! He'd wait till I was dog-tired, mebbe, or some one had spoke ugly to me. 'Huh!' he'd say, 'you're no good; what makes you think you are? You're spoilin' a first-rate crook,' he'd say, 'and you'll never make anything else, 'cause that's wher

u knew

m to help; and them times he'd get me down, Satan would, and kn

oment; the chaplain w

for me, but I'd got to play this hand alone. When you come round I tried to speak up and answer pleasant and cheerful, but I guess I made a poor fist of it

in laughed

Cross?'" he said. "You

, and I come. Here were you, and there was I, and on the table was a box ful

. Hadley. "My q

he other; all of a sudden you pulls up and looks at your watch. 'Hello!' you says. 'Ten o'clock! I've got to go and speak to t

ross his eyes. The chaplain laid a quiet hand on

y is ready for that

er had no more trouble with him since that day; and I think Sandy's time has come to find there's somebody trusts him and looks to him

d the door. "Time you were starting, Pippin, since you are determined to go in this way,

g of generations of shoulders; through the guard room, pausing here to shake the friendly hands of a dozen turnkeys, clerks, attendants, all wishing him good luck, all bidding him not forget them for they would sure miss hi

g many things; the last clear glance of love and

you look for the grace of God, ther

I'll look for it, sure! And I'll never forg

ood-by, Pippin! The

alert figure as it strode along the highway; coming t

uld miss him. He had been the sunshine of the place, these six months past. He looked up at the gray walls, the f

, smiled and sighed and squared his shoulders, then

I'll miss him, and the Warden, and them little tads of his, and Pete, and-gee! I'll mis

clean pocket handkerchief (which he then inspected anxiously, shaking every speck of du

ve,' he says, 'or you'll be back here again. And the way for you to behave is to hold fast to the grace that God has given you and to get hold of what He has given to others.' Yes, sir! Straight talk is what Elder Hadley gives. An' I'm goin' to do them things; just watch me! And to begin wit

and a white cap, crouching over a spark of fire: a half-naked child playing on the naked floor: in a corner a man sprawling half-drunk, smoking a clay pipe.

manners!" gr

ave been a hundred!" Pippin thinks-bidding him get out for the drunken brute he is. Whack! Whack! The second blow brings the man st

usly. The old woman finds a rag and rubs something cooling on his back,

s gone. But he knows the other! He sees her now take the child's two hands

as an o

e was

an up th

too

eat bi

it over

nny Faa: some parts I'll keep. She was good to me many a time, and give me s

!" A boy of ten is seized by other hands and raised to the window. "Get in!" says a rough whisper. "Round to your left and open the first door. If you make a noise, I'll cut your heart out!" For some reason-it is not clear what-the boy is unwilling, hangs back, struggli

rs Pippin. "I'll for

see? There's Elder Hadley first and foremost: keep your eyes on him right straight along: he's like-like a window that's open, and no bars to it, and you see the Lord through it, some way. Then there's the Warden, and Mis' Warden-gee! remember that dinner she sent me in one day I pulled her little tad out the water? There was-" Pippin's eyes kindled-"roast beef, mashed potatoes-" he was checking the items off on his fingers-"fried parsnips, pickles, apple pie-green gr

smell of the broom corn almost driving out the prison smell-almost!-near the door, under the watchful eye of an official, two men working together, binding and clipping, himself and Pete. Pete was talking, as he had talked that last day they worked toge

her off with my elbow and went on rollin' my tobarker. She come up again and hit me over the head with a stove lifter. I forgot I had

in good shape, now I tell you! Takes care of the cows and pigs, sleeps with 'em, or so handy by he could hear if a shoat had the teethache, or like th

y belly-achin' over the folks back there, I mought as well go back there and stay back! It's bein' on my own, you

de of Mike's heart; he wouldn't take gold for it. Now wouldn't that-He examined the stick carefully. It was an excellent blackthorn with an anchor carved on the head. Mike h

f I had folks, and they was dandy-and they would be, for the reason I wouldn't have the other kind-why, I would act accordin' to. See? Well, you would! Now lemme tell you abo

his cap and turned it slowly

times together, Ma and me! I'll have me a pa, too. Lemme see what kind I'll have!" Again he paused, considering, his head on one side, his face grave and earnest. "Tall, I guess, and big; big enough to lick me if he wanted to, but he wouldn't want to, and I wouldn't make him want to, neither. Smoke a pipe, and talk kind o' slow. Fought in the Civil War, I expect Pa would have, and no end of stories to tell. When he came in from-from-I expect he'd be a farmer: that's it! that's it! Nice white farmhouse with green blinds and a garding and white ducks and all the

the best way. See? That way I can watch him grow, and see him cut his teeth, and learn him manners-" he frowned, and drew his breath in sharply; then he shook himse

mite of a girl trying to take the clothes down. She cannot reach high enough;

boy!" she sa

in!" says

e child in a clear,

hrough his close-curling

hat was her name now? Polly? No! Dolly? No! Well, anyhow, I guess I'll have my sister like that little gal. Say her name

nna neatly tied (it held a change of linen; the chaplain had offered him a small trunk and a second suit of clothes, but he liked to t