“But she will,” he muttered as he made his way downstairs and dismissed the new woman, who, with a very dark smile upon her face, laughed him to scorn for his indecision.
“I should like the managing of that young girl for a little while,” said she slowly, “and I think I could bring her to time.”
“Leave your address. I may need you,” replied Benson, as he showed her the door.
And now this day Nellie was writing her experience to Tom.
“As if I could live here without Biddy, Tom,” wrote she. “And with the woman he hired for my companion. You have no idea how repugnant she was to me. Oh, Tom, is this misery never to cease? Now I have but a little money to do as I want to with, but, my beloved, it won’t be long before I can spend all the money I wish. Then for freedom for you and happiness for me.”
This letter was received at the prison and the warden congratulated Tom upon having such a constant little sweetheart, but the tone of the missive was anything but satisfactory to Tom. He believed that Biddy would be sent away and Nellie would be left alone with Benson.
He thought of this so long that the idea seemed to set his brain on fire, and he could see his darling going through all sorts of things and tortures to make her give over the money to Nathans and her cousin. He pictured in his mind this woman, who had been brought to take the place of the faithful Irishwoman, who had been his and Nellie’s friend since their terrible experience in the river fifteen years before. He suddenly made up his mind to escape that night from the prison.
And escape he did. He slipped out of his place in the line of men and hid behind a large pile of lumber where some carpenters were at work. One man had taken off his suit of blue overalls, and thrown it down upon the boards, and instantly Tom had put this on, and had calmly walked out of the gate with the set of carpenters.