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morning and confer with him, as would any of the members of Cowperwood's family whom he
wished to see. Cowperwood immediately explained to his father his desire for as little of this as
possible. Joseph or Edward might come in the morning and bring a grip full of underwear, etc.;
but as for the others, let them wait until he got out or had to remain permanently. He did think of
writing Aileen, cautioning her to do nothing; but the sheriff now beckoned, and he quietly
followed. Accompanied by his father and Steger, he ascended to his new room.
It was a simple, white-walled chamber fifteen by twenty feet in size, rather high-ceiled, supplied
with a high-backed, yellow wooden bed, a yellow bureau, a small imitation-cherry table, three
very ordinary cane-seated chairs with carved hickory-rod backs, cherry-stained also, and a
wash-stand of yellow-stained wood to match the bed, containing a washbasin, a pitcher, a soap-
dish, uncovered, and a small, cheap, pink-flowered tooth and shaving brush mug, which did not
match the other ware and which probably cost ten cents. The value of this room to Sheriff
Jaspers was what he could get for it in cases like this--twenty-five to thirty-five dollars a week.
Cowperwood would pay thirty-five.
Cowperwood walked briskly to the window, which gave out on the lawn in front, now embedded
in snow, and said he thought this was all right. Both his father and Steger were willing and
anxious to confer with him for hours, if he wished; but there was nothing to say. He did not wish
to talk.
"Let Ed bring in some fresh linen in the morning and a couple of suits of clothes, and I will be all
right. George can get my things together." He was referring to a family servant who acted as
valet and in other capacities. "Tell Lillian not to worry. I'm all right. I'd rather she would not come
here so long as I'm going to be out in five days. If I'm not, it will be time enough then. Kiss the
kids for me." And he smiled good-naturedly.
After his unfulfilled predictions in regard to the result of this preliminary trial Steger was almost
afraid to suggest confidently what the State Supreme Court would or would not do; but he had
to say something.
"I don't think you need worry about what the outcome of my appeal will be, Frank. I'll get a
certificate of reasonable doubt, and that's as good as a stay of two months, perhaps longer. I
don't suppose the bail will be more than thirty thousand dollars at the outside. You'll be out
again in five or six days, whatever happens."
Cowperwood said that he hoped so, and suggested that they drop matters for the night. After a
few fruitless parleys his father and Steger finally said good night, leaving him to his own private
reflections. He was tired, however, and throwing off his clothes, tucked himself in his mediocre
bed, and was soon fast asleep.
Chapter XLV
Say what one will about prison life in general, modify it ever so much by special chambers,
obsequious turnkeys, a general tendency to make one as comfortable as possible, a jail is a jail,
and there is no getting away from that. Cowperwood, in a room which was not in any way
inferior to that of the ordinary boarding-house, was nevertheless conscious of the character of
that section of this real prison which was not yet his portion. He knew that there were cells
there, probably greasy and smelly and vermin-infested, and that they were enclosed by heavy
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