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Show page 163 SHADOW OF THE PRISON Mrs. Annie G r i f f i n lived a l l the years of her widowhood in the shadow of the prison - about t h r e e blocks from the prison, t o be exact - and her behavior and dress became so odd that folks of our town began c a l l i n g her Moonshine Annie and thought of having her committed t o the sanatorium near P l a i n s . This t a lk of committing her dragged on and on, like many i s s u e s do in our town, u n t i l suddenly one day a d e c i s i o n was no longer needed. Mrs. G r i f f i n ' s emaciated figure was framed in her window when Ben Holder came i n t o town t o take a job as guard ( c u s t o d i al o f f i c e r ) at the p r i s o n . Holder's walk was s o f t , h e s i t a n t but c e r t a i n , a r u r a l man's walk, t h e more d e l i b e r a t e because of Holder's newness t o our town. Holder was s i x feet two, with steady eyes and a firm, f u l l - l i p p e d mouth. His short h a i r stood s t i f f , s t r a i g h t up, had been bleached by sun and xvind. Two small l i n e s of wrinkles creased h i s forehead. A room at Mrs. Annie G r i f f i n ' s , Moonshine A n n i e ' s , was a l l the lodging he had been able to o b t a i n . At t h e walkway t o her house Holder paused and brushed consciously at dust on low s e c t i o n s of his t r o u s e r s . His faded blue s u i t had been r e c e n t l y pressed; he wanted t o keep i ts good appearance u n t i l he was on t h e job and a paycheck was forthcoming for a new one. "Why, h e ' s like t h e southern wind, a b l e s s i n g to my house," said Annie. Truly of a l l the young men Annie had seen l a t e l y, Holder ud„^.Lliu liinriflflBMMTt He had been browned by the sun. His |
