The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-07-19

no less the blackguard."
"A policeman" I cried, and I at
once thought of the man l had seen
staring at nv hams.
"It's foo dark to see his face" she
answered. i" But | caught the shine Of
star on the coat he has on. and who
iver it was took a har1 from your pegs
and hid it in the ash box beyand the
corner. Ye'll and Il there, if ye look
and sure veil not refuse a sup of whis.
key for the information ?"
I gave the old creature what she
wanted. hurried her out of the shop and
put up the shutters, growing angricr
every moment.
"If it is tie policeman I'll make
him pay dearly FOR IT," as I skunk along
the sidewalk to the corner, keeping in
shadow all the way, and when I stood
by the light Of the lamp, close by, that
the ham was there, wrapped in some.
thing which looked like handkerchief,
I bit my lips and clcnched my hands
with rage. Had it been q common
thief / should not so much have miuded {;
but policeman! 1t was more than I
could stand. So I crouched myself il
a doorway and waited. The watch
we're relieved at twelve O'Clock [
knew that, and knew also that this
would be the time when my policeman
would come to take the ham from out
Of its hiding place. And sure enough,
when the time came I heard him chal.
lepge the man who was to take his
place, and come marching down towards
the corner. / let him get the ham we'll
under hi, arm before I stirred, but then
pouncod upon him like tiger.
"Pve got you!" 1 cried. "Pretty
policeman you are indeed, but you shal
suffer for it; you shall suffer for it
can tell YOU"
He struggled with me for mo
) ment like wild thing, and then all Of
: a sudden dropped the ham and fel
down in helpless sort Of a heap upor
the ground.
"I'm a ruined man A" he groaned
] "a ruined man there's no hope fo
, me now Oh my God ! my wife-m,
poor little wife !" and lie burst out cry
ing, like a woman.
-. The sight softened ME, but I was IN
cry still.
"You should have thought Of tina
,, before you became thief" I said. g.
= the guardian Of a mans property is no
: to be trusted, what isto become Of him
: And you look like gentleman-yo'
do not seem like scouudrel, how hav,
you stopped to do such thing as this?
lie was standing beside me now, au
;, the lamp light fell on his face. II Wa
white as any corpse's and his eyes gil
tered terribly.
"Tlltell you what made me do it,
he said, 1t was the only thing whic
- could have driven me to act like that
10 my wife and children are starving
e tell you, and had nothing for them.
;, Poliee,han's families do not ofte
starve," said with a sneer.
"My God cant you believe me?-
=" have only been appointed three days !
| have not received cent of salary ye
" have been i'll long while, and ha
. neither money nor credit. Last nigh
! we went to bed supperless; to da
there has not been crust in the houst
= aud those hams tempted me so. Yo
can never know how awfully the
- :. tempted me, and meant to pay you a
. terwards"
= He covered his face with his hand
N and could see great tears drippin
" through his fingers, and before kne
!, it my own cheeks we're moist, and So "
stood silent, with the ham lying betwee
. us on the ground.
10 AT last he turned toward me and sale
,e Do what you like with me-the la'
hope is gone"
If But put my hand on his arm an
, said, God forbid that l should tax
that last hope from you, that 1, of a
N men should be the one to ruin you.
N your story is true-aud I believe it is
pity you more than l blame you."
le He looked at me in a sort of bewilC
as cred way, as though he scarcely uude