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

ly, as I thoh4Nt they would. Now and
then some one would come in for a
pound, and once sold halt OF the smsl.
lest one to a woman who wanted it for |
her Sunday dinner. She was to pav ME
on Monday morning, but she never did
for on Sunday night her husband killed |
her with rum bottle. and they took
her body past my shop with it' poor
head all beaten out of shape anil bloody
And so the hams hung there through
the summer and through the fall, and
quitr on into the winter.
II was just as the December nights
began to grow long and dark and cold,
that I noticed new policemen on our
beat-s young handsome looking fellow,
with very bright eyes. but with such
thin cheeks and hands, although he
seemed to be powerfully built and made
!or a rather stout man, that could not
help watching him, and wondering
whether he had been i'll or not. The
first time that noticed him was about
sunset, and he passed and repassed my
window dozen times, looking all the
while straight at those hams, which
dangled from the frame of the awning.
l hope he means TO buy one I said to
my wife, as we sat together over the tea
table and shouldn't wonder THE did
for he seetns to have taken quite fancy
for them
But the evening passed, and though
I saw him evory now and then on the
other side of the way, looking across
with his bright eyes straight at the
hams, he did not come in or speak to
me on the subject. And so I made up
my mind that he would send for it in
the tiorhing, and somehow made sure Of
It that whenever | saw decent looking
woman 90 BY with basket on her arm,
I said, That's the policeman's wife
coming after the ham was niistak en- ,
however,, and after the street lamps
were lighted that night began to see
the man pacing up and down, with his
eyes still Gked as they had been the
night previous upon the hams. Once
he caught h,e peeping at him, and then
he turned SO red aid looked at me with
such wolfsh glitter in his eyes, that ]
grew angry aud said to myself 1T.
we'll that keeping unstable articles ISM
crime In this country, for it it was
, should expect to be arrested So
gave him back his look, turhed on my
heel and walked back into shop. l did
not see him again that night; but Ions
} after everything had been taken in anc
I locked up, and was snug iu bed,
t heard a tramp, tramp, tramp, upon th'
the pavement, and knew it was the nev
policeman. and that he was looking a
e the hooks where the hams hung, as vel
I as though l had seen him.
G "On the third evening he was ther'
s again that, you may say, was no won
4 der, for it was his duty to be upon tina
q beat and no other; but it was curiou
' that he should keep on staring at thos
a hams with those bright, wofsh eyes o
I his. l didn't like it, though I coul'
hot have said why. A vessel had beer
wrecked at sea about that time, and a
f extra, with the latest news of the disas
:, ter, came out that evening. l bough
e paper and sat down behind the coun
c ter to read it. II was q stormy nj n
and but few customers came in, au
= those we're easily served, and somehow
:. between reading and thinking, tin,
n passed 90, until the clock struck eleven
}. and l had not yet taken in my goods D
e put up my shutters.
"Just as ! was about to do so, Il
P fact I had already put my hand upo
= the first piece Of the shutter,) my doc
q opened ana an old woman came il
/. She was q scottish, miserable creature
l, known about the place as Irish Kate
l. and with her red nose and bleared eye
$, and bloated limbs, was as ugly a fgur
l, as any one ever cast eyes on. 'Anoth
?, er diam, l suppose I said to mysel
t. going behind the bar at once, for war
IS ted to get rid of her as soon as possible
;s But she, to my surprise, came close u
70 to me, aud put her great red paw spe
t, my arm.
"Ive made diskivery, mister" sh
to said. you've not been keeping a
L II l.