Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1867-04-18

) liceman, no less the blackguard.
II didn't see his face" she said
"but caught the shine Of a star
! on the coat he has on, and whoever
it was took q ham from the pegs and
hid it in the ash box beyond the
corner. You'll find it there if you
/ look and sure you'll not refuse a
, sup Of whiskey for the informa-
] tion?'
! gave the old creature what she
wanted, hurried her out Of the shop
and put up the shutters, growing
angrier every moment,
"If it is the policeman, I'll make
him pay dearly for it," so | crept
along the sidewalk to the corner,
keeping in the shadow all the way,
and when / stood beside the box
and saw, by the light Of the lamp
close by, that the ham was there,
wrapped in something that looked
like handkerchief, | bit my lips
with rage. Had it been a common
thief, | should not so much have
minded; but a policeman! 1t was
more than | could stand So l
crouchcd myself ina doorway and
waited. The watch was relieved at
twelve o'clock; knew that, and
knew also that this would be my
time when the policeman came to
take the ham from out its hiding
place. And sure enough, when the
time came | heard him challenge the
man who was to take his place and
come marching down towards the
corner let him get the ham well
under his arm before | was satisfied,
but then | pomced upon him like
tiger.
1--WE got you" | cried. A pret-
| ty sort Of policeman you are in
deed; but you shall suffer for it |
can tell you"
He struggled with me for few
minutes like wild thing, and all Of
a sudden he dropped the ham and
fell down in a helpless sort of heap
upon the ground
"I'm ruined man ~ he groaned, |
ga ruined man there 'sno hope for
me now. Omy God my wife--my
poor little wife, and he burst out
crying like woman.
The sight soitened me, but | was
angry still.
you should have thought Of
that before you became thief"
said. "If the guardian Of mans
property is not to be trusted, what
is to become Of him-and you look
| like a gentIemm-you do not seem
like a scoundrel; how have You
stopped to do such a disgraceful
thing as this :"
He was standing beside me now,
and the lamp light fell on his face
1t was as white as any corpse S and
his eyes glittered terribly.
"Policeman's families do not of
ten starve," l said with sneer.
"My God can't you believe me;
won'tyou believe me ?" painted the
man, II have only been appointed
three days, ! have not received a
cent Of salary yet. l have been i'll
long while and had neither money
nor credit. Last night we went to
bed supperless, to-day there has not
been a crust in the house, and those
hams temped me 50. You can new
er know how awfully they tempted
| meant to pay you for it
afterwards"
He covered his face with his
hands and 1 could see great tears
through his fingers, and
before l knew it my own checks i
were moist, and so we stood silent
with the ham lying between us on
the ground. {
At last he turned towards me and J
said: "Do what you like with me.
The last hopei is gone" i
But put my hand on his arm S
and said, "God forbid that l should I
take that last hope from you. If l
your story be true-and l believe t
it isl pity you more than blame |
YOU" S
He looked at me in q sort of be
wildered way, as though he scarce
ly understood me, and / took him s
by the arm and led him back to the {
shop. There | filled a basket of t
bread and butter and coffee, and
put the ham on the top of ALL
Take it home to your wife," l II
said "you'll pay me when you get
your salary, and if youneed before i
that, come to me. | am poor man /
myself and l can feel for otherpoor {
men,"
| shall never forget that mans S
face in my life; so wondering, so
and so awestricken All {
he said was, "God bless YOU" but 1
there was a whole sermon i'll those {
words, and I slept better for them. '
On Christmas night he paid me .
every cent, and from that day un- I
ill I left the neighborhood, he dealt i
with me regularly But times grew c
so much better that l took a store c
N good street, and one way and i
another saw no more of my police S
man for three years. J
One night, just such a night as
hat on which saw him staring at
wakened the hams, l was a long af-
ter midnight by a cry of fire. I t
started up TO see the flames through a