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

snip came TO port Win lOau OF fu
ined pine-apples, or decayed or
anges, | bought alot Of these, ant
charging u small profit, sold then
easily enough, Although my wifi
used to say the miserable babie.
who rolled in the cutters, died OF
faster after every stock Of damaged
fruit | sold in the old shop, and In
afraid that she was right, Well, as
/ told you, ] struggled on as best
might, and after a while things be
gan to improve, and / began tC
have visions Of a clean store in 3
good street, when l lay down tC
rest at night.
SO one day when | had been to
market l brought home half a do.
zen hams and hung them up above
the door, more for II show thaa any
thing else, for hams were a grand
holiday dinner in those regions,
and notan everyday affair | can tell
you, They went off slowly, as |
thought they would. Now and
then some one would come in for a
pound, and once | sold half Of the
smallest one to woman who want.
ed it for a Sunday dinner. She was
to pay me on Monday morning,
but she never did, for on Sunday
night her husband killed her with a
rum bottle, and they took her body
past my shop, with its poor head
beaten out of shape and bloody,
And so the hams hung there all
through the fall, and quite on into
the winter, .. ......
1t was just as the December
nights began to grow long and dark
and cold, that | noticed a new po-
liceman on our beat-a young,
handsome-l looking fellow, with very
bright eyes, but with such thin
cheeks and hands, although he
seemed powerfully built and made
for a rather stout man, that | could
not help Watching him and wonder
ing whether he had been i'll or not.
The first time | noticed him was
about sunset and he passed and re
passed my window about a dozen
times, looking all the while at those
hams which dangled from the frame
of the awning II hope he means
to buy one" | said to my wife as
we sat together over the tea table !;
''and | shouldn't wonder if he did,
for he seems to have taken quite a
fancy to them"
But the evening passed, and tho
saw him now and then on the
other side Of the way looking
across with his bright eyes straight
1t the hams, he did not come in or
speak to me on the subject And
so [ made up my mind that he
would send for it in the morning,
md somehow made so sure of it
hat whenever | saw a decent look
ng woman go by with a basket on
Ter arm, | said there's the police
mans wife coming after the ham"
was mistaken, however; and af-
er the street lamps were lighted
hat night, l began to see the man
'assing up and down, up and |
own, with his eyes still fixed as
hey had been on the night preyi-
us, upon the hams. Once he
aught me peeping at him and then
e turned so red and looked 1T me
18th such a glitter in his eyes, that
grew angry and said to myself:
Its well that keeping unsaleable |
rticles isn't a crime in this coun-
~, for if it was, l Iwould be sure to
e arrested" So 1 gave him back
is look, turned my head and walk
d back into the shop. l did not
ee him again that night, but long
fter everything had been taken in,
heard tramp, tramp, tramp, up
n the pavement, and l knew he
ras looking at the hooks where the
ans had hung, as well as though
had seen him.
On the third evening he was there
gain; that, you may say, was no
fonder, for it was his duty to be
pom that beat and no other; but it |
ias curious that he should keep on
taring at those hams with those
right, wolfsh eyes of his. | did
.ot like it, though | could nothave
aid why. Avessel had been wreck
d at sea about that time, and
N extra with the latest news of the
.isaster came out that evening. |
,ought paper and sat down be-
ind the counter to read it. 1t was
stormy night and but few custo
ners came in, and these were easily
erved, and somehow, between
eading and thinking, time passed
N until the clock struck eleven,
nd | had not yet taken in my
.oods or put up my shutters.
Just as | was about to do so, Gin
net l had already put my hand on
he first piece of the shunter, my
oor opened and an old woman
anne in. She was a scottish, mis-
rable creature, known about the
lace as Irish Kate, and with her
ed nose and bleared eyes, was as
oily q figure as one ever cast eyes
n. "Another dram, I suppose"
said to myself, going around the
ar at once, for l wanted to get
ear Of her as soon as possible
ut she to my surprise, came closer
me and put her great red paw up
n my arm.