Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-02-15


come to take the ham out of the box
And sure enough, when the time came
| heard him challenge the man who
was to take his place, and came march
| ing down to the corner. let him get
the ham well under MS arm before
kstirred--then l pounced upon him
like tiger.
1--we got you," | cried. "a pretty
policeman you are, but you shall suf-
fer for it, | can tell you"
He struggled with me for moment,
like wild thing, and then all of a
sudden dropped the ham and fell down
in a helpless condition.
"I'm a ruined MANI he groaued-
''there is no help for me now. Oh,
my God my wife-my poorr' and
he cried like woman.
The sight softered me, but | was
still angry
| "Iou should have ChousIt Of that
before you became thief," | said. If
the guardian Of a mans property is
not to be trusted, what is to become
of him? You do not seem to be a
scoundrel-how have you stopped to
do such a disgraccful thing?''
He was standing beside me, and
the lamplight fell on his face. 1t was
as white as any corpse's, and his eyes
glittered terribly.
"oolicemen's families don't very
often starve," | said.
My God can't you believe me
won't YOU believe me p painted the
man. Il have only been appointed
three days; | have been i'll a long
while. and had neither money or credit.
Last night we went to bed supperless
to-day there has not been a crust
in the house, and those hams tempted
me so. You can never know how
they tempted mc, and | meant to pay
you afterwards"
He covered his face with his hands,
and | could see the great tears drip
ping through his fingers.
At last he said-'DO what YOU like
with me- The last hope is gone"
But put my hand On his arm and
said-"God forbid that | shall take
The last hope from YOU. If your story
is true, pity you more than | blame
/ you"
He looked AT me as though he
scarcely understood me, and | led him
back to the shop. Then | filled a
basket with bread, butter and coffee,
and put the ham on top ofall. Take
it home to your wife, | Said-"You'Il
pay me when you get your salary ;
and if you are in need before that,
come to me-
! | shall never forget that mans
face in all my life-so thankful and
awe-strickcn All he said was, "God
bless you" but there was a whole
sermon in those words.
On Christmas night he paid me
every cent, and from that day until
| left that neighborhoOd, he dealt with
me regularly. But times grew so
much better that took a store in a
good street at the other end of the
town, and saw no more of my police
man lCn' three years.
One cold night | was awakened by
the CRY of fire. | started up to see
the flames through the floor, and to
know that the store was on fire
The stairs were also burning, and as
opened the entry door the hot air and
smoke rushed in and almost smother
ed me- | gave up all hope of getting
my wife and dear little ones out of
the burning building alive Ny blood
ran cold when my wife clasping hel
, hands, a..d with an awful look upon
her. face, screamed
"Our little Lucy-our little Lucy i;
in the house"
She slept with the hired girl, anC
: the woman in her fright had forgotten
? her. There she was at the top o
, that burning house, ont Of the reacE
5 Of anv human help, it seemed to M
as looked up the wall. Still, hope
less as it was | should have gone int
e the burning house and saved my baby
: or died with her, if | had been able
4 to stand. 1t would be foolish sac
] rifce of life, they said, for no doub
Y the child was already smothered by
5 the dense smoke-and although
raved and pleaded, and made wilt
d promises, they shook their heads, an'
t bade me have patience.
+ Patience! | thought that | was gC
Y inc mad, as the face Of my pretty iittl
r girI-my pretty sweet pet-rose II
before ne. But just then a tall ma
dashed through the crowd and cam
} toward me.
|. "Quick = he shouted-"which roor
1t is the child in p
THE back one-the upper floor"
groaned-and he dashed away froI
g me, parting the throng with his stron
n, arms. In a moment saw him mour
the ladder. | heard them calling
" him to come back-bidding him /
d beware, and speaking Of him as tn
he was a dead man already. But
- never needed them, and | saw hi
q hidden 10y the black smoke whic
,s poured from the window. covere
ID my face and prayed that the ange
p who walked in the fiery furnace, mig
ID go with him.
~ Perhaps they did. Somthir
stronger than any earthly power mu
he have been there, for in a few momen
op they seemed weeks to me-we sa
N him coming down the ladder wi
something in his arms. The bar
ke body of my child perhaps. though
ON but as he came closer, | saw that
h., was my own laughing. living darlir