Maryland free press., 1867-04-11
VOLUME I.

|
way, looking across with his bright ewes streiob
Mt the hams, he did not come in or speak to IN,
on the subject. And so made up my mind tina
he would send for It in the M )rning, and some
how made SO secure Of il that whenever saw {
decent looking woman go by with basket or
her An, ! said, "That's the polceman's wifi
comim: af,cr the ham,
81 was mistaken, however; and after the stree
lamps were lighted began to see the man pacing
up and down, up and down up and down, with
his eyes still fixed as they had been the nirht pre
vious upon the hams. Once he caught me pecp.
ing Mt him and then he turned SO red and looked
at me with such q wolfish glitter in his eyes thai
| grew angry and said to myself otis well that
| keeping unsaahle articles isn't q crime in this
country, for ifit was should expect to be ar.
| rested"
$50 gave him back his look, turned on my
heel, and walked back into the shop. did not
see him again that night, but long after every
thing had been taken in and locked up, and |
WAS snug in bad, heard tramp, tramp, tramp,
upon the pavement, and knew it was the new
policeman, and that he was looking at the hooks
where the hams hung, as well Jas though had seen
| him.
"On the third evening; he was there again;
that you may say was no wonder forit was his
| duty to bc upon that beat and no other but it
was curious that he should keep on starting at
thoSe bTlpnI WOtSn eyes or MS. i QlQn ike II,
| though / couldn't have said why.
GA vessel had been wrecked Mt sea about tn Mt
time, and nm extra with the latest news of the
disaster came out that evening bought paper
and sat down behind the counter to read. 1t
was stormy night and but few customers came
in, and those were easily served, and some how
between reading and thinking, time passed on,
until the clock struck eleven, and had not yet
taken in my goods or put up my shutters.
''Just as was about to do so lin fact I had al
ready put my hand upon the first pieco Of shut
tor, my door opened, and an old woman came
in. She was scottish, miserable creature. known
about the place MS "lrish Kate" and, with her
red nose, and, bleared eyes and bloated limbs,
was as ugly figure as any one ever cast eyes
upon "Another dram, suppose said to N.Y.
self, going behind the bar at once, for wanted
to get rid of her ms soon possible. But she,
to my surprise came close up to me, and put
her great red paw upon nv arm.
"Pve made diskvery, mister she said.
You've not been keeping bright lookout rs ye
shouldi; therss been thafe at work without
this blessed night
"tWhut theft, Insked.
S"More than canstell ye.' she answered. But
| think it's aipoliceman, no less the blackguard'
"a Rpoiccmanl cried, and my thoughts few
ut once to the man had seen staring all my
hams.
"Its too dark to see his face she said; shut
7 caught the shine. OF star on the coat he had
on, and whoever it was took q ham from your
negs and hid it in the ashboy bcvaut the cerner
You'll find ii there if We look and now yell no:
refuse an old woman sup o whiskey for the
informstion?
'T gave the old creature what she wanted,
hurried her ont of the shop and put up the shut
ters, growing angry every moment
" IF it's the policeman, I'll make him pay d.ar-
ly for it!' exclaimed. as skunk along the side
walk to the corner keeping in the shadow all
the way. ani when stood beside the box nd
saw by the light of the lamp close by, that the
ham was there, wrapped in something which
looked like handkerchief. hit my lips, clench-
ed nv hands with rage Had II heen a common
thief should not have minded; but policeman
it was more than could stand. So cronched
in n door way and waited. The watch was re-
lieved at twelve; | knew that, and knew also
this would he the time when my policeman,
would come to..take the ham from ont of its hiding
place. And sure enough, when the time came,
I heard him challenge the man who was to take
his place and come marching down toward the
corner. 7 left him get the ham under his arm
before stirred, but then pounccd on him like
n tiger.
L" "T'vc got vou!' cried. "A pretty police
man: you are indeed but you shall suffer for it,
I can tell yoH."
" 'He struggled with me for moment like a
wild thing, and then all of u sudden dropped
upon the ground.
'T'm ruined mln';he groaned. "a ruined
mani there's TO hone for me now. Omy wife
my poor wfc! and he burst out crying like q
woman.
.''You sronld have thon2ht ofthat tcforo you
became thief said. IF the guardian of n
mans property, is not to be trusted what is to
becomesso him? And you look like gentle
mau-you do not seem like n scoundrel; how
have you ever stopped to do such disgraccful
thing as this?'
tITe was standing beside me now, and the
lamp fell upon his face. 1t WAS rs white rs that
of any corpae, and his eyes gltterei terribly.
"l'll tell you what made me do it., he said;
itwas the only thing which could nave driven
inc 10 an act like that; my wife and child are
starving-starving, tell you, and have moth
ing for them!'
tsPolicemsn's families don't often starve, I
said with sneer.
AMY God! can't you believe me--won't you
believe me-, painted the man Il have only been
appointed three days; 7 have not received cent
of salary vet. / have been i'll along while and
had neither money or credit. Last night we
went TO bed suppcrless to day there has not been
a crust in the house, and the hams tempted me
and meant to pay you afterwards"
'tHe covered his face with his hands, I could
sec great tears dropping through his fingers, and
before knew it my own cheeks were moist, and
so we stood silent with the ham lying between
US on the ground.
AT last he turned toward me and said 'Do
what you like with me, the last hope is gone"
"But put my hand on his arm, and said: God
forbid that should take the last hope from you:
that I, Of all men, should be the one TO ruin you.
IF your story is true-and believe it isl pity
YOU more than blame you"
ale looked at me in a sort of n bewildered
wnv, rs though he scarcely understood me, and
took him by the arm and led him back to the
shop. There filed basket with bread and but
Ter and coffee and put the ham on top ofal. Take
it home 10 your wife, ] said, you pay me when
you get your salary, and if you arcin need before
that time, come to me. am poor man mysel
and | can feel for others.
81 shall never forget that mans face in oil my
life, so wondering, so thankful; and so awe
stricken All he said was: God bless you,' but
there was whole sermon in those three words
and slept better for them.
"Ou Christmas night he paid me every, cent
and from that day until leftthe neighborhood
dealt with me regularly. But times grew Sc
much better that took n store in a gooc
street ut the other end of the town, and one wa,
aud another saw no more ofmy policeman fo
three good years. =, -,