The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-03-11

of the back door had been drawn
He 0ds goNei rejoiced greatly, j
secured the door. / did not want
him back again that night at any
rate
Uad he taken any thing with him9
Well, he had emptied the bottle. The
cold beef, too, had vanished but it
might be that he had consumed that
before starting. Moreover, he had
helped himself TO an old pair o!
boots, felt hat, and mackintOsh.-
Any thing else? Alas the two sill
yer teaspoons that had been used in
mixing tho hot brandy aud water
with which he had been RECALLED were
also gone.
Perhaps / ought to have ielt crate.
ful that had got rid Of my dreadful
patient, my very queer customer, on
such moderate terms. Ho might,
doubtless, had he felt so disposed
have helped himself to some few 9th L.
or articles ofvalue that we're at hand
on the premises. Still, / should
have thought better Of the man-bet-
ter, indeed, Of human naturo-if he
had not taken the spoons, Tho
clothes were, no doubt, in a measure,
necessary to his escapo-he could not
otherwise have concealed his prison
dress-but the Spoons 1t was uu>
grateful of him to take the spoons,
sidering the hospitable manner 10
which had entertained him, to say
nothing Of the advice gratis he had
received, and Of my professional
treatment of his cut hands and
sprained ankle. However, it was
possible the poor wretch was without
money Of any kind. ought, per-
haps, to admire bis forbcarauce rath-
er than to censure his excess.
Did hope that he would make
good his escape2 Well, [ hardly
know. I'm afraid somc of us are apt
to experience n reprehensiblc sort Of
sympathy with fugitives from justice,
aud to regard little too favorably
the desperate ingenuity and hlrdi-
hood ofieutimes cvinced by prisoners
who break their bonds aud defy ar.
rest. l did not very fervently desire
his recapture. 1 had a vague sort Of
faith that justice would some day
ovortakc him. But l did not wan;
the law to Inconvenience itself BY
any needless precipitancy in the mat.
ter.
Moreover, / had malicious salts.
faction in the proof that had been
afforded that the county Jail was not
nearly so admirable an edilice as my
neighbors we're disposed to maintain.
Very tired with the curious adven-
lures Of the night, | had gone up
stairs to my bedroom. L had but
just taken off my coat, when l heard
the sound Of footsteps.in tho street.
| waited, listening. Some ono, shut.
fling in his walk, had stopped at my
door. went to the top of the stairs
Was the night. bell going to be rupg
again2 Was to get no sleep at all
that night2
There was the sound of something
falling into the letter box. Then the
footsteps retreatod from the door
were heard further down the street
iu the distance. Then all was 81.
lent,
In the letter box I found my two
silver tea spoons / The rutIian pos
sessed a conscience, then. IL, had
been ashamed of himself and of his
ingratitude. At some risk he had
paused In his Aight--had retraced
his stcps-to return the property Of
which his 6rst impulse had been to
rob me. ! began to be rather proud
of my desperado-to entertain hope
ful views Of criminals in general.
1t was known in due course that a
prisoner-an old aud hardened often
der-had escaped from the jail
Blancombe was greatly surprised
The fact, indeed, was not credited
generally, until it was published, a
fortnight afterward, in a provincial
paper. Still the faith of the town in
its prison was not much shaken, and
every body was convinced that the
fugitive would be yery soon recaptur.
ed, owing to the admirable system of
police for which Blancombe was so
justly faued.
He never 'oas recaptured, howev-
er.
Policeman Hoskins speedily reeoy.
cred from tho effects of the blow he
had received. He never was able to
give other than very vague account
of the misfortune that hod befallen
him. He had no suspicion, as it ap.
peared, that the escape of the con
yict from the county Jail had any
sort of connection with the fact that
on the same night he had received
how administered he couldn't say-a
blow that had knocked hun silly"
But his opinion was never absolutely
settled about the matter. Some-
times he inclined to the "kick from a
horse view of the case; at other
times he returned to his original idea
that it was all "a put.up thing" and
that "there was more than one Of
'em in it-more than two may be. -
At last he was heard to avow that be
had discovered ga clue to the affair, I"
end that he was con the track of the
parties.' From this it may safely be
concluded that Policeman Hoskins
was as far off as he we'll could be
from arriving at a solution Of his
many doubts aud difficulties.
Naturally | held my peace about
my midnight patient. / could not
trust Blancombe with a narration OF
my adventure. l feared that public
opinion would be very condemnatory
of my conduct. 1t would clearly be
considered that l ought at any risk
sc ,,,u aun lifa 10 kuua ki.ouu m,