Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-09-07
From Hearth and Home.l
JethrO TROOPS Night Thoughts.
BY JOHN THOMAS

No. 10.
SCENE-JETHEos room as bef0re--JETHRo dis
covered half-dressed, as though he intended 60
seek natures sweet restorer, balmy Sleep
necessity for a restorer of some kind. TINE
O'Clock, Sunday evening.
The jig sup at Dimity, Crash Il Co. IS
Pm afraid. jim Mason saw me carry
away that piece of goods, | know be
did. He said he saw me do it the mo-
ment his eys fell on it in my room, this
morning. Whether he saw me take II
out under my coat last night or moi, he
knows 1t came from the store, aud he
knows very wall that there is only one
way by which is in my possession
He might rs well have seen me take it
as to know that | have it. Jim and Jack
Armsby at once demanded that "shell
out" or they'd split, oil, me- / protes
ted my innocence. Of course, but | lent
them all the MONEY! they asked for
When I said | would 'lend" them what
money they needed, they both laughed,
and sail that if preferred to call it
''lending" they were willing. They
didn't care SO long as they got The money.
| went out with them, of course, for they
asked me, and in their hands, as | an,
I did not dare to refuse them any thing.
Heavens how they bed mel Jack
would smoke nothing but Partngas, and
drink nothing hut the finest and most ex
pensiye braudies. He wouldn't go TO tn
"Spread Eagle" or any of our usual
resorts. No indeed. Jack would drink
only at the st. Nicholas, the Fifth Ave
nue. and the Metropolitan, where, if the
liquors are no better, tho prices are least
treble, He would swagger up 10 those
bars with the air of one who had for
tune back of him, and order these ex
pensive beverages as cody and delber-
ately as though he had been weaned on
champagne, and smacking his lips, would
wink at me TO settle the bill. Going in
to the Fifth. Avenue. he remarked to
Jim Mason, with o wicked leer, that be
thought to much of me to believe that 1
would be mean enough TO take my friends
to any cheap place, now that knew
how 10 get money in any quantity. and
at any time. He didn't say friends"
though, he said pals. "Paln is thief's
word. Jack Sheppard, in the play.
sings q song the night before be was
hung, the burden Of which Isl:
mix my jolly pals, fake away"
The word "pal" always brings up in
my mind the picture of thief dangling
at the end o. the rope. Jack never used
the word before in my presence. Singu-
larry and ti,neiyl --lg l--
They kept me out till half past six in
the afternoon, and only left me when
they could get no more out of me. /
wanted to 60 10 the "Spread Eagle" for
a game Of cards, but Jack said no. He
didn't believe in letting any professional
gambler get any of my money. Care.
full and c0nsiderate men-they wanted it
all themselves. They squeezed out of me
every dollar that old Solomons gave me
for the two pieces of goods | took 10 him
Friday.
And Solomons knows where the goods
were from and how got them. When
he offered me thirteen dollars for the
two pieces, ard Indignantly told him
he was an old thief, for they were worth
seventy five dollars, he looked me
through and through, and said. with a
most significant shrug of the shoulders,
that if he bought them at thirteen dol
lars, the only way he could get his money
out of them would be to take them right
back to Dimity, Crash e. Co.'s, where
they came from. and sell them. "They
deals in such goodsh," he remarked
showing me their tag, which | had for
gotten to remove. ......
81 can't gif you but ten, ma child"
be said, and Of course | TOOK it. ] tried
TO take the goods away, but he said |
had better not. in tone that satisfied
me that he knew he had me in bis grip.
MA tear" said the old wretch, with his
talon like fingers on my shoulder, "you
shoost prings me all owe desc goots vat
! you gifts your hands on, and l will pay
YOU peter brische next dimes. Come
init some more by next Monday. | say
noting pout my customers"
AS he gave me a look which went
through me like hot iron. He knew
that l stole them, and he let me know
that be knew it, that | might fully ap-
weciates the fact .thatI was in his hands
lido apmeciate it. have got to take
shitn tbs piece sure, for to morrow is
Monday. and l dare not disappoint him.
Suppose be demands more goods of me !!
1t can't go on forever. One, two, three.
or even four pieces may be taken and not
missed. but I dare not risk more than
that. And get no benefit for my
thieving. The jew gives me next to
nothing for the plunder; and now that
Jim Mason. and Jack Armsby know
that / am stealing, they will do as they
did yesterday, take all that the Jew gives
me. I'm happily situatedl In the
hands of Jew second hand clothing
dealer. and two of the fastest young
men 10 New York; | have brought my
ducks to a pretty market!
OIL why did 1 commence stealinga--
Why did / drink and gamble to make
stealing necessary? Why can't / be as
virtuous before doing mean thing as /
ALWAYS am afterward? afA4