The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-04-06
NUMBER 40.
,nlt IL is next thing to air

Is, Diay De cnoAiaS 10 ueath, sly, Il
said; t.but there is some one there
Mike heard a cough as we'll as / y
.'Very well,r said Mr.. Grinby "call
the nearest constable, Mike, and-Ar.
Morris, are you in your Office, sirs-
Perhaps.you'll come down with us and
assist in the capture Of a burglar, .Nr.
Humphries has discovered in the air
tight stone vault below the cellar"
He was very satirical; so was Mr.
Morris. But we all went down togetii-s
err, tile, constable with us, and stopped
before the stone vault. The door was
shut so tight that it took all Mikes
strength to force it open. And Mr..
Grinby, looking straight before hin,
shouted
'1Ha-ha nobody, as told your
But the next minute he saw what
the rest of us had already seen-a bun
die of rags in one corner of the vault,
down on the floor, and amidst the rigs
was white face and thin hand, and
a bare, bruised aud bleeding foot; and
we dragged out into such air as there
was in. the cellar miserable wretch of
a little boy, who seemed quite dead.
Up in the Office, however, we brought
him to life, and got the story from him.
He lived, it seems, among thieves, and
they. had planned to rob US that night,
and he, poor little nudge, had slipped !
in somehow, and hidden in the cellar,
to open the door for them, never think
ing any one would come there that
night.
But when Mike and went down, he
took to the vault, and there would
have smothered but for my hearing
him. den't,care to tell You how We
kept him, and filed the place with
constables, who, when the burglars
came, pounced out upon them, and
took them into custody. You can
gness all that. It's the boy have to
tell you about-poor Ben Wade. 1t
came ont during the Investigation con-
sequent upon the arrest, that the poor
child was kept among the thieves by
force, and that they used him cruelty.
Once a ruffian of the gang had broken
his leg in drunken fury, and he limp
ed yet from the injury. He was such
a pale, worn, miserable thing, that ev-
cry one felt merciful to him, and it was
decided to pardon him and send him to
the poor house. s
But that very morning, Crinby, Jr--
a young man-came into the Office
where his father sat, and put his hand
upon his arm.
Father" says he, "I want to ask
you favor. l want my own way in
one thing"
"Well,v said the old gentleman, Set
me hear you." =
'Iwant to take Ben Wade into this
house as an GRAND boy" said young
Mr.. Grinby.
/ "Hey?" said the old gentleman,
"wllat, a young housebrcakcr an GRAND
boy. Bless my souln
Gather" Vys Young Grirby "the
/ boy is naturally good boy. I like
him, / want to save him. Perhaps, j
g i had not so good a father to guide me
q and to care for me, might have beer
n worse than he. don't ask you t.
trust him, sir. I only ask leave t.
! trust him myself. 1 am sure he vii
prove deserving of confidence
= Old Mr. Grinby took out his snu6
:, box, and looked at Mr.. Morris.
=. "I've noticed the lads eye; it's
good one," said Mr., Morris.
= "It's risk" said Mr.. Grinby, "bu
" we'll consider"
a And ! suppose the result was whs
~ young Grinby wanted, for little Be
A. Wade came to us the next Monday.
T. Now he was clean and whole,
didn't look so bad, and good food an
no abuse made difference in him in
=, week.
In a month or so people stoppt
no predicting that young Grinby won
~. repent some day, and in a year aol
~ think there was one in the Office W
didn't love that boy-so grateful a
,e so'trustworthy, and SO ready to /
al everything for every one. Young \
Grinby had him taught, and W
,,or taught, too. The lightning calculal
~ nigh. beat him, bat I doubt it; and
az never knew that lad to forget to /
-. his rs or cross his is in all my
a. quaintance with him, after he
learned to write at all.
80. At twenty he was one of the /
clerks in our establishment, besl
4,,e being as fine looking young fellow
one would wish to see. On the wi
], ;r. l did not wonder that Miss Lucy Ey
of. took fancy to lima sister, sir
nan of one OF the young fellows at
Of. place, and a girl who looked Xix
mast queen, and was good as she was b:
ock- some.
,var-l Insed TO meet them walking or