The Worthington advance., 1877-10-25
will you, sooner than they shall want for

will you, sooner than they shall want for
foodi, l'27t.f q. '5<,1@x It.Si s.
4 must nave salo that out loud when
I was dreaming, for they had both heard
it, and used it against me afterwards al
evidence. $i.| '**nf. ~ - 81 ;5.:2
! vent home u then, and and 70 told them ali:
"Don't be afraid, Jem,'' says says Mary; !,
"then can't hurt you, because you didn't
.: Not long after l got back two police
men came, with jenkins and the. other
keeper, to take me into custody. I didn't
make any bother about it; what was the
good?} j., 3ai$3uj, Il: :: I'll, - 5:..' =.
"You won't believe it, Mary, will you,"
/ says, "no matter what they saw" = =
me, darling, I WON'T" she saws,
clinging to me, and trying so hard TO-
keep back the tears and look as though
she wasn't afraid, that felt rather soft
myself. i ,s~:' ~ '
So I says:
"1'm ready" -"
And they took me off to the station.
Mary was there when the case came on,
the little thing lying in, her arms. Even
then, standing in the dock, I could not
help thinking how she was altered since
we were married-from q fresh, happy
looking girl, she had changed into pale,
thoughtful woman. hardly heard ali
the evidence: but I knew that jenkins
swore that he had suspected me to be
one OF the gang of poachers for Il long
while. -
Every thing being ready 1 pleaded
not guilty; but the magistrate said he
thought the case clearly proved, and he
sentenced me to six months hard labor.
looked at Mary, feeling stunned like,
and sees her looking after me so pitiful
and despairing that thought would 20
mad. How they was to geta living with
out me couldn't think.
When the six months was over came
back home.
1t was June when I went, it was Decem-
Der when I came back. There was snow
everywhere, and it was showing when l
got to our cottage. I see the window
while l was some way off, the light shin
ing out of it so bri ght and warm; but all
the same, I felt kinder afraid to go in, for
it didn't seem likely as I should find them
as left them.
Well, when I got up to the door instead
| OF knocking, I went and looked in at the
window. There was man and woman
sitting together, and children playing
about: but I'd never seen them before.
had tc stop a bit and lean against the
windowsill, and then goes to the door
and asks for Mrs. Smith as used to live
there. * x = *
My mother was in the workus. Mary
was lying in the churchyard, with one ba-
by her side. x =
I had some sort Of illness, but 1 don't
remember much about it. Those people
in our cottage took care Of me, and nllrs-
ed me through it, and as soon as could
| went to my mother. From what she
told me, got to feel SO that I could have
murdered Jonkins. He had got me out of
the way and then he could persccutc my
poor girl as much as he chose. He had
determined to make her repent of saving
"No" to him, and spread things abroad
about her, so that she could get no one to
give her work of any kina. She was told
toapply to the parish, and-well, you can
guess the rest, sir;I can't talk about it
even now.
A day or two after I sec my mother,
some fellows asked me to Join them; they
were going poaching at Squire Watts,
as there would bc no moon that night.
Once I should have been ready to knock
man down for asking me; but then
said [ would at once, because thought I
should see Jenkins. We had only lust
got into the wood, when we found some
one had been peaching on us-they said
afterwards it was me, but hadn't thought
OF such thing. else perhaps I might
Tor the Keepers were on the watch. There
was regular fight, some Of the men got
OFT; one or two were caught. 'Ihad knock
ed one of the keepers down, and was
trying to get off before 1 was recognized,
when some one scizcs me by the collar.
and says:
''Not so fast my fine fellow
knew the voice directly, and then, I
don't exactly know how, only that in less
than a minute Jcnkens was lying quite
still on the ground. Ididn't move OF try
to get away, but just stood still and let
them take me:
My sentence that time was fourteen
years, for jenkins was half killed. I'm
out on ticket Of leave now, and get lust
enough gardens to do to keep me out of
the workus. But, as you say, sir, it isn't
every one that would have me if they'd
heard my story.