The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-15

! intTust the KEY with this man?" mcli-
nation said, . Yes prudence, q No"
To give il up once was to give it up so
loEg as | remained there. To demand
I it again would imply distrust. Finally,
he gave me the key. He would not
/ sermOnize or eNhOrt me to fidelity and
! honesty. Still, that was in his heart.
As to peace of mind he was not better
/ of than before, He had secured little
ease at the risk of everything He
walked home an unhappy man. And IP
| had at that moment $50, 900 in my
/ grasp. /, poor, almost pennilesS, sum-
ming up the result of ten years past
labor in trunk and few well-worn
clothes; looking ever on the worlds
delights with hungry, longing eyes;
| seeing the door to a thousand pleas
ures closed to me for lack of money;
feeling even that woman's love was de-
MED me through poverty. | had it all
there in few pounds of yellow metal
How secure it without detection?
/ The plan instantly presented itself.
/ Feign the assault and robbery of myself
/ by others. 1t was necessary to open
/ the office a quarter of an hour before
| the stages arrival. Not a soul was
stirring at that time in the little camp.
| A bold robber could stun me with a
blow as pushed open the iron doors.
| The bullion was always taken from the
safe and placed ON the counter. A self
inflicted wound on the forehead, clothes
| saturated with blood, found lying on the
office floor insensible when the stage
/ drove up; found thus by the driver.
| The treasure gone; where? (bury it on
| the creek bank Just behind the office;
| there let it lie for months and then dis
| inter and get off with it discreetlyO q
story on reviving of a blow from be-
hind; recollection gone. What would
be the reward for this villainy? Acting
with Judgment, standing among men,
name, place, responsibility, something
new, glossy and fashionable to wear
other than my seedy suit which nausea
| ted me a little every morning as put it
! on; a temporary relief at all events from
this worry, fret and anxiety about get
! ting on in the world. With $50, 900 |
could start a business" | could be
man amongst men; | should feel that
accession of respect ard Difference on
entering house, store and saloon from
master, merchant, bartender and tlunky.
| craved these attentions. ! felt the
thousand nameless Sights bestowed on
poverty. | had more than once sought
cOmpaniOnship with men and found my
self snubbed and cast out, when, had l
been but.able to bear the golden idol
with me, they would have fallen down
and wOrshiped it-not me. These
l.,
that night. Money! Are we not
justified in robbing, stealing, lying,
plundering for it? Is the premium held
out to honesty or dishonesty? The
more signs of poverty l bear, the closer
does responsibility close its ranks
against me. A ragged coat and a rent
boot will keep me out of a position in
your leading banking or mercantile es-
adjustments. Jasper was not ruined.
No one lost a penny. The tempterwas
overcome. Alive, hearty, unwOunded,
| placed the $4,000, bag after bag,
package after package, on the stage,
safe under the back seat. The tempter
was overcome. Honesty prevailed.
Angels smiled. There was Joy in heaven.
The recorder above wrote opposite my
name big credit. Stuff! rubbish. Two
things only prevented me from carrying
out my design. First, it would have
ruined Jasper. He was a true man
and had to me proved a true
friend. But had he been miser, had
he been millionaire, know of nothing
which would have prevented my carry
inc out that design save fear-fear of
detection, capture, the States prison,
loss of liberty. In my heart the crime
would have been committed. | feared
the law. Law obliged me to pay GER
tain penalties in case l failed to play
my game well. The result of law is
incentive and demand for higher skill
in using the cards. | should have dis
trusted my skill. The law held the best
hand.
But had you no fear of a God who
would overlook and punish this act if
men did not?"
YeS-a sort of half fear, half belief
that this might be; half belief, half hope
it might not be. l heard on all sides
purity, honesty, rectitude, the highest |
qualities of the Christian character
preached. Where, on examination, did
ward for endeavoring to initiate the ex-
ample of the meek and lowly Nazarene? |
Poverty, slight, half scorn, a low place /
in the estimation of society. l thought /
in substance something like this: There /.
may be a God. l may fall under his
displeasure for this act. Possibly, in |.
time. may be obliged to repent and
confess. If eternal hell exists, it is an I
awful thing. But my youth is passing
away. | want my share of the worlds /.
pleasure. That npay be all can ever /
realize. Death may mean humiliation. |.
Thus far, existence for me has been /.
mean and beggarly. This matter of re-
Ggion seems very uncertain. Its pro- /
fessOrs, preaching from the same book .
do not get on wen together. They dis
agree; they quarrel; one points to this /
road, another to that. At all events,
I'll risk it. L am now hungry. l am
dry. Give me to-day, in the afternoon
of youth, some of the wine of life. /
When l am old, feeble, infrm, I will .
look closer into this matter of future re-
ward and punishment. Possibly then .
I'll join a church; but, tonight, would, !
if l dared, rob the stage" That's what /
l thought then, and l think so now.
" You couldn't stand another glass, I
could you?" Thank We. Beer tastes
better out of glass than a tomatoe can. |
Prentice Mtyord, in San francisco .
Chronicle. 4
The Father Of FOrty-tWO Children.
John Hepner is a noted citizen of