The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-01-14

they hadn't the heart or the con.
science to refuse that. He must have
been helped from outside"
"Who is after him? For I sup.
pose somebody is"
II should say so! The governor,
and policemen, and half the town
besides. They are wild at Black
Jacks escape, but [ don't believe
they will lay bands on him again
very soon. He has had too good a
start.
And so it proved, After three
days fruitless search the hunters all
returned, giving up the game as too
willy for them, the governor fuming
and fretting at an escape that had
virtually cost him his reputation.
Just week later the morning post
brought me square. stylish-looking
letter, addressed in a neat feminine
hand. l opened it with some sur
prise, as my lady correspondents
were few, but had hardly read two
lines when surprise became astonish-
ment. This was the misSive:
Mr.. OBADIAH CLARKsoN, SIR
You wonder how | could have escap-
ed from your county Jail. / never
knew prison warden yet II haye in
my time come across good many
Of theml that was hard-hearted
enough to take away from me my
mothers Bible. Well, concealed be-
tween its double covers, are the only
implements [ need to pick the
strongest lock that ever was made or
file the thickest bar ever was forged
| should not tell you this now, except
that | am off for foreign parts, and
never expect to see this country
again. But | like you and could not
resist this parting word. When you
defend another burglar, find a
Worthier one than
BLACK JACK"
You see the scamp was well educa-
ted, for his letter bore every evidence
of that as did his conversation. He
had evidently seen better days, and
the traces of dead manhood in him
were doubtless what had attracted
me. The letter was, of course, post
marked from a distant town where
he haG never been seen and was no
help in tracing the last clue. Well |
thought this was thesend of my ad-
venture. But the Queerest part is
still to come.
The cares of life accumulated rapid
| ly upon me soon after these occurren-
ces, and my constantly increasing
practice, followed by marriage, suc-
ceeded in so filling my thoughts that
'Black Jack" was driven almost
from my memory,
Some five years after this episode
my wife and | found ourselves max
ing new home in the western
country, and, in spite of some avoid
able tWinges of regret, 1--WE soon set
tied into cOntentment and happiness
in our unaccustomed quarters.
We had been inhabitants of the
thriving little town Of X--- only
a few months when our quiet life was
rudely aroused into excitement by a
general alarm Of burglars. A half
dozen houses We're broken into in one
night: watches, money, jewelry,
everything valuable and small
enough to be easily carried off went,
and yet the occupants of the ransack
ed dwellings not even aroused from
| slumbers. 1t was in those days al
most like magic, we hardly knew
how to protect ourselves. The burg
lars were certainly doing their work
in the most professional way, Our
neighbor on the right hand had been
one Of the latest victims, aud we fear
ed our turn might come, Double
locks and bars were employed, the
precautions doubled, and | slept
nightly with a loaded pistol under
my pillow, which alarmed my wife
almost as mu.h as an anticipated
burglar.
But all of our precautions were of
no avail. We awoke one morning
to find ourselves minus our small sill.
yer (all that was solid) my wife's
diamond earrings. her fathers we'd.
ding present. and greatest loss of all
my watch, family heirloom, which
l priced highly and which money
could never replace. 1t bore amiC
the quaint engraving of its inner case
the name of my great-grand. father,
which was also my own, "Obadiat
III. Clarkson."
The Jewels and watch had been
taken from what we had considered
safe hiding place in our room, anC
yet we had been conscious of no noise
nor even an unpleasant dream. But
faint, sickening odor in the room
combined with headaches, of which