Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-05-12
A BaIacIava Hero.

have broken some of the bones in his
thievish body. AS it was he said:
"Oh, no;you must give me my medals.
I must have them on when die; you
can have them after-you can have
them after. am the last of the old
regiment. When 1 die they'll all be
gone. must have my medals when
1 die; they wouldn't take me back in
the regiment. Ii parted with them
the colonel would say: 'Redfern,
where are your medals?' Then L
should be turned out of my regiment.
Yes, l must wear my medals. :"
The old fellow had muttered these
last words as though to himself. 1t
was clear that his weakness had rem
dered him slightly delirious.
"Well, /" said the warder, "Ill save
them for you, shall II" Then, with
out further ado, he slipped them, rib
bons and all, into his pocket.
The moment he did this his urbanity
wants he'd, and he resumed his ordinary
manner.
"Come, get out of here and get to
work! Don't try to come that old-age
dodge on mel"
He called another warder, who took
Redfern in hand and logged him along
toward the stone-breaking cells.
This time Redfern's stock of stones
had been reduced to half; but when
he was locked in and told to go to
work he could not even raise the
heavy hammer above his head
Two hours later, when the warder
came to summon him befd9e the meet
ing OF the guardians, he was still sit
ting there, his thin face gray with
suffering, and the long scar placed on
his cheek by the sabre of Russian at
Alma stood out white and ugly. 1t
was the mark of blow he had re-
ceived for his country. The warder
reached forward and struck him over
the shoulder with stick.
81 wish you would not hit me-,
said Redfern ''I'll do what you tell
me, but you see 1 couldn't break the
stones, was so tired
'Oh, yes; we know all about that"
retorted the warder: 1--WE have had
some of your sort before. If you ask
me, you'll just have to pop out of here
as soon as the guardians get their eyes
on YOU
The warder was not supposed to
know that Redfern was a man who
had been mentioned three times in
dispatches from the seat of war. He
was not conscious that the medals he
then had in his pocket were worth
more tEan the paltry shillings they
would bring at a pawnshop.
SO he forced Redfern roughly for
gentlemen who were waiting to decide
whether this pauper was to be allowed
to subsist on the spare bounty of their
parish or even to be cast into the
streets to die of hunger.
The room in which the guardians
sat was well furnished and lighted,
and IS dignified gentlemen sat to the
right and left OF fat, grayh haired
chairman.
Redfern stood before the table of
the chairman, who questioned him as
to his place of birth.
"Why, you don't belong to this par
ish at all.' he said, in feigned amaze
ment.
This was a signal for four pompous
gentlemen to enter violent and indig-
nant protest against such pernicious
state of affairs. They characterized
Redfern's action in coming there as
criminal beyond measure.
The fact that he entered the work
house as ''casual" and then, by art
full trickery, sought TO live in ease and
luxury at the expense of the rate-pay
ers of that borough, filed them with
horror.
AS they uttered these denunciations
they looked meaningly at one long
haired and one spectacled reporter,
who had exchanged winks and were
scratching down insane hieroglyphics
at the top of their speed.
The old mans wits at once left him.
He seemed to conceive that he had
been guilty of hideous piece of de-
ception. He answered the other
questions with an air of meek peni-
tence.
''Have you no family to look after
you?'
EYES," answered the old man; 81
have son, but have not seen him
for more than 20 years. He was a
fine lad. At Alma the colonel said to
me, after had saved his life: 'Pri-
vate Redfern, how shall reward you?
You may ask me anything, and will
do it for you. Look after my son,
said, If you would be so kind. He
has no mother, and he is fine boy
''When tine colonel came back he
took nv boy. 1 used to write to the
lad, but I got up into northern Can
ada, and lost the habit of writing.
When I came back, an old man, to
look for the boy,I could not find him.
My old colonel is dead. But if my
boy is alive and hears that his old
father is here, he'd take himN away
yes, he'd take him away. But i
can't find him, went on the old man.
''He was only five years old when /