The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-03-28

officer each side of him, stood Tom.
Mother he said, "a lot of money
has been taken from the bank don't
tell father; and l am arrested for
the theft Then, reaching out his
hands to me-the irons on them-and,
oh, l thought my heart would break
at the sight. Mother" he cried, do
you believe me guilty?" and l looked
into his face, where there was only
truth and sorrow. NO, Tom, no! L
cried; but tell me who did it."
Il can't, don't ask me, don't ASK"
he said, with such a look of pain on
his face as | shall never forget. only
believe me innocent; and, here, mother,
is a little god cross l got for your
birthday; keep it always, and per-
haps some day you'll know" And he
kissed me good-by. And the voice OF
the little woman broke in a sob, and
the eyes of the young mother were wet
with the quick dew of sympathy.
On the same day the prison gates
closed upon our boy the gates of Heav-
en- opened to his father, and Teddy and
| were left alone in the world.
Though I grieved for Tom and
father, we lived happily ard com
fortably till the day Teddy brought
home a wife; a cold, proud, ill-tem-
pered woman. She never liked me;
| was too plain and old-fashioned for
her, though l gave her the reins and
tried my best to feel cheerful in being
driven first this way and then that,
though sometimes it was hard for me
to tell Teddy how unhappy l was.
But ever since Tom went away, he
had seemed so worried and anxious
hadn't the heart to trouble him.
Zone evening he came home COM
pletely worn out. The moment the
doctor saw him he looked pretty seri-
Gus. Before he left, ne said to Alice,
Teddy's wife: 81 hope your husbands
affairs are in good order; the disease
is of malignant type, and | can give
no hope for his recovery"
TEDDY heard him, and gave me one
frightened glance; then, turning to
his wife and said: Would you leave
mother and I alone a little while;
there's something | want to tell her;
and, as the door closed upon her, and
I knelt down and clasped him in my
arms, all the months and years he had
seemed to be growing from me were
bridged over-Teddy was still my boy.
''For a little time he held me close;
neither spoke, and | was almost be-
ginning to think he had forgotten what
he wanted to tell me, when he said ::
Mother, | can't go out of the world
with my crime on another mans head.
| took the money they accused Tom
of taking, l should be where he is
now. Tom knew it; he wouldn't tell;
once I thought I'd be brave and con-
fess all but Tom said: No; I've al
ways been the black sheep, and anoth-
err black mark to the score won't hurt
like one against your name-father
couldn't stand that; and, like a cow
ard, let him go. He's been punished
for my crime; but if he has suffered
one-hundredth part what I have all
these years, l pity him, | pity him!
Oh! mother speak to me; say you for
give me, for l was crying: My poor
Tom; my poor Toni And then I
kissed Teddy, and said: 4 do forgive
you, dear; and God will, too, for He
has seen your suffering and then
Teddy fell back on the pillows and
smiled, and | was left alone.
after the funeral | took the train
for the town where Tom was, with a
heart half sad, half glad. 1t was hard
to lose Teddy, to know he had not
been the boy l had always believed
him; but to have Tom home again
well, l couldn't be his mother and not
feel gl~d. So l went to the prison
and asked for Tom. Isn't he with
pardoned some time ago 'Pardoned!'
[ answered.; he never should have
been sentenced; but where is he? 4
supposed he'd gone home. Henry he
said, to young man at the desk, tell
the warden to send No. II to me-
And in a few minutes No. II came in;
and, when | saw him, | couldn't keep
the tears back for pity, and the
thought of my Tom looking just like
him. And the uperintendent said:
There, there, my dear lady, We'll find
your boy if we can. Russell, you and
Tom Haines were friends; can you tell
us his whereabouts? No, sir; all he
said to me was: "Good-by, old man
I'm going to change my name and
start in again. Did he ever say to
you he was guilty?' 80, sir; he stuck
to it he wasn't; but it's my opinion
he knew who was, and wouldn't tell;
for he was a fine fellow, even if he was
a Jail bird
Ono. madam; I wish | could; but il
you ever find him, tell him how glad
old Russell was that he always believed
him innocent"
For years I've hoped and looked
and waited for him. &C
from town to town. By sell.
ing m small wares 1 manage to
keep soul and body together. Every
night [ pray for my boys return;
every morning l waken with the hope
that to-day may find him. And, now
| must go. You have heard my story
and [ thank you. Perhaps my boy
may be waiting for me now; perhaps
and this is the cross Tom gave me-
she said, holding out the small emblem