The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-12-12
Under the Cross
IOiginal.l

Eli Platt was having a nard Llme 20
make q living. He went from house
to house selling any little article he
could get a dealer to trust him with,
and his life was passed principally In
looking in at doors which were slam
med in his face. One day, receiving
no answer to his ring at handsome
residence, he tried the knob, opened
the door and walked in. Hearing no
sound, he reconnoitered as far as the
second story, from a back window of
which he saw a woman In the yard
hanging up clothes. The premises had
evidently been left in her care. Pull
ing open a bureau drawer, he saw a
box and, opening the box, a small for
tune in Jewels.
The human mind is capable Of great
elaboration in very small space OF
time. Eli Platts certainly was. He
had never stolen or robbed. Indeed.
he had calculated the chances Of such
methods and knew they were decided
~ against dishonesty. The goods were
usually recovered, and the thief went
to state prison. Platt concluded to
take the jewels, hide them, suffer tho
consequences Of the theft and when q
free man again recover the treasure
and take a good long comfortable rest.
He decided and acted deliberately. not
On tina usual impulse Of thief.
That night he took the jewels to
block on which the only building was
O brick junkshop. Somebody had once
taught him to find the north star by
the pointer stars. so he teok thirty
atepS fr0m the northwest corner Of the
3unkshop toward the north star, stop
ped and. with rusty shovel he found
outside the junkshop. ding hole and
br,cied his treasure.
He had been seen eoning away with
the tswels and whan they wass missed
yAe srx1stsd, Identified and seak 10 the
penisenf1ary.
ssvsn years later KA Plat tust A1s-
eAaxgsd sauAtsrsd by tAs hiesk whsss
- Aad bnrisd the Jewels. 4 numhar
C Aui2danss lad been snacas&; but, For
t,anataay fer Ill - pscsg lEsa IL 5AnA-
sAsA tAsueA 4 was ASw psaA Ear .
I'D stsra. Ns hahsd tsmaxd -
nS3 wA>se hs I'D hssiaA - tzpases
~ saw Dat It WAS esseGSsA ~ EAs
pse end Ct q slaU& ~ sseS II Ahis
eza was rsan6s1 ~ - q pslnt. q
Nliah was q nsas.
r ~ nizA wa aAaetas - AHkbsss-
I'm = xaS sAss Aeuabb Of eal1iag ~
rlenap. ~ - ksksd ut Tie ssess
- aw N - WsEnaA kAs&1iAg e
q azkaR. xhs yH ~ nStAAr. Than
- So hazassk tsAIaasg AAaag ky hss
- - eAayA. hAar NJ eAn1rzAak3sn.
1A Hew tAe tznAazRs hs I'D tAhsa
facm AnskAAe anA I'D suAesesd ssraA
lsng years - paUsas vas shsaters1 ~
. sacred tsuyas guarded by the holy
sahaAm sf tAs ssoA
Eta Nks tie wsrM n q two AsD
ADAsrss. 10 pass hsm enA earthly
hnIspA1s - aAs<har may resuiDs
wsskA, perhaps DaAkAs. A passage
.fssm one spiritnal hAmisphers vto SAA.
e4hsr may b accomplished In a fr~e-
Tan Of q second AZ Hi looked up q
wAat a. q child be had been taught
r. rsvessnes It. oecuxrsds. to- him that
4 had besa placed over his treasure
that no hand should profans II. Yot
what purpeesf To save his soul. By
whoms She who had long passed 81
her heavenly honA-his mother.
in q twiHkiing he was changed. In
Q twiaki!ng that which in prison hs
~ Locked forward to ,longingH. esun4-
iAg the days between him and tn DOS
session, hxd become only o means By
which he might be rescued from evil.
QeiAg to the trent Of the chapel, he
eSund the dsors open and entered.
There wss tho stiilness Of q house Of
worship whan NO services were being
hid Several people were kneeling BE-
eses the altar. He went forward and
dzspped on his knsAs.
Long he stayed immovable, his bead
bowed upon his breast. he was think
ing Of the Old woman who took him -
shnrch when he was q little boy-how,
doubtless, he had waited while b
was in prison for this moment, how
she had interceded for him and how in
ne inscrutable ways Of the heavenly
hosts all this had been brought about.
Beside the altar was booth shielded
By a curtain In which priest was
hearing confession. When the CEN
fessor came out ELI Plat entered ana
told the priest the story Of bis theft.
his endurance for It's final possession
and where he had buried his treasure.
The next day the priest conducted
the chief Of police and party Of work.
men to the cellar Of the chapel. TAX
Ing up the cement floor, they dug in
the earth, and few feet under the
surface directly beneath the cross they
found box Of Jewels. They were sent
to their rightfui owners.
| A few days after their return the
priest sent for Ell Plat and told him
hat lady who had been the possessof
Of what he had stolen had been so
pleased at getting her property again
that she had sent him a present Of
$500. Eli declined to touch a cent Of It.
ut all belongs to me, not as a thing to
be converted into money, but as q key