Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-05-01
HEART OF. A Man
He Understood and Saved a Girl
in a Most Trying
Situation.
BY CARL JENKINS.

The citizens of Rockland, which was
a county seat town, were very proud
of their new Jail. They were also
very proud Of their sheriff. He was a
man SO we'll liked that he had been
placed on both tickets for election. II
a list OF the things the R~ocklanders
might be proud of had been made out
it would have been a long me.
One evening, while the s~erif-elect
waited to be sworn in, and the new
Jail waited its first tenant, Ezra Jones
said to the dozen men gathered at the
postofice:
bad news, boys-bad news about
Uncle Joe Hart"
Barn burn down." was asked.
"A heap worse than that. That mort.
gage on his little farm has been fore.
closed and he's got to get out"
why. he's sixty-three years old and
always lived there!"
But the mortgage sharks don't
care"
Hes got too old to take another
farm, and what's he going to do?"
We've got to help Uncle Joe out
and do it in a way not to hurt his
feelings or humiliate his gal"
But how?"
well, I've been thinking. We've
got a new Jail, haven't WEI"
And a new sheriff."
"Hurrah for Tom Blaine!"
And Tom will appoint a new jailer,
won't hep"
Bound to-"
And what's the matter with his ap-
pointing Uncle Joe?"
It'll be bully!"
brought low after a lifetime of toll and
many misfortunes. He was a good
man. but that hadn't saved him. His
last bad stroke Of luck was the long
illness and final death of the wife who
had been a true helpmate to him.
Yes, there was a gala daughter
eighteen years old named Annie. Liv.
ing three miles from the town and
school. and having plenty to do on the
farm, both inside and outside Of the
house. she had had no chance. There
vas a love match between her and
Henry Shields, the son of a neighbor-
ing farmer, but marriage might be two
years away. She was just a girl-just
a good girl-just one of the thousands
of farmer girls shut out from the
world and having to suppress all long
ings for 1t.
The good-hearted men Of Rockland
went to Tom Blaine with the utmost
confidence and said:
Yes. Tom, you must appoint Uncle
Joe as jaileR His gal will do the
Homework. and it will be a snap for
the old man. Not much to do but
smoke his pipe and draw his pay"
The good man opened his lips to tell
them what a responsible position it
was-a place to be filled by a younger,
stronger anon to watch and deal
with desperate prisoners, but he re-
membered that he had been elected by
popular vote and was under obliga-
tions to repay.
yes, I'll appoint him." he replied,
and the committee went away saying
what a big heart Tom Blaine had in
his bosom.
The new Jail had held only a tramp
or two, glad enough to be on their
good behavior for the food and shelter
furnished, when one Of a trio of yegg-
men or ~postofice robbers al caught
red.handed. He was young and good
looking and mild-mannered, but the
new sheriff realized that he must be a
desperate man to be a partner of the
others. He was arraigned and held to
the higher court, and that meant fifty
or sixty days in jail before his trial
would come of.
1t was a strong jail, but the sheriff
cautioned Uncle Joe about taking no
chances with the prisoner. For two
weeks he was closely watched, but
then. as he seemed so quiet. the watch
began to relax. He had told of being
forced to join the gang, and that he
hul a,-o hrnlrAr tho lap, hafox.o o.l