The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-10-21
outstretched hands and passed out of


was silently limping along. hastily
lodging from one tree to another. The
ball and chain were missing, but tight
| ly clasped in one hand he held a green
| t1le-box, and every few moments he
would stop and gaze intently at it, his
face filled with a wonder that was
akin to reverence. Slowly and eau
tiously he treaded his way through
| the timber, headed for the little cave
| by the. river where he had spent so
many lazy hours in his childhood.
Big Ben was exhausted, and much
needed rest was to be found in that
| cave.
1t was nearly midnight when he
reached it, and hastily feeling his way
to. its inner recess, he stretched him
self upon the damp floor and was
soon lost in the deep slumber, of COM
| plete WEAKNESS.
When he awakened the morning sun
was high. His first thought was of
that little green fle-box; his next of
his convict clothes. Tightly he clasped
the little green box to his breast and
murmured silent prayer; then. stag
gering to the entrance of the cave, saw
| spread upon the ground before him a
pile of clothing
1t was another miracle. No doubt
remained. This clothing had been
sent to him by the same power which
had freed him from the ball and chain.
1t was a sorrOwful and fearful group
that greeted him as he entered the old
home. The joy at his appearance
was marred by a shadow which his re-
turn could not dispel The mortgage
on the old home and its few acres
was to be foreclosed to-day, and the
little place was to- pass to strangers.
Big Ben listened in silence 10 the
woes of the family, and suddenly lift
ing his head with an air Of newborn
confidence. he laid before them the lit
tie green tile-bOx and said:
Nanny, don't you worry. De same
power what gave me desc will take
care of de mOrgige. De Lawd doan'
punish his inherent chllun widOut
cause. How much am dat morgige?"
at am mos a hundred dollars" re,
piled his mother.
Big Ben confidently replied:
Nanny, if de Lawd gave me dose
files and desc close, he sartin suah
| amt er gOin' to let dis home be sold
for no hundred dollars. hain't looked
tru de pockets of desc close yet. Mebbe
he's already sended us de money"
Suiting the word with action, he has
tily commenced a search of his new
clothes. and brought to light a pile of
pencils, letters, and small change and,
at last, a black leather wallet. IT
contained S120.
II knowed it, nanny; here's de
money for de mOrgige man. Go pay
off de morgige and glib $40 to de par
son, and wild de small change get sump-
| fin to eat. I'm starvin'."
And today, over the fireplace of that
! little cabin are suspended a small
green file-boX and an empty leather
wallet, which no money could purchase
from that family.
Panama was sultry.
| 1t had been a very hot, oppressive
day, and now that night had come the
! expected breeze had failed to blow and
no relief was felt An excited native
pounded on the door of the American
consul general until the drOwsy office
boy begrudgingly answered his knocks,
| and relieved him of a note for his mas
| ter.
| 1t was an urgent summons to the
/ consul TO secure the release of one
Of his ccuntrymen from the Panama
| lookup. This was soon accomplished :;
and the consul general, finding his
compatriot charged with no more Sc
| rious crime than that of carrying a
suitcase on the streets of Panama after
dark. invited him to his Office and par
take of his hospitality before return
! ing to his hotel.
Hhe visitor proved to be a mining
engineer returning to the United States
| from trip through Chile and Peru.
AS they sat and chatted, he remarked ::
"This is my first experience in being
arrested, or in being in the clutches of
the law, although l once wore a con-
vict suit for few hours. | was never
so glad of anything as was to get rid
! of it.
1T was some years ago, down in
| southern Tennessee. had been study.
ing the geological features of the iron
mines in that part of the country, and
had almost completed my stay, when
! one morning, while taking my custom
airy swim, l lost my clothes and found
in their place a convict suit. 1t hap
pened that l had discovered a small
cave on the bank of the Sequatchie
river, and it was my custom to dis.
robe in the mouth of this cave and
| plunge into the river.
son this particular morning, when
| through with my swim, found that
my clothes had been stolen, and in
their place was large, dirty suit of
convict clothes, probably left there by
some negro convict who had made his
escape from the iron mines, for in that
| country cOnvicts are worked in the
mines. After exhausting myself max
| i0p nil kinds of OniSpS I finally nra,.