The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-08-21

he thought and what became Of him.
AS the duS'ey evening shadows filed
the forest with gloom. Il negro convtct
was silently limping along, hastily
lodging from one tree "a another. The
ball ana chain were missing, but tight
ly clasred in one hand he held green
fiie-boX, and every few moments he
would stop and gaze iut"ntly at it, his
face filled with q wonder thar was
akin 10 reverence Slowly and eau
/ tiousIy he treaded his way through
/ the timber, headed for the little cave
| by the river where he had spent 50
many lazy hours in his childhood.
Big Ben was exhausted. and much
needed rest was 70 be found in that
! cave.
It 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 slumher of com
! plote WEAKNESS.
When he awakened the morning sun
| that little green file-hOX; his next Of
his convict clothes Tightly he clasped
! the little green box to his breast and
murmured a silent prayer; then. stag
! gering to the entrance of the cave, saw
| spread upon the ground before him
| pile Of clothing.
It 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 married by n shadow which his re-
turn could not dispel. The mortgage
on the old home and its few acres
was 70 be foreclosed today. and the
! little place was to pass to strangers.
Big Ben listened in silence to the
woes of tie family, and suddenly lift
! inG his bead with an air of newborn
. confidence. he laid before them the lit
| tie green file-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 chillun widout
cause. How much am dat morgige"
1T 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. Mehbe
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 pile OF
pencils, letters. and small change, and,
at last; a black leather wallet. IT
| contained S12O.
81 knowed it, nanny; here's de
money for de morgge man. Go pay
off de morgige and glib $50 to de par
son. and wild de small change get sump-
fin to eat. I'm starvin'
And today, over the fireplace Of that
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 ottic"
boy begrudgingly answered his knocks
and relieved him of note for his mas
| ter.
It was an urgent summons 70 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.
The 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 | once wore a con-
Wet suit for a few hours. | was never
so glad of anything as l 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
ary swim lost my clothes and found
in their place convict suit. 1t hap
pened that I 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.
con this particular morning, when
through with my swim, | found that
nv clothes had been stolen, and in
their place was n large, dirty suit of
convict clothes, probably left there by
some negro convict who had made his
pscaDe from the iron mines, for in that
country convicts are worked in the