OCR Text |
Show CONSCIENCE-STRUCK. Mr. Smith's house had been entered and considerable jewelry stolen. No clew [clue] to the burglar had been secured, and the jewelry, of course, had been given up as lost forever. About a month after the robbery, upon opening the street door in answer to a timid knock, Mrs. Smith beheld the form and features of a terribly demoralized specimen of the genus tramp. She asked what he wanted, she never gave anything at the door. "Mum," said the stranger, solemnly, "I don't come for food." Then, waiting a moment, as if struggling with himself, he went on "This is Mr. Smith's aint it?" "Yes." "The Mr. Smith's that was broke-beg pardon, mum, robbed?" "Yes, yes," said Mrs. Smith, excitedly. "Well, mum," continued the tramp in a whisper, looking around as if to see that nobody was in hearing, "you'd like to git back yer purty things, wouldn't yer?" Seeing the answering light in her eyes, "You wouldn't be hard on a poor feller, mum, as was conscience struck, would yer?" The man here leaned against the door-post, seemingly about to drop. "Why, poor man," cried Mrs. Smith, her sympathies aroused by the woebegone look of the wretch and a prospect of recovering her jewelry "he's sick!" "No, mum, not edxactly, starvin', only starvin', but that don't signify. I only wants ter make peace with my conscience." Starving? And going to get her treasures. No, no; he mustn't starve. So he was shown into the kitchen and given the best the house afforded. He ate until Mrs. Smith began to think that she had been entertaining a dozen starving men instead of one when he finally tilted back in the chair, and picking his teeth with a fork, gave evidence that he was about to speak. The lady half crazy with impatience, anxiously awaited his return to language. The words came at last, Mrs. Smith listened with ears, eyes and mouth. "As I was sayin', mum my conscience troubled me about this robbery." "Yes yes!" "Your jewelry too?" "Yes go on." "And I finally sez to myself, sez I ‘I'll go up there an' do the square thing.' And so, mum, if I ever sees anybody as knows anything about that there break, or about the swag why I'll let yer know. Won't you give us a match? I guess I'll have a smoke. It kind o' makes your food set better, think so, mum?" He didn't wait for the match. He saw something in the lady's eyes that probably told him it wouldn't be safe to remain longer.-Boston Transcript. |