The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1868-01-01
The Man at the Door.

The Man at the Door, =
S.s.No tramps here" shouted 1;
and shutthe. door in his face The
wind blew so I could hardly do it,
md the sleet was beating on the
pane, and the bare trees were
sgroaning and moaning asif they
suffered insthe storm: aNo tramps
here, I'm a, lone woman, and I'm
afraid Of 'em.' - = Z
= Ehen the man I hadn't seen yet
for the dark went away from the
.door-champ, champ, came through
the slush, and I heard the gate
:.creak as the gate always does
and then champ, champ came the
-saan back again and he knocked
onthe door-knecked not half so
loud as, be had before-and I
opened it bot and. angry. This
{timeoI saw his face a pale ghost of
-sface, with yellow brown hair,
cropped close, and great, staring
blue eyes and he put his hand
-sgainst the, door and held it open.
"How far is it to the nexthouse,
4sna,ams'e said be. - .,'. -: :. !
go Three miles or more" said L. .
- eAnd that is not atavern p
s4slsNo,' = said ] ane drinks; to be
got there it's Miss Mitten's, and
shes as set against tramps as !
~ ssszzs-As tss~s,sT: .,.7 .slE #A&s s;fs.- =
II doa'tiwant to drink" said the
sYnaM, ''bat I do want food. You
needn't be afraid to let me in
.ma,am. I've been wounded and
sam notable to walk far, and my
sclothesa are thin, and it's bitter
cold. Ive,been trying to get to
my parents at Greenbank, where
I can rest until Pm Better; and
asllmya money WAS stelen from me
three days! ago. You needn't be
afraid just lee me lie before the
fire, and only give me a crust to
keep me from starving, and the
Lord viii bless you for il" " -. -, :, !
:, And then he looked at me with
his mild blue eyes izea way that
ssEould have made me do it, if it
hadn't been that I. had seen so
much of these. iimposters> =. The
war was just over, and every beg.
gar that came along. said he was
soldier trar cling home, and had
been wounded and robbed. One
that + had been fool enough to
shefpa afimped away QUE Of sight, as
he thought, and then, for I was at
the garret window, shouldered his
scratches and tramped it with, tho
strongest. :" - ~ - =.
g aNe doubt your pocket is fun of
money, said ], land you. only
want chance to rob and murder
me-. Go away with YOU !:
.Drusilla, that's my niece, was
baking short cake in the. kitchen.
Just theneshe~ came to the door
and motioned with her mouth to-
me. "Do let him stay, aunty,"
and If 7 hadn't had good sense !
might, but / knew better than a
chit of sixteen years.
aGo away with you" says !,
ioader- than before will not
have you here any longer" -.
And he gavexa kind Of groan,
and took his hand from the latch,
and went champ, champ, through
the frozon snow again !; and I
thought him gone, when there he
was once more, hardly with 8
knock at taaA-a' faint touch like q
child d'snew. ;sy<,@,s -, p: >.s.aa
And when Iaepened the door he
came qnite in, and stood leaning
on his cane, pale as a ghost, his
eyes bigger than ever. > =, :.
"Well, of all impndenee!" said I.
He looked at me, and said he,
s.Madam, / have q mother at Green
bank. I want to- live to see her.
/ shall not i'll try to- go further:
tonight" 49,, =
"They all want to see their
mothers" " said !, and just then it
came in my mind that l hoped my
soa Charles, who had been. a SOL
dier-an officer he had got to be,
mind yeu-wanted to see his, and
Woutd soon.
81 have been wounded as you
see," said, he.
sa'Don't go q showing me your
hurts" said +. "They buy EN-, SO
they told me,to go begging with
now. I read the papers, tell ye,
and I'm prineipled, SOS our clergy
man; agin giving anything, unless
it's through some we'll organized
society. Tramps are my abomi-
nation. And as for keeping you
all night, you cant expect that Of
decent tolks-gop'
"Drusilla came to the door and
said, "Let him stay, aunty," with
her lips 2 rain, but took no no.