The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-31


tage, man came hastily out on the porch
and said to the lady at his side: 'Now,
Mary, keep the doors locked until get
back, for hate to leave you alone with the
children. Do not let any one you do not
know come in, and for heavens sake do not
admit any tramps. A cool two thousand is
more than / could afford to lose now.
will be back in two hours Keep close by
the fire." and, without seeing Joe, he was
OF, the door was closed, and the cold and
darkness came back more intense to the
boy. There was no hope for him here
mo tramps.'' All, he was one you could
tell at glance, and he stole softly TO the
side of the house and looked through the
shutters. A cosy, warm room, bright and
cheerful. with tea table standing in the
center. The supper had not been cleared
away. and the slices of ham and the glossy
brown rolls were even yet tempting while
dishes of fruit and the steaming tea COM
pleted the feast, for such it seemed TO the
starving watcher. Two little children-a boy
OF perhaps five years and chubby girl of
three or four-played before the open fire, or
romped with the kittens rolling about on the
rug. Joe did not know much about chill
dren. Those he had spoken to or touched in
the last few years were dirty and ragged and
hungry, babies crying for food or premature
ly aged boys and girls learning to steal and
beg on the streets. When you kissed the
pure white brow OF your darling for the last
time, and tearing your heart in twain buried
4r. 1f - - ~ II,
thought that that was the worst, the most
terrible decree of fate, but poverty and
crime could show you victims that would
make you thank God for the coffined sleep
of your little one. Joe knew all about the
inmates of novels, and but little of the peo-
pie in homes.
The lady he had seen at the door sat in
low chair counting large roll of bills and
seeing this, the devil or one of his angles
took complete possession of Joe Smith and
he forgot hunger, cold and suffering. 1t
would be so easy to knock at the door and if
1t was opened force the money from this
slight delicate woman, or fling open the
loose shutters, grasp the package and run
out of sight or following before she could
summon aid He would go far, far away
from this part of the world, he thought, buy
him some new clothes, get into business and
be rich man, not poor, miserable outcast.
He would have a house and plentyIto eat,
and big fire and gas lights-all his plans
were for his physical comfort. No need for
him to hurry, he had two hours before him,
and unconsciously his eyes wandered to the
little ones romping over the floor They
laughed and shouted in their innocent glee,
stopping now and then for a kiss or caress
from their mother, and thus for half an hour
Joe stood, forgetting his WEAKNESS and
hunger, At last tired with their play they
cuddled down on the floor and were going
to sleep. The mother gently aroused and
undressed them and they knelt at her knee.
Joe held mis- breath; memory had picture
for his sight now that for moment blotted
all else from view. A little freckled faced girl,
waiting for the goodnight kiss from brother
Joe. He could see the clear gray eyes and
brown hair, the plump cheeks and tanned
forehead of Bessie, his little sister, as she
followed him to and fro from the barn to
tie OICAldEu, lIltD Oul " tic lledQOM, anu
when she would get sleepy she would lie on
the soft new hay until he was ready to carry
her home. Then her prayers, the echoes of
her sweet voice, came to him clear and low
ing as of yore, please, God, bless brother
joe" She always gathered the first flowers
for him and the smell of lilacs or wild yiolets
would ever recall the tiny fingers fastening
the sprays in his jacket. But one more pic
ture did memory paint-a little sun
Drowned face, drenched with tears, a grasp
of dimpled fat hands, fiutter OF a scarlet
dress as his sister told him goodbye when
he left her, and her last words so long for
gotten were vividly clear 'Be good boy,
Joe, and God will love you" The tears
were falling fast from eyes unused to weep
ing as Joe pondered. He did try till she
died seven years ago, and then he went to
the bad headlong, he guessed; anyhow,
with Bessie dead, the world was blank.
The little ones were sleeping on the sofa
now, but the demon had fled from the
waiting heart outside the window Gods
angels had entered, and the poor, miserable,
suffering tramp determined to die rather
than break his promise to the little sister he
had so loved. The door was opened tmjdly
in response TO his knock, and the lady
started when she saw his condition, but
after few questions she took him to the
fire and gave him some warm water and
soft cloths to bathe his aching bruised, face
and the cash in his head. She let him eat
freely of the food on the table, chatting
pleasantly with him all the time. His heart
was mellow with the tears he had shed, and
he told her all about himself. When he
had finished he arose as If to go. but hesi-
tated moment, then gathered courage.
went to the sofa, raised the white hand of
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