Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-09


1t struck her that it would be n shrewd idea
to clinch the fellows fidelity with pecuniary
motives so she said, with fine air of con-
desccnsion
II want you to understand that ] am very
much obliged to you for your assistance, and
intend TO reward you handsomely if you con-
tinuo to behave well, as l have no doubt you
will do. ] have nothing with me TO give you
but my watch, which is not worth much but
on returning to the hotel l will see that you
have a hundred dollars in greenbncks."
The effect of this very neat little speech
was however, rather disappointing. The
tramp at first looked astonished and then the
perception of something extremely funny ap-
peared to break ON him. He grinned from
ear to ear, and his eyes twinkled MS he re-
Piled
you are certainly very kind young lady ;
but think You put your valuation too low.
am not much Of judge of such articles
but l should say you would be very cheap at
hundred dollars, even in these hard times
Couldn't you put it higher-say, two hundred
or three hundred dollars, now? That would
still be cheap and maybe you would throw
iu the watch'
Was he chuckling over her approaching
state Of helplessness! She turned pale, and
her eyes, "A moment before so confident, were
unsteady with fear.
What had he said? Had he nsuted her /?
Had he threatened hery She could not ex-
actly remember his words there was begin
ming TO be such confused feeling in her
head But he was laughing at her. In some
way, she thought, he meant her harm
A sudden recollection flashed across her
mind. A gentleman had once given her in
joke little pearl-handled, gold-mounted pis-
| tol, and her mother had insisted on her carry
| ing it when she went walking in the country
| 1t was always in the pocket Of this dress, al
though she did not generally think of it once
a week. She put her hand in her pocket and
| drew it, Cooking it was an idea quite beyond
| her, but she held it in front of her, and look
| ed steadily at the tramp, or rather tried to,
for somehow she could not see him quite dis
tinctly 1t seemed as if she had to summon
all her energies to articulate, and what she
said sounded like this:
Il wan you { lead me 'ome dreckly."
She forgot, in the increasing bewilderment
of her BRAIN that he was as ignorant of the
direction as herself. She could not hear dis
tinctly what he said in reply. Her brain ap-
| poared to be all afoat dragging anchor and
| drifting away somewhere. She now only saw
him through a mist, though she made the ut
most efforts to keep her eyes fixed on his face
in spite of the odd manner in which he seem
ed to be bobbing about, trying to dodge her
seemed to be two of them dancing around
and making up faces And the rocks and
trees-what were they all flying around for in
such an extraordinary manner? She had a
| dim sense Of being caught and lifted and laid
| on something soft of family resisting and
muttering, "Pleezsh lemme lone. Pleezsh
| g'way," and then of then of being oveIpow-
| cred 10y drowsiness that made the recum-
bent posture luxury that was irresistible.
Perhaps it was three hours later when,
waking out of a dream that she was at board
ing school on one of those horrid mattresses.
| she opened her eyes and rubbed them. There
was nothing but blue sky overhead. After an
instant or two of wonder if she might not be
an angel waking from q nap on n cloud, she
| turned on her elbow and saw big. rough
looking man, who nevertheless produced a
\ strange effect of familiarity on her mind, sit
| ting ten or fifteen feet away. and looking al
her with an expression of amusement and
interest. Then she jumped up quickly enough,
as may be inferred.
How do you feel after the whiskey?" he
asked
Then it all came back to her.
I'm all right except little giddy."
"It's pity so hard a head should have
been wasted on a young lady. 1t would have
been pearl of grent price TO topper" he re-
marked dryly. How is your arm -
Nothing but little itching is left, said
she, looking at it, and then, feeling of it,
added, The swelling has pretty much gone
down. too"
In sleep the mind falls back into old ruts
and recent experience is always fresh Al
waking. She looked around and saw, rs il
for the first time, the wild spot, the deat
snake yonder, the empty flask. the bundle OIL
which her head had been placed, her hat
which he must have taken OF and by its side
the pistol Then she turned to the man who
stood there, watching her with n smile o
amused sympathy.
You have saved my life"
She felt like making some sort of ferven
acknowledgement, perhaps of gushing. Blu
the tramp gave her no chance, for he replied
glancing toward the pistol with a comical lool
of mock terror;
And you have spared mine"
Miss Livingston followed his glance, turned
red with shame at thought of the generosit,
with which he had repaid her suspicion, and
stepping to where the pretty trifle lay, hunl
it as far as she could. That was all the ac
acknowledgement she made. This odd traml
certainly possessed that most desirable knacl
in gentleman, of dispensing gracefully will
the verbal tributes of those he has benefited.
Dear me how late it ~ cried Mis-
Livingston, as the western tree tops drey
| llelr cool snhQOWS over ner lace, anu tne SUI
sank out of sight. What are We going t
do about getting home? My friends will b
crazy"
1t seemed as if her perplexities that da
We're never going to end
Il supposed that, if did not find the wa
home for You, you would probably shoot IN
at sundown," replied the tramp, with hi
quizzical expression, 80 l stirred about Will
you were taking your nap, and think hav
the directions about right 1t will be nearl
an hours walk. We will start at once, if 20
feel strong enough"
''Yes. indeed; let us not wait moment I!
and, gathering up her skirts, she followed hi
lead straight into the forest. The ''grea
companion" was sinking in the west an
sending only occasional faint, level ray
through the dusky woods. She felt lionel
and fearsome, but no more really scared tina
if she had been with her father or brother
She needed all her breath for walking an
they did not talk, nor did he even turn t
, her, save once or twice when he had to lii
her over fallen trees, which he did with tn
| utmost strength and delicacy
Here's the road" he said at last, and
clambering over a stone fence, they stood i
it at a point which Miss Livingston recol
nized.
/ They now walked along side by side. Sh
would not have liked to be alone on that roa
at that time of night, and it was with sens
of being protected that she glanced now an
then at the big figure by her side, takin
= small steps TO keep pace with her. Either h
was n very reticent or a very deferential pei
son, for he did not once offer to enter int
conversation. His quiet self-suficiency bC
= gan actually to pique her which showed thf
l she had come to recognize him as man an
a social being. Finally she broke out
"Are you really tramp? Pm sure yo
are not in the least like any one ever hear
Of"
Certainly, l am a tramp" he reptile
gravely. ''It may be matter of opinio