The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-19
"TRAMP. TRAMP"
A Good Story,

A lonely country road, with the night
closing upon it the sun set and the sky
black and white streaks where he had been;
the color gone from sll the earth, even from
the msny-tinted naples and sumacs that an
hour before had famed in their October
brilliancy the air frosty and fresh-just
the night to go bowling swiftly home in a
light wagon over well. graded read, with
the prospect of bright fire and hot supper
at the end of the journey.
Mrs. Cuthbert wished that her husband
would come "bowling home, as she lighted
the lamp and placed it in the centre of the
pretty tea table, SO daintily Get forth with
her wedding glass and silver the supper
would not be fit to eat if he were much
later, and Mrs. Cuthbert was too conscen-
tious housewife not to feel alarmed at the
idea of her goods things being spoiled.
But, like the eyen-tempered little woman
she was, she only put an extra stick on the
wood-fire cracking on the hearth, and set
tied down in her favorite arm chair, With
her sewing to keep her hands busy, while
her ears were on the alert for her husbands
steps, or a cry from the baby upstairs.
She was quite alone, it being one Of those
periods that 80 often befall American house
keepers, when the "help" has taken il into
her head to depart without waiting for a
successor to be appointed.
The fire snapped and blazed, the clock
licked on, and all was quiet But if Mrs.
Cuthbert had CHANGED to look up she
might have seen face pressed close against
the window-pane-an ugly face with a
rough beard and tangled hair, broken
nose that looked most unprepossessing fiat
tened on the glass, and eyes that cleaned
greedily at the silver on the table-but she
did not, and all was quiet.
The clock struck seven, and Mrs Cuth-
bert started, surprised and distressed. She
forgot about the supper frizzing away to
nothing in the oven, and began to worry
about her husband-it was such lonely
walk, If 1t was only two miles away, and
she did wish he would come.
Footsteps on the front porch sent her
fears to the winds, and spirit of mischief
took possession OF her in their stead the
door was locked, and she would make him
wait few minutes to pay HIM for making
her wait 80 long.
She bent her head and pretended not to
notice, even when she heard the steps de-
scend from the porch and tramp over the
| grass to the window.
| The sash was violently thrown up, and
the ugly face that had been regarding her 9
1
and then fierce voice demanded:
"Why don't you come and open the door
for me?"
Mrs. sCuthbert nodded her pretty head
and without turning round answered, sau
oily;
'.No, sir, don't mean to let you in to
night"
The ugly face looked thunder-struck
then frightened, and finally two griml
paws clutched the window, shutting 1t will
crash that made the glasses culver, anC
the ugly face was gone.
"Oh dear now he's angTy-vl Away
do carry my fun too far" cried Mrs. Cuth
bert, springlng from her chair and rushing
into the hall
"George! Georgel"
She turned the lock.
"Georgei"
The porch was empty, but she caugh
sight of dark figure hurrying up the pat
to the barn.
"Oh, you're not going to hide from m
In that way, sir !" she called out, runnln
down the steps and ON toward the barn.
The dark figure was swallowed up in tn
great black doorway before she reached II
sob, you great goose J" she said, stand
ing on the threshold, "don't you suppos
can find you? You had better give your
self up at once.
Then she waited. The dark figure crouch
ed still closer behind the old carriage, an
there was no answer.