Ellsworth American., 1877-11-08

I
about while You were taking yonr nap. and
! think have the direction about right. 1t
| will be nearly an hours walk. We will
/ start at once. il you feel strong enough"
Yes. indeed let Us not wait moment -
and. gathering up her skirts. she followed
his lead straight, into the forest. The
| great companion" was sinking in the west
| and sending only occasional faint rays
through the dusky woods. She felt lonely
and fearsome. but no more really scared
| than If she had been with her father or
brother. She needed all her breath for
walking. and they did not talk. nor did he
even turn to her, save once or twice when
/ he had to lift lNr over fallen trees. which
| he did with the utmost strength aud deli
| cacv.
Here's the road" he said at last, and
| clambering over a stone fence. they stood
| in II at point which Miss Livingston rec
| ognized.
They now walked along side by side She
would not have liked to be alone on that
| road Al that time OF night. and il was with
a sense OF being projected that she glanced
now and thea at the big figure by her side,
| making small steps TO keep pace with her.
| Either he was very retcent or a very de-
| ferental person, for he did not once offer
| to enter into conversation. His quiet self.
/ sufliciency began actually to piqUe her,
which showed that she had come to recog-
| nize him as a man and social being. FL
| naiIy. she broke out Are you really a
/ tramp' I'm sure you are not in the least
/ like any one ever heard Of
| "Ccrtainly, | am tramp" he replied
4 gravely. "it may be matter OF opinion
/ whether am gentleman or not. At least
/ you don't seem inclined to believe IL; hut.
I II tramping makes a tramp. | am undoubt-
| edly tramp"
But how can you make up your mind
/ to such n lfc:' she cried impulsivcly; "a
man of education. and. | am sure, OF hon
\ orablc feelings, Ike YOU"
Y II think you do our guild Injustice" he
/ replied, with an air of mild reproach.
Surely, As physical exercise the doctors
7 recognize nothing As better than trampng
I That it's favorable to taste and spirituality
l. shown by the tact that bards ami apos-
T ties were or Old famous tramps."
But excuse nc. you know you have 10
beg that =. you have to ask people, you
know. for food, don't yong said Miss
livingston.
'Neu mean We beg "nr brcad,'' he
amended - -. aud that j. the main az.
gumont tnr the iramper, way 81 life
W hat title l. 50 clear. 80 sweet so beyond
question a that by free charity? He who
trades in his goods or his wits must often
I feel himself cheat. always cheat or
cheated. ami his bread must be sour and
bitter. But the bread that j. given - As
sweet aS the unbought blessings If God
The oh monks were right. lIr who would
kcrp hi conscience clear must beg his
living. | am Sick AZ heart OF thi, living
sham Of mine and thine. know not. no
man can know for certain. 10 the war Of
'qHi.ics. what OF how much l. rightly His
ana rightly another's leave such CON
trpyer-icS tn others. | am tired Of this
grab 'ugu"'te a. the table Of life do
nni ak irr great portion huf what | 10
have | want 10 D. able to eat with good
conscience. Wi'h assurance that il i mine.
I rn that end would gladly couc,de ths,
everything ot right belongs % others, 50
That my claim % n least what they freely
give mc might D" clear. Often enough.
where | get prrplcyrd over tho rcfremcut-
aud hnpeies, ub~curiry OF meum aud tuum.
| have resolved to become tramp myself
.Eut thought YOU sall YOU wcrc
tramp" said Miss Livingston. quickly
Why 80 | am" replied he At this
moment they turned a corner Of the road
aud the lights of the hotel g,ramcd right
ahead. Here leave you," said the
tramp.
"Oh. no." cried Miss Livingston. almost
l,ying her hand on his Il, eve 'You must
come ID the hotel and take some or these
sweet gilts you talk ffrom me. although
thcy will not be gifts indeed but rather
scrimped payment tor a great service" and
her voice trrmhcd.
Exactly" he replied; II don't want
sUything from you. because il would be
too much ike a trade, so III Just jog along
bit and beg my supper frofn some body |
haven't benefited. When people exchange
gif.. YOU know. they lose the flavor or
both"
DO stop moment" She exclaimed as
he turned away. My father can yet you
work, any nice sort you would like-as
clerk. or policeman. or at anything. That
would be 50 much better than tramplng. in
spite of all YOU say. DO, please. let him"
I'm TOO lazy 70 work, fear.
But cant bear to think that. aGer all
you've done for me, you should be kicked
and sbu-ed at back k-doors as tramp- are
You are very kind young ladv'' re-
Piled the tramp. while his voice tremhlrd
: either with tears or some other emotion,
but you needn't tret. As for the abuse
that i nothing but symptom OF the moral
dyspepsia which well to do people get
from eating bread which they are not sure
Is rightly theirs; and. as for kicks, don't
get 'em-I'm too big"
You must let me do something for you.
It's mean not to- she cried. a,most an
grily. her whole generous little soul boil
ing over in indignant gratitude.
We'll, If you put il on that ground" said
the tramp, turning squarely around 70 her,
there is one thing | would like. I'm
afraid you'll think it too much, but il would
be a great comfort. and stay by me longer
than anything else | can think Of
hat is II 90 ch Iaf,an. laI IN
that was a promise.
Its desirableness occurred to me when
you were lying ASLEEP this afternoon" pur-
sued the tramp, in his grave way. "Wiu
You let me kiss you:'
For sole reply Miss Livingston turned
her cheek. The tramp kissed it, turned
and disappeared with swift steps in the
darkness. and she went on to the hotel
with her feelings all topsy-turvey.
1t was late that evening when she en-
tered the hotel parlors. Had she followed
her inclinations. she wonld not have gone
at all Her nerves were on edge. and she
wanted to be alont The events of the
afternoon demanded o. he though, over
alone and At ltnY'A. That morning she
tad counted 90 th, hop as : grc,t event;
to night II seemed 'sm- She knew all the
gentlemen who ~ulid he there They were
well enough. and no doubt she should find
them quite Sufficient when in a less exact
ing mood: but to night, somehow, as COM
pared with the almost majestic impression
of generous. strong, ultrammeled, uncon-
ventonal life and character which the
tramp had lett on her mind, they seemed :
small pale. artificial, and characterless.
Not that she was sentimental about her
deliverer. How could she be that about
man who however noble and grand was
doubtless even now eating broken victuals
at some khchen-door under the eye OF the
servant girl, or possibly. stealing into
farmers barn for a nights sleep in the hay
NOW.
And yet, II not exactly sentimental. her
feeling was remarkably like it. At first
she wished that he would have taken mon
ey. for then be would have taken himself
out OF her mind; and then she was glad he
had not, and proud that he had not. and
called herself absurd to have urged it on
him or thought that he was the kind of
man to take 1t. How strange II was, their
walking along together. and talking like
old acquaintances. she and tramp. She
had never in her life been brought so near