The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-10
"TRAMP, TRAMP"

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 all the earth,
even from the many tinted naples and
sumacs that an hour before had famed
in their October brilliancy; the air frosty
and fresh-just the night to 90 bowling
swiftly home in light wagon over "a
wellgraded road, with the prospect of a
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
center of the pretty tea-table so daintily
set forth with her wedding glass and
silver; the supper would not be fit to eat
if he were much later, and Mrs. Cuth-
bert was too conscientious a housewife
not to feel alarmed at the idea of her
good things being spoiled, but, like the
even-tempered little woman she was, she
only put an extra stick on the wood fire
cracking on the hearth, and settled down
IN her favorlte arm chair, with her sew
ing to keep her hands busy, while her
ears were on the alert for her husbands
step, or cry from the baby upstairs.
She was quite alone, it being one Of
those periods that SO often befall Amer
lean housekeepers, when the "help" has
taken it into her head to depart without
waiting for 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 "A face pressed close
against the window pane-an ugly face
with a rough beard and tangled hair, a
broken nose that looked most unprepos-
sessing tlattened 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.
Cuthbert started, surprised and dis
tressed. She forgot about the supper
frizzling away to nothing in the oven,
and began to worry about her husband
it was such lonely walk, if it was
only two miles, and she did wish he
would come.
Footsteps on the front porch sent her
fears to the winds, and spirit of mis-
chief took possession of her in their
stead; the door was locked, and she
would make him wait few minutes to
pay him outfor making her wait so long.
She bent her head and pretended not
to notice, even when she heard the steps
descend 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 short time before was thrust into
the room, and then fierce voice de-
nanded:
"Why don't yer come and open the
door for me?"
Mrs. Cuthbert nodded her pretty head
and without turning round answered,
saucily:
mo, sir, I don't mean to let you in
tonight"
The ugly face looked thunderstruck,
then frightened, and finally two grimy
paws clutched the window, shutting It
with crash that made the glass culver,
and the ugly face was gone.
80 dear! now he's angry-I always do
carry my fun too far" cried Mrs Cuth-
bert, springng from her chair and rush
ing into the hall
" George! Georgew
She turned the lock.
Georgew
The porch was empty, but she caught
sight of dark figure hurrying up the
path to the barn.
"Oh, you're not going to hide from
me in that way, STRIP she called out, run
ming down the steps and on toward the
barn.
The dark figure was swallowed up in
the great black doorway before she
reached it.
oh, you great goosew she said,
standing on the threshold, "don't you
suppose can find you? You had better
give yourself up at once"
Then she waited. The dark figure
crouched still closer behind the old car.
riage, and there was no answer
" shall find you, sir; know every
corner" then with arms stretched ont