Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-03-17
" TRAMP, TRAMP."

closing upon lt the sun set ana the SKY /
black and whito strcats whcre he had /
beou the color gone from all the earth,
even from the many-rutei naples ana I
sumacs that an hour before had famed /
in their October bri,,ancy; She air frosty .
and fresh just the night 10 go bowling .
swiftly home in Il light wagon over u /
well graded road, with the prospect OF 81 /
bright fire and hot supper at the end OF
the journey.
Mrs. Cuthbcrt wished that her hus-
band would como " bowling home," a,
She lighted the lamp ard placed it in the
center of the protty tea-table SO dainti'y /
set forth with her wedding glass and sill |
yer the supper would not be fit to eat it
he we're much later, and Mrs. Cuthbort
was too conscientious housewife not to
feel alarmed at the idea of her good |
things being spoiled but, like the cvon
tempered littlo woman sho was, She only |
put an extra stick in the wood fire crack
ling on the hearth and settled down in
her tavorte arm chair, with her sewing
to keep her hands busy, while her ears
were ON the alert for her husbands step,
or II cry from tho baby up stairs.
She was quite alone, it being ono of
those periods that so often boall Amcri-
can housekeepers, whom the "hoP " has
taken it into her head to depart without
waiting for successor to be appointed.
The fire snapped and blnzed, the clock
tcked on, and all was quiet But If Mrs.
Cuthbcrt had CHANGED to lool, up, she
might have seen face pressed close
against the window -pauo-an ugly face
with a rough beard and tangled hair,
broken nose that looked most unprepos-
sesssing Gattencd on the glass, md eyes
| that gleamed grccdly ut the silver ON the
| tab'e-bu she did not, and all was quiet
The clocl, struck soycn and Mrs. Cuth-
bert started, surprised and distressed
She forgot about the supper trilzling
away to nothing in the oven, and began
to worry about her husband 1t was such
a lonely walk, tit was only two miles,
and she did wish he would como.
Footsteps on the front porch sent her
fears to the winds, and a spirit of mis-
chief took possession of her ia their stead;
the door was locked, and she would make
him wait few minutes 10 pay him out
for 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 a short time before was thrust INTO
the room, and thon fotco voice de-
manded:
Why don't yer come and opon the
door for me ?"
Mrs. Cuthbort nodded her pretty hcod,
and, without turning round, answered
soucily;
g No, sir, | don't mean to lot you in
Tonight"
The ugly face looked thunder struck,
then frightened, and finally two grimy
paws cltched the window, shutting it
with crash that made the glasses quy-
or and tho ugly iacc was gone.
"Oh, dear now he's angry always
do carry my fun too far" cried Mrs
J Cuthhert, -prnging from her chair und
p rushing into the hail.
George! George /"
She turned tho LEX
George J"
The porch was empty, but aho caught
sight of dark figure huIryng up the
path to the barn.
"Oh, you're not going to hide from
me in that way, SIR she called out, run
ming down tho steps ana on toward tho
barn.
Tho dark figure was swallowed UP in
the great black doorway before sho reach p
ed it.
"oh, you great goose! :" she soil,
standing on the threshold, "dont you
suppose | can find you You had better
give yourself up at once"
Then she waited. The darl, figure
crouched stll closer behind the old car
ragc, md there was no answer.
3 / shall find you, sir; | know cvory
corner" she gave warning then, with
arms stretched out before her, commonc-
cd the search. In aud out among the
r barrels and boxes She went in the utter
blackness, calling out merrily now and
, then that she would find him and punish
{ him for giving her so much trouble. once
she almost touched the drinking figure
= bat II held To- breath, and she passed on.
1t was "A weird game Of hilo-and seek
the dark figure with the ugly face cow
, oring among the wheels, listening with q
i strange kind Of savage fear to the light
j footsteps that sounded now here, now
) lhere be heard them climb the ladder
and patter about in the loft overhead,
then come down again, and the voice -
not so merry now-repeat her assurance
Of finding the truant, and q sudden de-
sire entered his brain to spring upon her
, and choke her. 1t would not be the first
time he had done such a deed, but her
! perfect audacty seemed to paralyzc him
and again she passed him all unconscious.
lie saw her pause in the doorway, dimly
outlined against the sky, and then disap-
J peared down the path
, "Ef she ain: the plucliest un !" he
{ growled, as he cropt from behind The car
riage. " Hanged OF she amt ghost OF
suthn." And with this peculiar com
ment on Mrs. Cuthbert's bravery, he
shook himself and made his way out Of