The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-31
THE DAILY STAR
MISS FYDGET'S MISTAKE.

.If you please, ma'am, won't you give
me drink of milk?'
Miss Fydget had just come in from a
long and bootless search through the
pasture for a brood of young turkeys
which had been missing since morning.
She was warm and tired; one boot was
burst open on the side; her sun-bounet
hung limp at the back of her head; her
gray curls were in true artistic confus-
ION, and a vicious blackberry briar had
torn her hands, until she looked as if she
might have been in q skirmish with the
Zulus.
"But wouldn't have minded all
that" was Miss Fydget's melancholy
comment to herself, "if only could
have found my young turkeysl They do
say that there is a company OF tramps
lOafng around the country, and"
Just then the mild voice Of an old
man, sitting on the well-curb, broke in
upon the thread of her rehections-sn
old man, in shabby gray coat, buttoned
closely across his chest, shoes thickly
coated with dust, and a rude cane, cut
from the woods, upon which he rested
his folded hands.
Miss Fydget stared at the old man |;
the old man returned her gaze, deprecat-
ingly.
"Perhaps you're deal, ,ma'am." said the
stranger. elevating his vocie a semi-tone
Or so higher.
"No more than yourself!' said Miss
Fydget, naturally somewhat irritated.
"Would you have the kindness to give
me little milkT
Miss Fydget bethouyht herself of the
floating rumor she had heard. Perhaps
this venerable vagrant was one of the
very band now marauding through the
wales and gens of Rochemont; perhaps
even now be had'a corps of bloody
minded coadjutors hidden behind the
stone wall, or under the moss grown rooi
of the ancient smoke-house.. And Miss
Fydget was possessed of several pieces OF
antique silver, and had $40 in an old tea
pct, on the uppermost closet shelf.
"Who are your? curtly questioned
she.
"a man and BROTHER" the old man
answered, not without a covert smile.
"Ne you're not" said Miss Fydget in
censed az what she deemed piece of un
necessary insolence. You're tramp"
The stranger smiled.
'Is tramp, then. destitute of all the
privileges of humanity?" he asked.
"Eh?" said Miss Fvdget.
"Tramps must live as well as other
people," pleaded the old man. "Now,
look at me"
eyes," said Miss Fydget, "Pm looking
at you, and dusty, shabby-lookine
figure you are, must say"
'Pve walked fifteen miles since morn.
ing, with nothing to eat or drink"
"That's what they all say" said Miss
Fydget, inereduously.
"Would it be any great stretch to you,
hospitality TO give me slice of breat
and drink of cool milk?" he persisted
Miss Fydget stood for moment pond
ering the petition in her mind.
'Look here, old man." she said, at
last, 81 know perfectly we'll that you are
a tramp, but | suppose you're human
after all. There's pile of knotty pine
stumps under the shed; you may split q
few for my cooking-stove."
"But. ma'am-"
~ knew how it would be-" shrilly in
terrupted Miss Fydget. "You're dea
too lazy to work. you'd rather starv,
than to do an honest days work, an,
time."
II beg your pardon" said the oil,
man, mildly. "It is a good many year
since split pile of wood" IT.
Tll go bail it isl said Miss Fydge1
"But il you will get me the ak, I will
try and do my best" he added, meekly.
"The AK is hanging up in the wood
shed, at the left hand side of the door,
said Miss Fydget.
And she went into the house, leavin.
hr venerable visitor to do as he pleased
about accepting her offer.
After she was within the four yellow
washed walls Of her own kitchen. how
ever, it occurred to her that she had don
rather foolish thing.
T suppose he'd as soon split my heac
open as the sticks of wood" she though
to herself. "And of course he know
tn at Pm alone in the world-I mean il
the house; but it's pretty much the sam
thing" with a deep sigh, "And VIII,
knows but that may be murdered with
in the next five minutes. T
"Thud! thudl" came the sound of tn,
ax, descending with slow, regular stroke
upon the knottv stumps of yellow pine
and Miss Fydget listened with sort Q
terrible fascination wondering,a as she di,
30, what sort of relation, in the matter O
sound, the human tympanum nigh
bear to the pine stumps.
"What a fool wasp said she to her
self.
And with noiseless movements sh
went across the kitchen floor, and too
down a rusty musket which had hun
suspended over the old brick chime
ever since she was a little child