The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-05-12
TIE TALE OF A TRAMP,

lnE IALE Uf "A lRAMP,
Supper was over, and, seated before
an open wood fire, our small family bade
defiance to the chill frost of late autumn.
when my wife, lifting her head from the
sewing in her lap, said, in low tone
Surely, l heard rap"
"Or q rat" suggested Charlie, fresh
from college, aud skeptical on any sub
ject that might be broached. Really,
mother, If your hearing is SO acute
please count the steps of that half-frozen
fly on the ceiling"
Nonsense, Charlie, replied his moth
er, with smile. "But / am sure I
heard some one rap. There it is again /
You must have heard that. Nettie, dear.
run to the door"
The knock this time, though modest
and apologetic in tone, was not to be
disputed. Nettie reached out her hand
to take the candle, but was anticipated
by her incorrigible brother, who rudely
blew out the taper, exclaiming:
"Now, then, mother, for q test of
your ingenuity who is this caller, and
what is his or her errand? Listen Can
you analyze that knock ?'
"NOnsense - exclaimed his mother
again. "Some tramp, I suppose, who
has seen the light from our window,
and"
But she was interrupted by Charles
burst of merriment.
"A tramp And at this season of the
year No, no, mother; try again. A
tramp's knock would reverberate through
the house like thunder"
"Come, Charles" interposed I, "this
is idle. You may be keeping a neighbor
waiting, or a child"
"a little child |" cried Nettie. "and
on q night like this No, brother, YOU
shall not detain me another moment"
And, after q slight scuff1e, Nettie
emerged in triumph, bearing the dis
puted candle.
AS she paused on the threshold to re-
light the candle, may as we'll make
public my secret conviction that being
nearer akin to the angels than our Net.
tie did not exist. She opens the outer
door, her friendly face beaming q well
come to whoever might be standing in
the darkness, while her gentle voice in
quires {: "Who is there ?"
We all listened intently for the reply,
that, quite in keeping with the
rap, was delivered in a low, strained
voice.
II am hungry,""cold and sick. saw
the light from your window, and"
"You are welcome. SIR" interrupted
Nettie, gravely. "And," she added,
glancing an arch look at her mother
"and expected"
The stranger, as he entered, directed
an inquiring glance toward Nettie, as if
not compreh ending the import of her
last words, nor the smile that passed
from lip to lip of the family circle.
Hungry, cold and sick There are
many such in the world, but few who
bear such genuine marks of distress.
His clothing, worn and torn by long SER
vice, hung in limp folds about his
shrinking, shivering form while his
face, pale and contracted by physical
(or was it mental p suffering, might have
been taken for that of @ corpse, were it
not for the dark, brilliant eyes that
burned deep in their sockets.
Nettie had conducted him into the
kitchen adjoining, and by a clever STRAIT
agem beguiled her brother out of his
easy-chalr, which, before he could in
tercept her, she had dragged into the
next room and placed at the disposal Of
her visitor.
"You are too good." murmured the
young man thankfully, as he sank wear
lily into the inviting chair.
" A model tramp!" sneered Charlie,
the loss of whose easy-chair might have
tempted him into whispering in a loud
key.
The stranger probably overheard him,
as he shielded his face with his white,
oloodless hands. and spoke no more.
Nettie fitted busily from room to
room, from pantry to cellar, on hOspit-
able thought intent, apparently uncon-
scious OF her mothers slight coughs and
other efforts to attract her attention
when the stock of preserves was invad-
eel, although close observer would have
noticed by the tell-tale dimples in her
cheek and the sparkle in her eye that
she was quite cognizant of her mothers
uneasiness.
Othese children how they do wheedle
and caiOle their parents
1t was characteristic OF Nettie that
when she gave she gave with b 9TH hands
full. She gave the cake and withhrhl
the crust. And SO it was that when tho
young man, letting his hands fall from