Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-10-26
A LONE WOMAN.

''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 wandering brood of young
turkeys, which had been missing since
morning.
She was warm and tired one boot
was burst open on the side, her bonnet
hung limp at the back of her head, her
gray curls were in true artistic confu-
sion, and vicious blackberry briar had
torn her hands, until she looked as if
she might have been in skirmish with
the Zulus
But 1 wouldn't have minded all
that" was Miss Fydgets melancholy
comment to herself, ''if only I could
have found my young turkeys. They do
say there is a company of tramps loafing
about the country, and-p
Just then the mild voice of an old
man, sitting on the well curb, broke in
upon the thread of her refections-an
old man in shabby gray coat, button
ed closely across the chest, shoes thick
ly 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, depreca-
tingly.
'.Perhaps you're deaf, ma'am, - said
the stranger, elevating his voice to a
semi-tone or so higher.
''No more than yourself y said Miss
Fydget, naturally somewhat irritated-
Miss f'ydget bethought herself of the
floating rumors she had heard. Per-
haps this venerable vagrant was one of
the very band now marching through
the wales and glens of Rochemont; per.
haps even now he had corps of bloody
minded coadiutors hidden behind the
stone wall. or under the moss roof of the
ancient smoke-house. And Miss Fydget
was possessed of several pieces of an
tiaue silver, and had forty dollars in
an old teapot on the uppermost closet
shelf
who are you?" CURLY questioned
she.
"a nran and a brother" the old man
answered, not without convert smile.
''No you're not" said Miss Fydget,
incensed at what she deemed n piece
of unnecessary insolence. 'You're
tramp.
The stranger smiled.
..Is a tramp, then, destitute of all the
privileges of humanity ?" he asked.
'Eh?" said Miss Fydget.
Cramps must live as well rs other
people" pleaded the old man. ''Now,
look at me-"
..Yes," said Miss Fydget, I'm look
ing at Won, and dusty, shabby-looking
figure you are, must say"
'Tve walked fifteen miles since morn
ing, with nothing to eat or drink"
''That's what they all say" said Miss
Fydget, incredulously.
"Worild it be any great stretch to
your hospitality to give me slice of
bread and drink of cool milk ~ he re-
piled.
Miss Fydget stood for moment, pom
dering the petition in her mind.
sLook here, old mani" she said at
last, 81 know perfectly well that you're
human after ALL There's pile of knot
tv pine stumps under the shed you
may split few for my cooking stove.
'.But ma'am-"
81 knew how it would be" shrilly
interrupted Miss Fydget. "You're
deal too lazy to work; you'd rather
starve than do sn honest days work any
time.
81 beg your pardon" said the old
man mildly. Its a good many years
since split pile of wood"
.I'll go bail it is, said Miss Fydget
sa tirically.
But if YOU will get me an axe 1 will
try and do my best" he added meekly.
The axe is hanging up in the wood
shed. at the left hand side of the door,
said Miss Fydget.
And she went into the house, leaving
her 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 done
very foolished thing.
81 suppose he'd as soon split my head
open as the sticks of wood, she thought
to herself. ''And of course he knows
that I'm alone in the world-I meal. IN
the house. But it's pretty much the
same thing" with a deep sigh. "And
who knows but may be murdered with
in the next five minutes ?"
''Thud Thudr' came the blows OF
the axe, descending with slow, regular
strokes upon the knotty stumps OF yel-
low pine; and Miss Fydget listened with
a sort of terrible fascination, wondering
as she did so, what sort of relation, IN
the matter of sound, the human tympa-
mum might bear to the pine stumps,
"What a fool I was !" said she to her