The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-15
A RICH REWARD.

| poor old soul, how white she isl
| and how weak she looks, and how sad!'
said Glare Rainsford, the tears of beauti-
| full, womanly compassion gathering
| thick in the blue eyes, and slowly cours-
| ing down the blooming cheek.
She stood in the doorway of the old
| red brick farmhouse, and the sunshine
| from the broad summer fields outside
rushed about her. and made living gold
of her beautiful hair, and she stood in
| its light, with heavenly pity on her
| pure face, as though she had but newly
| alighted upon earth from some fairer re-
gion.
She was looking at the figure of an
Told woman, crouched on low arm
chair, at the opposite wall.
| She was much travel-stained. The
shoes were dragged down at heel, thick
with the mud of many highways, and in
some places burst open; the dress-an
old silk one-was very ragged, but not
as from wear; there were great rents,
as if the poor soul had forced her way
through thorn and bramble- thickets.
Ea Her head was uncovered, and the
grey hair fell dishevelled and unkempt.
Her face was very pinched. very white
and hollow checked. She had all the
look of a vagrant, wandering from place
| to place, ready to take revenge on So
ciety for real or fancied wrongs receiv-
ed from it.
So thought Aunt Martha, as she came
into the room, at the moment, with a
plate, holding golden pyramid of blocks
of butter.
'sGracious me, childr' cried Aunt
Martha, Where did you get this crea-
ture, in the name of goodness? Why
did YOU let her in at ALP
well, Aunt Mattie,n said Clare,
quietly, Il can hardly say that let her
in; but L found her on the road, just at
our gate, almost fainting, and brought
her in, aunt. as am sure you would do
yourself "
s.An very well, child; but this creature
is tramp, and one of the dirtiest and
raggedest-a and hate tramps, and you
know / do. And I'm not goin' to have
my house-leastways it's my brother
Thomas, which is all the same-filled
with nasty creature. all over mud; and
Heaven knows what they have picked
up in the woods, and fields, and bitches.
So, my old woman, just let me see you
tramp cut of my house this minute!"
The old woman turned iack-lustre
eye on the speaker, and stared at her as
if hardly comprehending her; but Aunt
Martha's raised voice, the flush on her
face, and, above all, the expressive ges-
ture towards the door, were too signifi-
cant to be misunderstood
The poor creature feebly rose, and, with
a half bow, the grace of which formed
a singular contrast TO her dress and APP
pearance. tottered. rather than walked,
slowly towards the door.
She did not reach it, for Clare, with a
fitful color in her cheek, and certain
steely CLINT shining in her eyes, was by
the old woman's side, and led her back
to her seat. As the poor old creature
reached it she sank down on the edge;
then, sliding from it to the floor, lay
there, a heap of muddy rags, with the
white face, now insensible, staring out
from it.
She has tainted, aunt Fetch a smell
ing-bottle and a glass of waterr'
Her voice was stern, and Aunt Mar
tina had never seen such an expression
In the handsome young face.
Law, chiid!' she said, as she came
in with the two requirements, and hustled
herself about the insensible form, II
never thought the poor creature could
be took so hard. Ii / had looked into
her face little closer / might have seen
she wasn't in no fit condition to tramp
the roads. But she added in whis- |
per, ''she be awful dirty, and she be a |
tramp"
Il don't think she is tramp. as the |
rest are, aunt. She has some trouble, |
you may depend upon it, and it has
touched her brain. -
Nonsense. child! You are too ro- |
altogether Anybody who look |
ed minute at her would say she was a
tramp all her days. But she has come |
TO-. Are you better now, my dear? |
Could you take q glass of milk"
The old woman was seriously ill-too |
ii to be removed, even if there was any
place to remove her to; SO that Aunt
Martha was obliged to digest the venom
# her spleen against tramps and tramp
lom as best she could, and the invalid
vas placed in Clare's own bed. and the
loctUr was sent for.
When Mr. Dickson, Clare's uncle, came
lome, he entirely approved the proceed
ngs, and declared he would never have
leld up his head if the lowest of Gods
Features had been driven from his door
0 die by the roadside.
Nothing could surpass the devotion of
Hare to her invalid. The latter's dress
ad been removed, and some of Miss
)ickson's substituted. Aud now that |
he was cleaned and tiled up, y she pre-
ented much more aristocratie appear
nee than Miss Dickson herself.
She was in a high fever, and required
areful nursing. Her rawlings were in
and Glare could gather from
hem that the surroundings of her life .
aust have been elegant and refined. but
O clue as to her name. Clare's devo- |
on had its origin in her pity and char
y, but indeed she felt the necessity of
le occupation afforded her by this good
elton, to fill the void left in her heart I
J the first great grief of her life.
Glare Rainsford was an orphan, her G
arents having died when she was at an
arIy age She spent 4 year alternately
{ her paternal uncle. Mr. Rainsfordis
Id home in Chestnut Hill, and at her Y
laternal uncle, Mr.. Dickson's farm in {
uckinghamshire.
AT Chestnut Hill she had met Philip
verett. and after a short courtship. ac- | q
epted him as her lover. No girl was f
appier than Clare. She loved Philip :
18th the whole strength of her strong {
cart, and she knew that she was be- '
wed by him. |,