The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-06-07
A RICH REWARD,

''POOr old soul, now White she Isl
| and how weak she looks, and how sadr'
said Clare 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
old 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 mble-thickets.
Her head was uncovered, and the
grey hair fell dishevelled and unkempt.
Her face was very pinched, very white
and hollow-cheeked. She had all the
look of 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.
"Gracicus me, child.' cried Aunt
Martha. Where did you get this crea-
ture, in the name of goodness? Why
did you let her in at aIl?''
"WelI Aunt Matte" said Clare,
quietly, II can hardly say that let her
in; but l found her on the road, just at
our gate, almost fainting, and l brought
her in, aunt. as l am sure you would do
yourself. p"
"All very well, child; but this creature
is a tramp, and one of the dirtiest and
raggedest-and l hate tramps, and you
know I 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 out of my house this minuteI'
The old woman turned lack-lustr Q
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 signiti-
cant to be misunderstood.
The poor creature feebly rose, and, with
| half bow, the grace of which formed
a singular contrast to her dress and ap-
pearance. tottered. rather than walked,
slowly towards the door.
She did not reach it, for Clare, with q
ftful color in her cheek, and a 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, heap of muddy rags, with the
! white face, now insensible, staring out
from it.
''She has tainted. aunt. Fetch smell
ing-bottle and glass of water"'
Her voice was stern, and Aunt Mar
tha had never seen such an expression
in the handsome young face.
Law, chiidr' she said, as she came
in with the two requirements, and hustled
herself about the insensible form, Il
never thought the poor creature could
be took so hard. If / 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
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-
mantle. 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 glass of milk?''
The old woman was seriously ill-too
i'll to be removed, even if there was any
place to remove her to; SO that Aunt
Martha was obliged to digest the venom
of her spleen against tramps and tramp
dom as best she could, and the invalid
was placed in Clare's own bed, and the
doctor was sent for.
When Mr.. Dickson, Clare uncle, came
home, he entirely approved the proceed
ings, and declared he would never have
held up his head if the lowest of Gods
creatures had been driven from his door
to die by the roadside.
Nothing could surpass the devotion of
Clare to her invalid. The latter's dress
had been removed, and some OF Miss
Dickson's substituted. And now that
she was cleaned and ''tied up" she pre-
sented a much more aristocratic appear
ance than Miss Dickson herself.
She was in high fever, and required
careful nursing. Her rawlings were in
cessant, and Glare could gather from