Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-11-21
'lThat Tramp. "

,
breakfast room with q huge armtuI OF
flowers. Great crimson roses mingled
their dark loveliness with pure white
buds, and rich velvet pansies lay hall
hidden in a tangle Of heliOrope and
smilax.
"These are for Willie, mamma" re-
piled her daughter, as lie laid her prec-
ious burden on a table, and, picking out
a yellow rosebud, which well deserved
its name, "gold of Ohir," pinned it low
ingly on her mothers bOsOm-an act
which immediately disarmed her Of all
anger, Elias occasional depredations
among the flowers being a cause of ser
iOus disquiet to the good old lady.
Mrs. Winters had been a widow for
many years, her husband California
pioneer aving, in mining paTlanCe,
"passed in his checks" leaving her in
comfortable circumstances. Mother and
daughter lived in quiet seclusiOn, sell
dom appearing In s5ciety, and Ella, at
eighteen, was as sweet and innocent as
the flowers, which verify seemed kith
and kin Of her own.
They had few relatives. Mrs. Winters
sometimes spoke Of a cousin who lived
away up in the mining districts, whose
family she had never seen, and Ella was
secretly in love with a handsome, bold
face, which looked at her sauCilY from
ano.d deguerreOtype case upon the man
tel piece, whose laughing mouth she had
often filrtively kissed, and wondered if
she should ever see him. And now, oh,
joyful news, there was a letter from John
GaynOr saying that his eldest boy, vii
lie, WOnld pay them visit. Il trust,
dear Margaret" ran the letter, that he
will be the link which shall again unite
the chain of our old-time friendship"
Ella was very happy. At last she would
hav civ Al
agination he must be pleasant realiza-
ton of the "hOnest miner" whose prim-
tive habits and manner are so graphi-
cally described by Twain and Miller
To-day was undoubtedly the very happi-
est in her life. The sun never seemed
so bright, the very flowers appeared to
have gained more radiant COlOrs, and
certainly emitted stronger and sWeeter
perfume. The glamour Of loving eXpec-
tatiOn enVeloped and beautifed all
things in her eyes. This post is sure to
bring a letter appIising them of the time
his train would arrive. Ella pays but
little attention to her breakfast, and fire.
quently casts an eXpectant look toward
the window. She is awarded at last by
the appearance Of the gIay-cOated post
man, whose homely but gOodnatured
face looks positively handsome in her
eyes this particular morning. With
dexterous twist of finger and thumb, be-
gotten of long practice, he sends a letter
flying up the garden path, and as Ella
runs lightly to meet him 1t lands softly
end Significantly against her lips and
drops at her feet, when she picks it up
with a blush which puts all the preten-
tious pink flowers in the garden to
shame.
The letter is for her this time, the
first she has ever received from her
cousin, and her hand trembles as she
tears open the envelope. She walks
back slowly through the garden, and as
Mrs. Winters comes 80 the window, she
is just in time to see the joyous look
die out of the bright face, and an express
sion of deep disappointment settle upon
it.
ooh, mamma, Willie says he cannot
leave for a month yet. Pm so sorry"
There was q touch Of cadence after the
''sorry" which would have been very
sweet music to Mr.. Willie GaynOr's ears
could he have heard 1t. A big sigh ac-
Companied her words as she looked re-
greatfully at the flowers which had been
gathered especially for him, and which
now seemed to drop their lovely heads
in unison with sorrow.
But young hearts are made of strong
material, and blithsOme Ella was soon
absorbed in her household duties, and
now not a shade of trouble appeared up
on the smiling face.
Let not my readers find fault with
Miss Ella when disclose the fact that
she had strong penchaut for pet dogs.
They were her playmates and faithful
protectors in childhood, and all the
dignity ofyCung ladyhoOd lacked power
to Wean her affections from them now.
Great shaggy fellows with affectiOnate
brown eyes were her special favOrites,
but every canine, from the puny pug to
the slim and graceful greyhound. found
a place in her affections. They had, as
she herself expressed it, afforded solid
comfort and consolation" all her life,
and she never had the least occasion to
find fault with them until to-day, when
her most particular pet covered her
with shame and humiliation.
This is how it happened: Downing
her large sunhat, and calling her pet
Niger and a similar satellite named
Ruby, she sailed forth for her usual
evening walk, which eventually ended
IN a race or scramble on the way home.
All went we'll until Niger encountered
a Causual acquaintance in the shape Of a
a pugilistic looking black cur, who was
evidently on the WRrpath. He snuted
around Niger, which proceeding must
in dog language have meant g challenge,
for Niger, to his external disgrace, i'm
mediately threw down the gloves, so to
speak lending the while very unWi-
ling ear to the agOnized entreaties of his
young mistress), wavered a moment and
then went for his OppOnant with vim
that promised to make things lively all
around. Ruby made a few spasmOdic
dashes toward the Combatants, but deem
ing prudence the better part Of valor
in this instance, sat down at a safe
distance and watched the fight
uneasily- Miss Ella was in despair, and
looked around IN vain for assistance;
espying q stick she picked it up and
poked aimlessly In futile effort to separ-
ate the angry animals. She had Just
given up the attempt when, to her great