The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-17

| bright, the very flowers appeared TO nave
| gained more radiant cOlors, and certainly
| emitted a stronger and sweeter perfume.
| The glamour of loving expectation en-
| veloped and identified all things in her
| eyes. This post is sure to bring a letter
| apprising them of the time his train would
| arrive. Ella pays but little attention to
| her breakfast, and frequently casts an eS-
pectant look toward the window. She is
| rewarded at last by the appearance of the
| gray coated pOstman, whose homely but
| good-natured face looks positively hand
| some in her eyes this particular morning.
| With a deXterOus twist of finger and
| thumb, begotten of long practice, he sends
| a letter flying up the garden path, and as
Ella runs lightly to meet him it lands
softly and Significantly against her lips,
and drops at her feet, when she picks it up
with blush which put all the pretentious
| 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 hands tremble as she tears open the
envelope. She wall /, back slowly through
the garden, and as Mrs. Winters comes to
the window she is Just in time to see the
| JOYOUS look die out of the bright face, and
an expression of deep disappointment settle
upon it.
so, mama, Willie says he can not leave
for month yet. Pm so sorry"
There was a touch of cadence after the
"sorry" which would have been very
could he have heard it. A big sigh ac-
companed her words as she looked regret
fully at the flowers, which had been gath
cred especially for him, and which now
seemed to drop their lovely heads in unison
with her sorrow.
But young hearts are made of strong ma
terial, and blthesome Ella was soon
absorbed in her household duties, and now
not a shade of trouble appeared upon the
smiling face.
Let not my readae7 { find raj - Mis-.
It Ella when | disclose the fact tnat she had
strong penchant for pet dogs. They were
her playmates and faithful protectors il
childhood, and all the dignity of young
ladyhoOd lacked power to wean her affec.
ticn from them now. Great shaggy fel.
g lows with atfectionate brown eyes were
her special favOrites, but every canine
& from the puny pug to the slim and grace.
full greyhound, found place in her affec.
- lions. They had, as she herself express &c
, it, "aforded solid comfort and consola.
~ ton" all her life, and she never had the
least occasion to find fault with them unit
2, to-day, when her most particular pei
covered her with shame and humiliation
This is how it happened: Downing hel
, large sun-hat, and calling her pet Niger
a and smaller satellite named Ruby, she
q sailed forth for her usual evening walk
which eventually ended in a race or Scram-
e bic on the way home. All went well unit
Niger encountered a casual acquaintance
in the shape of pugilistiC looking black
q cur, who was evidently on the war path
- He shifted around Niger, which proceed.
ing must in dog language have meant q
;, challenge, for Niger, to his eternal dis
| grace, Immediately threw down the glove
so to speak blending the while very I'M
willing ear to the agonized entreeties OF
Il his young mistresS), wavered moment
y and then went for his opponent with a vim
v which promised to make things lively all
round. Ruby made a few spasmOdiC
dasheS toward the combatants, but deem
l ing prudence much safer than 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 a stick she picked
1t up and pOked aimlessly in a futile effort
to separate the angry animals. She had
Just given up the attempt when, to her
u great relief, man appeared on the scene
, He was grImy aud ragged, but she took nc
notice of that, and begged him earnestly
O to save her pet from the monster who was
seemingly bent on devouring him. An
amused smile hickered around the mans
o mouth for an instant as he looked at her
then, grasping dog with each hand, he
flung one of them clear over the fence, and
was about to fling the other in an opposite
n direction when Ella grasped him by the
coat sleeve and claimed her pet, all dirty
and dissraced as he was.
Pm sure Pm very grateful, indeed
= stammered our distressed heroine, es she
held out her hand toward the stranger
: with some money. To her establishment
he took no notice Of her action, and, lift
ing his hat with grace which would have
e done honor to a Chesterfield, walked
quickly out Of sight.
h A few days after that identical tramp
in truth, he looked a typical specimen OF
the tramp, from his shirt button, conspic-
uOus by its absence, to his dusty shoes
called at the pOftupe Now MrC Nintap'e
e pet aversion was tramp; the very name
suggested visions of murder, fire and rob.
; berry. When, pPrchanCe, she did give en-
i ployment TO such people, it was under the
| pressure of some stern necessity, and
u always with fear and trepidation.
. ''He wanted some kind of work. MN, ,
that was the tenor of James message from
e the kitchen. A hurried and anxious con-
sultation with that ancient and worthy
e domestic disclosed the fact that the
"kindling was almost out" Relying
upon the assurance of the intrepid
Jane, who promised to keep an eye
l. on him, she was told to show him
n to the woOd-pile. Later on Jane set him
down to dinner in the kitchen, and, acting
% upon pre- arrangement, took the liberty of
Il giving Mrs. Winters a wink, whereupOn
that wise and cautious woman enscOnced
?. herself behind a convenient ambush and
n proceeded to study Mr.. Tramp.
For the first time in her life her opinion
wavered. The cap which half concealed
his face when she had first seen him was
T. now laid aside, disclosing to view broad,
white forehead, surmounted by hand
some crop of brown curls. His face was
Sunburnt, but there was no mistaking the
beauty in every line of it-a youthful face
with not even the shadow of mustache tc
hide the clear cut, refined mouth. She
came and saw, and was almost conquered
There could be nothing bad, she argued, in
that cOmely young face. She had seen
!, honest brown eyes like these before, some
i where. He certainly could not be one OF
{ the class which she detested so much
:, Yes, she would get him to give the flower
e garden hand, also.
f They are busy every day now among the
4 flowers and weeds, Ella and Mrs. Winters
taking hand. The tramp" proves q
y valuable acquisition. His taste and know
ledge anent matters horticultural surprise
them. He preserves a stolid silence unless
1 when spoken to, and to Elias surprise
= never once recalled the incident of the dog
v tight. Owing to her secluded life Ella
}, Winters ideas of men and things were
r mostly gathered through the medium OF
the modern novel: therefore she could not
= be blamed if her imaginative mind found
: ample exercise in the study Of this brown
d eyed youth who so badly played the role
of tramp. His age might be twenty zone
r or twenty two, and an expression that