The Russellville Democrat., 1888-07-12

 truder grunted and groaned, and writh- ing in a sitting position, tigged at the hat, which stuck to him as if he had been melted and run into it.
 For goodness gracious sake cried Mrs. Milham's voice. as she hurried up the front walk, what is going on here?n
 A scream from all three children as they rushed to her for protection was her only answer. but, looking through the open pantry door, she saw a re- markable sight There sat the strange man on the floor. He had at length succeeded, not in getting the hat back over his nose, bodily, but in tearing the stiff brim from the upper part, and freeing his mouth so as to get breath of air. Fiery red in the face with exertion and suffocation, his short gray hair standing up all over his head, his eyes dilated with amaze ment and indignation, the rim of the hat hanging round his neck like an old-fashioned ruff--he was sight to frighten any one.
 And yet it was something different from fear which made Mrs, Milham start back and then stand as if she were paralyzed, staring at the stranger.
 "Good handy combassiorr she gasped. ."uncle Pattersonr
 The children stopped their scream. ing, and gazed from her to tho tramp, uncertain Lizzie was the first te realize the situation, and to see what she had done. This was the very un. cle of whose coming they had been counting so long, aud whom they were going to receive in such polite and lady-like wayl This was the rich uncle who had come meaning to take them home with him to Hive in clover" and this was the way she had welcomed himl All the lofty castles in the air which she. had been building during the past week were shattered to pieces and tumbled to the ground so to speak, by the blow of broom. Itwas too dreadfull She cast one de- spairing glance at the wrecked hat and the red face, and then, sobbing outi ''Oh, mamma, thought he was the tramp 1 thought he was the rd-a- dnp!" buried her own face in her mothers dress, and cried as if hei heart would break. The other chil dren joined in the chorus, Bess loudest of all, and it seemed as if Bedlam had broken loose to the distracted Mrs Milham.
 She finally got voice enough back to begin: Well, really, Uncle Patterson, 1 don't know how to apol-" but at this point she was interrupted by new demonstration on the part of their pe- culiar guest. At Lizzy's cry: 'I thought he was tramp" his angry and surprised expression had changed to a grin--a new light seemed slowly to dawn on him, and finally he broke in upon Mrs. Milham's confused excuses with tremendous Hal ha! haIn that fairly shook the little house. Even Lizzy stopped crying in wonder at the sound. The old mans amusement was irresistible; even Mrs. Milham, in all her modification, could not help join ing in. The children began.to think it all very funny when their mother would laugh, and made almost as mucf noise this way as they had before in. their alarm At last Uncle Patterson gathered himself up slowly from the floor, and said: Don't ye say another word, Betsey! don't ye say another word! Thought 1 was a tramp, did she? Flaw! haw! Never mind. little gal, ye've got right good spunk, and l like spunk wherever l see it. Coin to knock Re on the head, was she? Hawl haw Never .mind don't ye cry; served me right for comin' in on ye that way! And there ain't any harm done, except to the hat, and l guess it won't do me no harm to git a new one, anyway.
 ''Ye see, Betsey," he went on, taking a chair in the kitchen, ''I got chance to ride over with one of your neigh bors by the name O Johnson, and walked over from his house. Thought I'd save the stage the trouble. But when 1 got here it was so hot that it seemed as if must git in somewheres or roast. So, thinkin' nobody was to home, I made free to climb in your window, but l got caught in my bur glarizin' "-bere he looked with a twinkling eye at Lizzy, who hid her face-"and good enough fer mer'
 What a merry time they had to- gether that evening! Their peculiar introduction took away all stiffness be- tween them. The children played about in their usual way, and Mir. liar wood Patterson softened and warmed to them to degree that astonished even himself And at last, when Carry and Bess had gone so bed, and he and Mrs Milham and Lizzy sat in the moonlight together, he said;
 "Wa'al, Betsey, guess we might as well settle it about your comin' to live with me before we sleep. If you're agreeable, l am. Really, l don't see how I've got along without your com pany so far. And l hain't the least obs lection to the children. The other two is nice little gals, but I want Lizzy here very especial. Because, ye see, when she's around every thing'll be all safe. At least can be sure that there won't never be any danger from traD,pS r'-R II. StearRS, iH Christian Union.
 The Enqlish Upper Chamber