Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-07-18

There, Bess, nobody is going to touch
you! Carrie, I'd be ashamed to tease
her so! j ust think, you two quarreling,
and Uncle Patterson coming only this
EVENING" This was enough. The
two combatants subsidized, and the
tramp alarm was swept out of the
children's minds.
Afternoon came, and it got to be
three o'clock. Never had the hours
seemed to move so slowly to the little
girls. Their clean, white dresses lay
on the bed in their mothers room, re-
served to be put on at the last moment,
SO that by no mishap could speck of
dirt soil them. Playing was almost
out of the question. They could only
watch the clock and long for the time
to hurry on.
''Well, I DECLARE" exclaimed their
mother, hurrying suddenly out of the
closet, IF didn't forget to tell you to
get sugar this morning, Lizzy! There
isn't grain in the house, 1 do believe.
Here, you run down to the village-no,
1 can 60 quicker myself. There'll be
plenty of time before the stage comes. "
She hastily put on her sunbonnet,
but just as she was going out of the
door an uncomfortable recollection
crossed her mind. ''That tramp
what if he should come here while
am away!"
She turned to the children. 'Lizzy,"
she said, II want you to be very care
full while I am gone to keep the door
shut and locked. Don't let any body
in unless it is one of the neighbors. If
any strange man should come, looking
like that tramp, and knock, keep quiet
and don't pay any attention, so that
he'll think there's no one at home and
go away"
The caution was enough. The chill
dren's faces grew scared and their eyes
large at the suggestion. They had
come to think of a tramp as an awful
being combining the worst qualities of
the ghost, the lion and the ogre of the
fairy stories-a creature whose very
least offense was devouring children
alive. There was no danger of their
not keeping their promise to be care
full in this matter.
Their mother went away, and Lizzy
Immediately locked and bolted the
door, shut all the blinds, and fastened
the windows. They even talked in low
tones for a time, lest the horrible
tramp should be somewhere lying in
wait and should hear them, until Carry
could not resist the temptation to tell
Bess, who was sitting by the wood.
box, that great long arm was reach.
ing out of it to grab her!
The shrek with which she greeted
this announcement and the commo.
ton that ensued in getting her quoted
rather broke the spell OF alarm, and
they soon began to play together more
naturally than they had all day.
But Bess and Garry could not long
agree, and, despite all Lizzy's attempts
to quiet them, they soon squabbled
more vigorously than they had for {
week past. In despair, Lizzy longe6
for her mothers return. In vain she
reminded them of Uncle Patterson's
displeasure; for the time even that hai
lost it's terrors. The hand of the clock
moved on to four. By that time Carr,
had got Bess' doll and was standing or
a chair holding it above her head
while Bess belabored her as high a!
she could reach, and in the utmos
wrath tried to pull her down by thu
dress. Lizzy was almost distracted be
tween them.
"Ah ha, Bess Milham,' cried Carry
in her most aggravating tone, II wish
Uncle Patterson could see now
Wouldn't he think you was nice, lady
like little girl!''
II don't care" screamed Bess, resist
ing all Lizzy's efforts to pacify her. 81
wish an old tramp would come an6
carry you off. I do
At this moment the front gate
clicked. ''Therer' said Lizzy, ''there's
mamma coming back, and I'm glad O.
it," She ran to the window and peeped
through the blinds, but ran back in g
moment with white face and cried ir
a trembling whisper, "Oh, no, it isn't
its the tramp! it's the tramep!"
And at that moment there came 6
laundering knock at the door.
The children stared at one anothe,
in silent terror for a moment, and ther
Carry began to cry. II don't care
Bess," she whimpered. "It's YOU
fault! you went and wished he'd come.
And for once in her life Bess was too
frightened to resent the charge.
But izzy's courage rose to the occa
sion. flush, hush, children!' she
said, in a whisper. ':Don't say word
and he won't know we're here. HI
can't get in, and mamma will soon bt
home. Let him knock, The blinds
and windows are all locked, and per
haps he'll 60 away when he finds he
can't get in. Come, let's get under the
table here and pull the cover down