Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-10-12
81 wish you would come here a

passage again, where | failed, you
remember, ! haven't the music. l
tried to play it from memory" she
half explained. Sand you whistle
it with wonderful accuracy, and
wonderful precision, too"
Tom colOred with pleasure
through the musquito blotches that
adorned his face.
He raised his hat and said: 81
will stand ootside and accompany
you; or, it you will grant me the
pleasure, | will play it for you.'
Miss Ruth lifted her hands in
astonishment and replied:
81 have seen some curious peo.
pie in my life, but ! don't know as
l ever saw a~a-tramp who under
stood opera music. No certainly
not in this region of the country"
"Mlss Ruth" Tom said, "you
know the poet says things are not
what they SEEM am living il
lustration of the truth of that state
ment. / am not what | seem, but
don't know as ! can prove that to
you. However, such credentials as
| have | lay at your feet and Tom
solemnly took from his pocket his
two soiled handkerchlefs, the pic
ture of his Cousin Bessie, his copy
of TennysOn, the two cigars and
the empty matchbox, and also the
fragment of rhyming.
"My name ls Thomas de Quincy
Hamilton. | live and practice law
In Chicago, as did my father before
me. | have wandered like a lost
sheep for day and night in the
woods near hear in consequence OF
an iDjudicious love of nature and
an unwise reliance upon the red
mans word"
He handed her the copy of Ten
nyson and picture. She glanced at
the first, saw the name written in
it, laid it down; bat when she
looked at the photograph she cried
out, "Bessie Granger" and with
the impulsiveness Of a girl of nine
teen carried the picture to her lips
and gave it a kiss that made Tom
wish himself a bit of pasteboard for
a moment. ,,
"Why, this is the picture Of Bes-
sic, nv old roommate at Vassar,
and you must be her Cousin Tom,
of whom pye heard her talk by the
hour together.
"Your penetration does you
credit. | am that same Cousin Tom.
Ruth held out her hands to him
and said "TO think that should
have given Bessie's cousin his
breakfast on the back porch and
bid the servants keep an eye on
him it's too comlcal and they
both laughed heartily, which
helped sweep away the last trace
of formality and embarrassment.
When Ruth's father, Mr.. Willis
! tob, came home an hour later he
was astonished beyond measure to
find his daughter sitting on the
piazfa, feadlGg aloud to a demor.
allied looking youth, who sat at a
respectful distance in an easy
char.
his first thought was that Ruth
had found some one on whom to
experiment in a philanthrOpic way.
She was probably trying to SOW
good seed in very poor ground ; but
he was soon disabused Of that idea,
as their merry laughter and chat
reached his ears. He was not long
in making Investigations, which
we're, as we can understand, per
fectly satisfactory.
Tom told his story ; Ruth sup
plemented it with an account OF
her snspicions and Norah's watch
fulness.
He said: "Since / am again
within the pale of good society |
find the demands of an 'effete civil
izatiOn' strong upon me. | can
think of nothing that would 90 so
far to reinstate me in my own good
opinion as a bath"
Mr.. WillistOn escorted him to his
sons room, and placed it and its
belongings, including the sons
wardrobe, at Toms disposal.
He accepted Mr.. Williston's IN
vltation to spend few days with
them.
"For truly" said his host, "yOu
are the most delightful tramp we
ever entertained your going
astray has brought US a great
pleasure. L am here myself partly
from one of the causes you have
suffered from, excess of confidence
I in mankind, But, after all, we
find this a very pleasant summer
hOme.p
81 had wondered" said Tom,
show it came about that you should
choose to live here. But my won
der has been absorbed by gratitude
that You did, be the cause what It
might
There followed three delightful
days; days filled with music and
mirth and "converse sweet; days