The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-30

1
the whole, her lines had not fallen in
unpleasant places.
For a month after Laura Penn began
to teach the school the weather was
clear and bright, as September often is;
but with October came Monday with a
great storm The roads were sodden,
the trees dripped; people kept their lit
tie girls at home. The boys came
splashing in under waterproof coats, and
with rubber boots to their knees, and
boosted of their bravery; and "the
teacher" lighted little fire in the big
wood stove that they might dry them
selves. That was fun for all. Mean
while, not to lose time, she set the m
saying the multiplication table.
Suddenly big voice joined in the
chorus-"Twice ten are twenty; twice
eleven are twenty-five; twice twelve are
twenty-four;" and turning with start,
Laura saw figure, soaked in mud-mud
/ on its hair, mud on it's nose, mud to it's
understanding in the door. A tramp,
certainly. She had heard such dreadful
things of tramps that she turned pale.
| Still, in such rain she could have
bolted the door in his face, if it had
been in her power.
ga fire!' said the tramp, advancing. 81
expected nothing as good as that May
l come nearer, or am too muddy?"
''Bring a chair, Johnny" said the
teacher. SIT is dreadful weather. He
must have been sleeping out of DOORS"
she said to herself.
The tramp confirmed her suspicious
by remarking, as he took the chair:
''This Is weather, and I've been in the
woods all night presume need wash
ing the worst way"
The teacher" saw an opportunity for
efforts in the sanitary line.
Johnny" she said, ''show the young
man where the wash basin and water
bucket are, and you may give him a
clean towel from the shelf"
Johnny obeyed. He led the way; the
tramp followed him, and returned much
| improved in appearance-quite clean, in
fact-having been, as he said, ''broomed
down" by the useful Johnny.
He was steaming beautifully shortly,
and continued to join in the exercises of
the school, adding wood to the fire oc-
casionally, until noon-time came. AS
yet he had done nothing desperate, but,
as he eyed the cans and baskets, he re-
marked:
81 wish 1 had my lunch with me, L
assure you. missed my supper and
had no breakfast. l am conscious of a
vacuum"
"Now, perhaps" thought Laura, "the
| time has come"
She flew to her desk.
81 have some lunch here" she said,
offering napkin filled by good Mrs.
Cliff with short-cake. cheese and mince
| pie, and bottle of milk.
The tramp looked at it.
''The spirit is unwilling" he said, ''but
the flesh is weak. I'll take hdt."
And accordingly Laura made a fair
division, thinking that this was very
amiable tramp, indeed, intended for bet
ter things. Indeed, he was handsome
even in the case of dry mud he wore.
She wished she were of the order of
people who can give advice gratis. She
wanted to reform him. But she could
not bring herself to preaching. Only
when he arose to leave, the rain falling
no longer in torrents, but having sub
sided into drizzle, she went to the door
with him.
''Take this little path" she said. cit
will lead you straight to the village. 1
am sure you must be tired of such hard
ships as you experienced last night; and
if you will go to the parsonage, Mr.. Par
don will put you in the way of-of-fnd-
ing your way into better path" And
then she slipped twenty-five cents into
| his hand.
He looked at her curiously.
You are very kind" he said, 81
hope you will never need half of any
body's luncheon"
He was gone. His voice trembled,
she was sure; but later she heard some
body laughing at distance. 1t could
not have been that tramp.
She went home when school was over
and told the tale to Mrs. Cliff
ga tramp cried that good woman.
cts mercy you are alive. They've
got the souls of gorillas, and / expect if
you hadn't had SO many boys about you,
you'd not be here to tell of it. This
region isn't often tramped, either. It's
off the track. l hope there's no more
in the woods,'
Miss Penn sat down to her supper
Half luncheon had left her hungry,
but while she ate the pork and beans
with will there came a knock at the
door. At it stood servant in sort of
livery. Masters compliments" he
said, and handed her bouquet of hot
house flowers, from the stems of which
depended little note.
She opened the note at once. Within
was silver quarter of a dollar and
| these words:
| MY DEAR MISS PENN: I return the twenty
| hve-cent piece or rather another in it's place.
| You were so good to the tramp that hated to
| undeceive you. l went out shooting yesterday,
| lost my way in the woods, tumbled into marsh,
and was what you saw me when 1 reached the
school-house at nine o'clock. 1 never was so
hungry before. The half of your luncheon was
delicious. Will you permit me to call to make
my apologies? Mrs Cliff knows who am, and
| can introduce us.
Yours thankfully and sincerely,
ANDREW BELLAIRE.
Laura Penn read the note through
twice.
HE was not tramp, then, after all, 50
she said. ''What an idiot he must think
| mel" and she handed the note to Mrs.