The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-07
ONLY A TRAMP.

l
young man, with good face and ragge
boots, with clothes covered with III
dust OF the road and utterly empt
pockets, paused at a low stone gate an
looked Rcros, a green lawn toward til
porch OF pretty cottage, On this pore
sat a lady In creamy white, At her aid
stood boy Of four years or more, dresse
10 a gay little costume OF gray cloth, wit
crimson stockings and polo cap, Nes
them lay great bulldog chained TO
ring in the floor. The man looked, hes
tated, opened the gate and entered,
"Madam-," he began.
"No," said the lady, shaking her heat
mo. Go away immediately"
"She thinks | want 70 sell something
the man said to himself.
Then he spoke more loudly;
"Madam, | only wanted TO ask you
you would be kind enough to give m
something 10 eat, ! am really yer
hungry. am walking 10 to e
work, and | have used up every cent
had. Itwould be- q great kindness II yo
could let me have a little tood."
lNu Ltu3 tllo lhN9 AbeNs
"Go awayW she cried, briskly. wv
allow no tramps here. This dog Is dan
gerous. Come one step nearer and
unfasten him. Go awayl"
Such pretty, fNiry-like little woman
had she no charity In her soulP II wal
strange TO hear her.
The little boy, too, in his artistic dress
ran down the steps, picked up a pebble
from the path, aud threw II with all hil
baby might toward the man at the gate,
And the great bulldog growled anG
strained his chain In a way to prove thai
he deserved the character given to him
The lady had advanced to the dog, and
stood ready to uniasten the chain.
"Igive you two minutes" she said, IN
her high, sweet. young voice. eve
make short work with trampS here"
The man answered nothing. Hemere
ly turned and hurried out at the gate,
and as he went be muttered curaes, moi
loud, but deep, It was under his breath
that no said:
"bIay you need help. and get none,''
he said, with an oath. MAY you need
1t as | do this night" but ho meant II
every word. Then he sat down and bu.
lied his face in his hands. "a tralnp!''
he repeated. God knows [ told her the
truth, and she called ME tramp. And this
isa Christian country, and that woman
calls herself Christian lady, no doubt.
From the kitchen Of the house the
wind blew the appetizinR smell Of coffee
to the hungry man, and the odor OF some
dainty hot cake came with II.
A cup Of that coffee and acrust Of dry
bread would have helped him on his
way with light heart.
He had never In his lie begged be-
fore. He swore no never would again
II he starved on tho road. He had
worked for good wages since he learned
his trade. He liked to read, and he had
the pOetiCal Justice Of many novel
treasured In lis.heart. He had always
been TO church, and been respectable,
aud he had never felt 1t his duty to re-
fuse q beggar what he had to give. He
hWd not saved for excellent reasons-he
spent all he had 10 keeping plain little
home comfortable for parents who do
pended upon him. Both were now
dead, but his brother had needed help,
having less energy than he had, with
worse habits, and poor little wife who
resembled the
".olh woman who lived In shoe,
AMI had so mAny children she didn't know
what to do"
Getting this small army Of TO the veal
had put him into corner. Then came
the hard times. The shutting down oil
furnaces and closing OF mills. He had
heard Of work in -, and was on biz
way there on foot. His clothes were
good when he started; now they were
covered with duty, and his shoes had
worn out. He had slept often In barns,
eaten up his small capital, sold his port
manteau In one town where q lodging
under q roof was necessary, and parted
with all Its contents at an old ClOthel
store. He had done everything TO keeE
from asking for help, and he was still
the respectable man be had always con.
sidered himself.
Now, IN, this quiet place, he had asked
a prstty little lady, with enough and Ia
spare, 10 give him some food, and had
been refused, threatened with the dog
and called tramp. His soul burned
within him.
The lady went back to her parlol
shuddering She was quite aloue In the
House, save for a little maid servant, who
shrieked and ran away In the face oil
any threatened danger, such as a mouse
In the pantry or mysterious noises In
the cellar and there had been ono Of
two tragedies In the neighborhood In
which the tramp proper had figured Zero
CiOusly.
People had given these creatures food
and had been robbed and murdered
Sfterwartl; had housed them, and ex
perienced ingratitude OF the iOulest sort
That q tiger was loose upon the lawn
would not have been more terrible tC
think Of than that q tramp was there
Still, she felt little uncomfortable.
III II really was an honest poor per
SON" she thought show cruel have
BEEN"
Then she recalled the fact thai
the man who murdered the two OLE
ladies' In thB next village had said III
was shoemaker out OF work and while
| WtFH l4tttl was hlbilbk Ulll bulut uuuHu
and Miss Betty crossed the room with /
bowl Of tea for him, he had struck then
down with the halchCt, and goue Of
with their little silver, three watches
some money, aud poor old Miss Lefty
engagement ring, never taken from lei
tinger since her lover died upon hi
bridal eve.
Besides, she had promised her hus
band not 10 lot any idea OF being good I,
the poor put her into danger Of death
or worse, II a tfamp'a hands.
with allthese exvnAes, Mrs. Cary, hay
ing a Christian soul under her fashion
able bodice, was still uneasy,
ThU liLtle maid vas busy In the coLtap
Kitchen. II was all bright and comfort
able, and now bhc tnusl drive 10 III
station tpr her husband. The manseI
want had left them d day or 90 beior,
and they we're going 10 tho city 10 500
that another had not been hired bu
she could harness her horse very We
herself, and soon II was done, and III
pretty figure In ils dress 81 cream. ColofU
nuns vailing, with tiny ivory balls 1
Ito ears and a. liz throat, and dalnt
hat to match on lie black half, petChe
Itself on thu cushions Of the little vehicll
! Away they went, Kay yagOn, risky pom,
pretty child, aud beautiful WUnlal