Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-08-16

you. Ina. Ion will wait for me,
darlingpn
Words were not needed for the
answer; one look into her dark eyes
was enough. He clasped her in his
arms. and for the first time their lips
met in kiss OF true love.
A week later Denny started on his
journey.
Soon she received letters from
Dcnny-hopeful, encouraging letters.
She answered them ali trying to cheer
him who was working for fortune
and her. He was in the mines. toiling,
sweating. hoping. Others were maxi
ing big strikes and securing fortunes;
il would be his turn soon. But slow
ly year dragged by and still Denny
was as far from fortune as ever. His
old luck hung by him like spectre.
Finally he ceased TO write. INA
was tortured by hope and fear. Had
he made a fortunate strike and was
coming home or was he sick, perhaps
dead? She could not tell.
Another year wore away and then
INA was married. 1t was ii match OF
her parents making. and she consen-
ted, to please them. Her husband
was n well-to-do young farmer, and
was really fond OF her. INA found
him kind and affectionate, and she
surrendered her life into his care,
feeling that perhaps IL was best that
she should do so.
One evening just at sunset, eight
years after Inza's marriage TO Joel
Gray. a bewhiskered, footsore, weary
appearing tramp turned into Mr..
Gray's dooryard. His clothes were
ragged and his entire appear
ance was that of a man who had seen
hard times indeed. He came along
the path with "A slow tired step. Near
the door little dark-eyed girl was
playing. and the tramp paused to gaze
steadily ut her for several minutes.
INA who was standing by window
with a baby in her arms, regarding
| the stranger with some alarm, saw
| him dash tear from his eye. Then
| she knew that there was nothing to
| fear from him.
just then Joel came from the barn
yard with a Drumming milk pail in
| either hand. The stranger turned to-
ward him as he approached and asked
if he could have something TO eat and
a nights lodging
at is asking much, / know" said
| the tramp, in an unsteady voice, 'but
! if | do not find shelter, | must sleep
| beneath the open sky with only God ;
green grass for bed. | have seen
better days, sir, but luck always was
| against me.
| Joel Gray had no particular love for
tramps, yet there was something about
| this man that won his sympathy. As
q result, the stranger was given some
supper and permission to stop at the
farm house that night
The tramp ate his bread and milk in
silence but INA was conscious that a
pair of sad blue eyes were watching
her every moment.
The man did not eat much for one
who professcd TO be so hungry, and
when INA spoke to him he replied in a
| low, mumbling manner. When he had
finished and moved away from the
table, little Lucy, lnza's oldest child,
came to him and deliberately climbed
upon his knee. He gathered her up
in his arms, while his whole frame
trembled with emotion. The child
lay there trustingly, passing her fin
gers through the mans beard and
grooming to herself. And thus he held
her while the twilight shadows gath
cred and she stopped her soft singing
to close her eyes in slumber. The
shadows concealed the tears that ran
silently down the mans face and were
lost in his beard. No one saw him as
he tenderly kissed the sleeping child.
That night Joel Gray's buildings were
burned TO the ground. To this day it
| &c h.a Gra 1,t,t
sometime in the night the family was
aroused by the smoke and flames. The
fire had already seized the house in its
fatal grasp, and with difficulty Mr..
Gray and INA escaped, the latter with
the babe in her arms. Close behind
them the tramp came staggering out OF
the burning house. Joel caught him
fiercely by the throat.
This is yonr work." shouted the
farmer, hoarsely.
The stranger dashed aside his assail.
ants hands as he replied:
"As God is my Judge, it is notr'
INA seized her husbands arm, as
she shrieked:
Lucy! Lucy! Whore is she?"
Great God!' groaned Joel. as he
staggered as if about to fall. "She
must be in there
IL will save her." declared the tramp
quietly, as he turned, sprang up the
steps and vanished through the door.
way into the burning building.
Every moment that followed seemed
like an age of suspense and horror &c
Joel Gray and his wife. Suddenly q
dark figure appeared at one of the
windows, and all about him the fierce
flames seemed leaping and curdling.
He held q large bundle in his arms.
There was a crash of Q lass. dark mass
shooting downward, "A heavy thud, and
the tramp lay at their feet.
Joel sprang forward and unwrapped
the blanket that enveloped the form OF
his little daughter, and to his JOY found
her alive, though nearly smothered.
The stranger lay quite still where he
had fallen.
The farmer bent over the brave res
cuer OF his daughter. and as he turn
ed the tramp upon his back. the mans
eyes opened, and he murmured:
"lnza,'
There was something familiar in