Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-09-04
A LIES SACRIFICE.

young man, Win a lace, ana ragged
boots with clothes covered with the
dust of the road and utterly empty
pockets, paused at lone stone gate
and looked across green lawn towards
the porch of pretty cottage. In this
porch sat lady in creamy white. AT
her side stood boy of four years or
more, dressed in a gay little costume
of grey cloth. with crimson stockings
and polo cap. Near them lay great
bulldog chained to q post by the door.
The man looked. hesitated, opened the
gate and entered.
Madam, | only wanted to ask YOU
If you would be kind enough to give
me something to eat l am really
very hungry. l am walking TO Shelf
field to get work. and have used up
every farthing had. 1t would be a
great kindness if you could let me
have little food"
The lady rose. go awayp she
cried briskly. I'VE allow no tramps
here. The dog is dangerous. Come
one step nearer and l shall unfasten
him. Go away!"
Such pretty, fairylike little wo-
man; had she no charity in her soulP
1t was strange to hear her.
The little boy, too, in his artistic
dress, ran down the steps, picked a
pebble from the path, and threw it
with all his baby might toward the
man at the gate. And the great bull
dog growled and strained his chain in
a way to prove that he deserved the
character given to him. The lady had
advanced to the dog, and stood ready
to unfasten the chain.
II give you two minutes!n she said,
in her high, sweet young voice. I'VE
make short work with tramps here. :"
The man answered nothing. He
merely turned and hurried out of the
gate, and as he went he muttered
curses, not loud, but deep. 1t was I'M
der his breath that he said:
May you need help and get none :"
he said with an oath. May you need
it as do this night" but he meant it
every word. Then he sat down and
buried his face in his hands. "a
tramp" he repeated. Heaven knows
/ told her the truth and she called me
a tramp. And this is a Christian
country and that woman calls herself
Christian lady, no doubt"
From the kitchen of the house the
wind blew the appetizing smell of cof-
fee to the hungry man; and the odor
OF some dainty hot cake came with it.
A cup of that coffee and crust of
dry bread would have helped him on
his way with lighter heart.
He had never in his life begged be-
fore. He swore he never would again
II he starved on the road. He had
worked for good wages since he learned
his trade. He liked to read, and had
the poetical justice of many novel
treasured in his heart He had always
been to church and been respectable;
and he had never felt it his duty to re-
fuse beggar what he had to give.
He had not saved for excellent rea-
sons-he spent all he had in keeping
a plain little home comfortable for
parents who depended on him.
Both were now dead. Then came
the hard times-the shutting down of
furnaces and closing of mills.
He had heard of work in Sheffield.
and was on his way there on foot. His
clothes were good when he started,
now they were covered with dust and
his shoes had worn out
He had slept often in barns, eaten UP
his small capital sold his portmanteau
in one town where a lodging under a
roof was necessary, and parted with all
its contents at an old clothes shop
He had done everything to keep from
asking for help, and he was still the
respectable man he had always consid-
cred him.
The lady went back to her parlor
shuddering.
She was quite alone in the house.
save for a little maid servant, who
shrleked and ran away in the face of
any danger, such as mouse in the
pantry, or mysterious noises in the
cellar; and there had been one or two
tragedies in the neighborhood in
which the tramp proper had figured
mosr ferociously.
"lf it really was an honest poor
person." she thought ''how cruel |
have been!"
Then she recalled the fact that the
man who murdered the two old ladies
in the next village had said he was q
shoemaker out of work; and while
Miss Lefty was dlshing him some soup,
and Miss Betty crossing the room with
a bowl of tea for him, he had struck
them down with a Ratchet, and gone
off with their little silver three watch
es some money, and poor Miss Letty's
engagement ring never taken from
her finger since her lover died upon
his bridal eve.
Besides she had promised her hus-
band not to let any idea of being good
to the poor put her into danger of
death, or worse, at tramps hands
With all these excuses, Mrs. How
ard, having a christian soul under her
fashionable bodice was still uneasy.
The little maid was busy in the cot
tage kitchen. 1t was all bright and
and now she must drive
to the station for her husband.
Away they went, gay trap. frisky
pony pretty child and beautiful wom-
an, making such pretty picture in
the twilight that Mrs. Stone, the artis-
tic lady in the next house. called out
to her husband
What Christmas card that would
make If we could only get it just as it
looks against the sunsetm
Another pair of eyes saw the picture
also, The man who had begged for