The free press., 1892-11-10


the woods looked SO enticing that l
ventured on bath, just at sunrise.
Unfortunately, however. l was not
the earliest bird going. Some deep
dyed villain, while l was disporting
myself in the lucid element, stole my
clothes leaving a mass of dirty rags
behind. Then was tramp in spite
of myself, and such lecture | got
from pretty maiden at a farmhouse
on the road However, she gave me
something to eat, between her pieces
of advice, also this wardrobe, and
when the express delivers my trunk, l
shall be all right-Richard will be
himself again"
"She gave you those clothes?"
"She did"
"Then," said Squire Somerset, slap
ping the table until the legal docu-
ments flew in all directions over the
floor "you'ye been lectured by Matty
Vernon, the prettiest girl in town
old jobs niece, and the owner of a
pair of superb black eyes and the best
farm in Warren County!'
EYES" mournfully acceded Ather-
ton. "She told me that ought to go
to work, and then threatened me with
the county Jail, and finally-bless her
dear little heart!-ended up by giving
me-thisp
He produced from the pocket Of
Uncle Job Vernor's trowsers a silver
quarter.
The squire grlnned broadly.
''Here comes the express delivery
now with your box" said ne. "Aud
a good thing for you, Atherton. for
my wife is going to have tennis par
ty here this afternoon, and Matty
Vernon is the champion player. You
can handle racquet, can't you, old
man?"
"Rather," said Mr.. Atherton.
Matty Vernon came to the tennis
party in pale pink albatross cloth, cut
after a semi masculine fashion that
was eminently calculated to drive any
one mad.
But when Mrs. Somerset presented
her to Mr.. Atherton from New York,
she changed color and started little.
"But-" hesitated Matty, in u be-
wildered manner.
"You see, you wouldn't allow me
to explain" reasoned he. "You were
determined / should be a tramp. l
couldn't get any innings then, but
now's my time. Please may l make
an unprejudiced statement?"
Matty listened to his explanation,
coloriDg like rose.
She would like to have run away,
but she had not sufficient moral cour-
age to do so.
"And gave you Uncle Jobs old
Clothes" said she wringing her hands
in despair.
"You never can know how accept.
able they were," avowed Atherton.
"And some bread-and- sand
wiches"
"Ambrosia and nectar couldn't have
tasted better. Aud the cup-custards-
don't forget the cup-custards and the
huckleberry-pie. was so indescrib-
ably hungry, Miss Vernon"
"And the quarter of dollar-my
last quarlerl You'll give mo back
that quarter, Mr.. Atherton? said
Matty, with a spice of her old mis-
chief.
"Neverp said Atherton. "lll part
with that silver coin only with my
life"
Matty dropped her head.
elbow | did lecture you" said she.
.'How insolcnt l must have ap-
pcared ~
"Not in the least" said Atherton.
"Your advice was exactly suited to
the occasion, if only l had been a
tramp. But l wasn't"
ave are waiting to play, MattyV
cried Mrs. Somerset.
"Come on, Atherton" bawled his
host. "Do you mean to keep us wait
ing all day"
"Please," whispered Matty, catch
ing up her racquet, "will you forgive
me"
GA thousand times over!" A Atherton
answered.
"George," said Mrs. Somerset that
night, when Matty Vernon was gone
and Atherton had hidden them good
~