The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-06-29

:
and-and-and got so hungry"
Well, it was bother having him hang
ing around the place, but she didn't
know how to refuse such a request as this.
There mightn't be anything so villainous
about boy that was willing to work for
what he got, especially when he was as
near used up as this one seemed.
You can 20 on chopping, now you've
begun it. though oal and sam will be
here presently and they always see to
that" she said. not very graciously, in
truth-and went back to the house.
When Dal and sam did come presently
they disapproved of the boy at the wood
pile. "Pa" said nothing; pa never
said anything" But then Dal general
ly spoke for the family.
"Itell you what" he remarked as he
was leaving the house half an hour later,
when be does get his iced, you send him
right along, you hear, ma? We don't
want no tramps around here, pickin' up
things and helpin' themselves behind
your back to more'n you'll ever find out.
There amt nothin' about this farm me
and Sam can't attend to-and Pa-and if
there was, that boy is lazy as the day is
long, Jimmy l wish you'd seen him
handlin' that axe as I came up / wonder
he didn't cut himself to pieces, the way
he held it; thought 'twould 'er fallen
out o his hand every lick Send him
right on-you hear ma? Don't let him
loaf around here all day"
Nav" supplemented his brother "an'
keep an eye on my rife yOnder, while I
he's here amt ready to part with it, an
l dare say he's got somethin's in his eye
by hangin' around So"
Since they had mentioned these things,
Mrs. Mevins found the tr4mp-boy very
suspicious-looking when she called him
in to his dinser She had not asked him
to sit down with the family, because she |
still heard the sound of the axe at the /
wood-pile, and he might as well doall he /
would he wasn't going to hurt himself /
she had tramps bargain to do such things /
before, and it was mighty seldom they /
did not get the best Of it. His dinner 4
was worth all this boy had done, she'd |
be bound
While he was eating, and "eating like /
a famished wolG" she told herself she /
stepped to the door and glanced out to the |
wood-pile. Well, it was pretty fair Job 1
this time; q right good lot he had cut,
considering. For he certainly was near
done for when he came.
She glanced back at him weD, he /
didn't look so very different now. What 4
a great way he must have come, to make
him look like that And then so rag /
ged-a low creature that had no doubt 4
stolen something that he had to run 1
away for He didn't look as ifit were T
anything ike stabbing or shooting some !
body. He was rather Misunderstanding, /
in that sense and perhaps if he were
taught a lesson now
AAos ~ AAH' 80 a WNAAAlAA AAAtAt sAA y
came to the point in such matters.
81 say boy she said suddenly, walk /
ing up to him and looking him squarely /
in the eye, what have you done that
you have to run Off Ike this? Been
piekin' anybody's pocket, or what was
itg'
Not very hospitabls remark, certain
ly; but this boy was no visitor-he was
only tramp, and suspicious-looking
one at that, though he was young.
"Piekin'-anybody's pocketl" gasped
the boy at the table, stopping the fork
half way to his mouth, and turning, if
possible, redder than ever.
That settled it a boy with tell-tale
face like that had no need TO say any
thing. decided Mrs. Mevins.
''Well, don't 90 making it worse by de-
nying it, whateverit was. What's done
is done; YOU can't better that. Bot I
don't know what a boy Ike you can ex-
peet to come to if you goabout thieyin'
an"
A sharp shrek startled her words
away but it was not from the tramp-boy
that she was branding as thief 1t
came from the yard in far, babyish
voice, shrill with terror.
"Rosy! The well! screamed the wo-
man, and she felt her knees giving away
beneath her.
But the tramp-boy had darted past her
like deer. She stifened herself and
stumbled blindly after him. As she ran
she saw only that one cover TO the well
was open, but in her distraction she
heard another cry, half muffled from It's
depths,
And then she saw another thing--a
boy with tousled hair and sunburnt face
fling open the other door to the we'll, let
ting the bucket-rope slip within ike
flash and winding himself around II,
down and down, ike squirrel.
To save her life she could not stir
auu lIg - sue htliu SUE Cou4at ii1t oS4teisA
for help, though she saw her husband
far off there in the field. lie had not
heard or seen, and she could not call
him
Such agony comes rarely enough in
lifetime. AS she sunk upon the ground
no longer able to stand, she heard a
mufiled call. She dragged herselfnearer
the we'll 1t was the voice Of the tramp
boy.
"Try-tO-wind Gp-the rope" came
family from thedepths that she dared not
look into.
Distractedly she grssPed the wheel.
Merc.ful heaven she could not move it,
Was she going to faint? Oh : this dread
fnl feeling, as if she were tunnel to stonei
"Quick try" sounded a second faint
call.
She tried with all her might, she could
not turn the wheel. Had she had the
power she would have shrieked aloud.
All she could voice was gasp. For
- f.T u