The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-07-06

wills came up from the woods and was
echoed family from the opposite hills.
Overhead the bats were dsrting about
swiftly and silently and sgainst the fad
ing red OF the sunset an owl winged its
noiseless way. When she glanced over
her shoulder into the empty rooms be
hind her she could scarcely keep from
screaming, they we're so dark and shad-
oSy
To the credit Of her self-control be it
said, however, that she did not scream.
Her heart Was faint, bat she went inside
and fastened oil the doors and windows
in her mothers careful way. Then she
went to the kitchen, lighted the lamp
and sat down there with a book. She
chose the kitchen because her mother
spent so much Of her time there, and it
made her feel as though her mother were
nearer. And 50 This brave little heroine
who was yet such a coward, sat there
with quaking heart reading one page
over twenty times and longing for Guys
return.
Itseemed an age 10 JAMIE, though it
was probably not more than half an
hour, when she heard a step on the walk
and then on the porch, followed imme-
diately by a knock on the kitchen door.
That was just Guys way, jamie threw
down her book, sprung joyously to the
door and lu ng it wide open, crying:
Oh, Guy, have you come at last g'
And the great, hard-feature tramp
that stood there stepped quickly inside
and shut the door after him, saying with
grin:
Yes'n, I've come al last. Glad to
meet such warm reception, I'm sure.
Been expeetin' me all day, hain't you p
All the blood in Janie's body flew to
her heart and left her icy cold. She
thought for e moment that she was dy-
ing, and wondered vaguely what Guy
would think when he came back and
found her dead. But after what seemed
quite an interval, she found herself look
ing straight into the eyes Of the tramp,
who was burly and brutal as one could
wish.
g You'll know me next time, reckon"
he said with hoarse laugh.
~Twon't pay you to know me too good.
l can tell you that right now. Hustle
around and git me somethin' to eat, an
be lively about it, too"
Without a word jamie went to the cup
board and began placing the remains of
the supper before him. A loaf of bread
roll Of butter, some fried bacon and a
dish Of cold cabbage-that was the ex-
tent Of it. While she was placing the
food upon the table bis eyes caught the
glesm of the little rare old silver that
that had come down 70 Mrs. Gerald from
her great grandmother, and he jumped
Up and came to the cupboard.
Humph No plate about that =" he
said, weighing some ofthe spoons in his
hands. guess III take these things in
out o the cold. Country folks amt got
no business eatin' with silver. Itmakes
'ern feel stuck up"
And he slowed all the knives and
forks and spoons away in his pockets
and in his boot-tops. he Was about to
turn away then, when upon the topmost
shelf he caught a glimpse of the very
thing jamie had been most anxious to
hidefrom him. a silver tureen, very ele-
CANT and very massive. 1t had been a
wedding present to Mrs. Gerald's grand
mother
III just take that there soup bowl"
he remarked. Mount up on a cheer,
little gal, an hand It down TO me-"
oh cried JAMIE, clasping her hands,
please don't take that away I know it
would break mammals heart to lose It I.
She loves it because it was graudma's.
See there, it has her name on the side.
Don't take that, please
"Oh, shut up" said the tramp gruf-
fly. An hustle round and see if you
can't find me somethini 1T for gentle
man to eat. / never did see such poor
grub"
He sat down al the table grumbling, but
jamie did not hustle" she had forgot
ten all about being afraid. She would
have said something very bitter, bat her
indignation choked her With flashing
eyes she watched him, as he devoured
part Of the food and threw the rest OF It
on the floor.
@Ain't there no milk" be at last de-
manded. Ii there is, fetch it on, an be
spry about 1t, DO you hear ?s
There's milk, yes" cried JAMES ring
ing voice, for she Was At last thoroughly
angry; but you'll get it yourself if
there's any got There's the cellar door
and you can get what yoa want wont"
The tramp looked a. her darkly and
fumbled with his knife a minute; but
Junie stood just beside the door. He
knew that If he started toward her she
would be outside in an instant, and
would perhaps give the alarm to any one
passing along the road. lie thought Of
it a moment, and then, taking a candle
from the kitchen table and lighting it,
be threw back the trap door in the cor
ner Of the kitchen and disappeared down
the stairs.
No sooner had his head and the can
die gone from sight around the corner Of
the cellar wall than jamie began Juggling
at the heavy d,or. She could scarcely
lifi it under ordinary circumstances, but
now she hardly felt its weight, and it
came down with crash.
She heard the tramp running back
and had just time to slip the iron bolt
into the socket when ne WAS there, beat
ing on the door, raining heavy blows up
On II and filing the air with dreadful