Western Kansas world., 1893-01-14

First, / want the silver spoons ant
candlesticks and the teaset what's il
the dinin'-room; then I want tn,
stuffed hummin' birds in the from
| parlor, and the silver cake basket wha
stands on the corner table. Afte
that 1 want yer gold watch and
chain, and that hair brooch yel
a-wearin', and all the other trinkets
ornamints, and jewels what yer keel
in the under drawer Of yer washstand
and, last but not least, / want al
the pie and cake yer was maxim thi!
mornin', and all the gooseberry jan
on the top shelf of yer store-room
And if yer don't care to give it tt
me-" the tramp winked slowly and
made motion as though to draw 9
revolver from his breast, then re
pented and went on:
"Yer see have pervided myself
with place to stow 'em in," and he
brought forth from Under his coat a
large and rather gaudy calico bag.
He spread this out before him, then
fell to shaking again with his horrid,
suppressed laughter.
Miss Eliza was Stupetied with ter
ror. AS this young but awful man
laid bare his sinful plan, and emu.
merated her dearest household treas.
ures, the blood left her cheeks drop
by drop and her round blue eyes
opened too wide for tears When he
nnished she could only gasp feeblY.
Then she found voice to murmur:
'Please, won't you leave the cake
basket?
The tramp ceased to laugh and
looked solemnly au her.
why, ma'am," he said, "how can
you ask it?"
HIS voice had disagreeable way of
running up into the faIsetto. "No,
I will leave nothin'." He got up and
pulled his hat further over his eyes
my time is yours, ma'am, so come
along. Sooner or later, it's all the
same"
Miss Eliza could not summon suffi-
cent strenth to move, but when the
tramp winked at her slowly, then
covered his mouth with one of those
dreadful little hands of his, and in
dulged in silent laughter, she jumped
to her feet with nervous haste and
led the way into the house with
rapid though tremulous movements.
They went from dinlng-room to par
lor. She shut her eyes as the silver
teaspoons, candlesticks, teaset and
cake basket were placed in the re-
cesses of the calico bag, and it was
scarcely cheering to be told that the
''hummin' birds had best be saved
till later, and would do to ornament
the top" The paper cutter in the
parlor and the silver salt cellars were
also swallowed I'D. Then the two
wended their way up the narrow
stairs,
The tramp became every moment
more jubilant, and Miss Eliza more
wretched. Miss Eliza fully expected
to be elaborately murdered when they
reached the seconG floor. This tramp,
with his smiling mouth and hollow
eyes, with the smooth, small fingers,
the convulsive laughter and the, cav
ernous voice, was sure the kind to
torture one to death, and hug himself
ecstatically at the sight of ones dy-
ing agonies. Wherefore she went up
the stairs one step at time, till the
tramp snapped his fingers and begged
her to step little lively. Poor Miss
Eliza! in all her plump and peaceful
life she had never dreamed of such
hideous excitement.
At the head of the stairs was the
door that opened into Pauline's room,
and to this the tramp motioned her.
They entered. It was pretty place.
The sunlight filtered through the ap-
pie trees and the rutfied curtains, and
lay cool and shining on the neat mat
ting and the little white bed that
stood in the corner. Watercolor
sketches were stuck up in every di-
rection, and on the opposite wall hung
a picture of Pauline, done by herself.
1t was not very good, and for a mo-
ment or two the tramp paid no at
tention to it. Then it caught his eye.
He took long stride forward, and
stopped as though spellbound with
Then, clutching at his
breast convulsively, and with eyes
still riveted upon the picture, he said
in his hollow tones:
'IOrd! who may you angel be?"'
Miss Eliza had a moments hope
that all this was but a dream. for the
tramp's every moment seemed to
grow more unreal and like a night
mare. Then her fears redoubled and
she weakly whispered:
''My niece, Pauline"
"Paulinew repeated the tramp in
dreamy ecstasy, and again, "Pauline!
Then he let go the bag, fell on one
knee, clasped his hands, and raised
them toward the picture.
20, pure and lovely angel!" he ex-
claimed. what goodness and what
beauty shine from thy heavenly face!
How sadly those holy eyes look into
nay sinful soul!''
Miss Eliza's jaw dropped weakly.
Perhaps this was the most astonlsh-
Ing Of all the past half hours exper-
fences To be sure, Pauline was
pretty girl, but there had never, as
far as Miss Eliza knew, been any
holiness in her expression or