South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-03-03

FRIDAY. MARCH 8. 1898.
THE MAN AT THE DOOR.
HOW DRUsILLA SAVED A WANDER

T..
HOW DRUsILLA SAVED A WANDER.
ER.
"No tramps here" said r; and
shut the door in his faoe, / did.
The wind blew so l could hardly
do it, and the sleet was beating on
the panes, and the bare trees were
groaning and moaning as if they
suffered in the storm.
ono tramps here; Pm lone wo-
man, and Pm afraid OF 'em."
Then the man, / hadn't seen yet
for the dark, went away from the
door-champ, champ, champ,
through the slush, and l heard the
gate creak, as our gate always does;
and then champ. champ. champ,
came the man back again, and he
knocked on the door-knocked not
half as loud as he had before, and
/ opened it hot and angry. This
time l saw his face, pale ghost of
face with yellow brown hair crop
ped close. and great, staring, blue
eyes; and he put his hand against
the door and held it open.
Chow far is the next house,
ma amp" said he.
"Three miles or more said |.
"And that is not tavsrn?"
NO." said 1; emo drinks to be
got there; it's Miss Mitten's, and
she's as set againAt tramps as |
am"
81 don't want drink" said the
man. "though l do want food. You
needn't be afraid to let me in,
ma am. I've been wounded and
am not able 70 walk far, and my
clothes are thin, and it's bitter
cold. Pys been trying to get to
my parents, at Gresnbank, whore
! can rest until am better; and
all my money was stolen from me
three days ago. You needn't be
afraid; let me just lie before the
fire, and only give mo a crust, to
keep me from starving, and the
Lord will reward you for it."
And then he looked at me with
his wild blue eyes in q way that
would have made me do it, if /
hadn't seen so much Of these i'm
posters.
The war was just over, and evory
beggar that came along said he was
a soldier travelling home, and had
been wounded and robbed. One
that 1 had been fool enough to help,
limped away out of sight, as he
thought and then, for 1 wsa at the
garnet window, shouldered his
crutches, and tramped it with the
stroughsst.
Ono doubt your pocket is full OF
money" said /, "and you only
want chance to rob and murder
me. Go away with you!'
Drusilla, that's my niece, was
baking short cakes in the kitchen.
Just then she came to the door and
motioned with her mouth to me.
'fDo let him stay, auntie," and if
l hadn't had good sense 1 might,
but knew bettev than a chit of
sixteen.
"GO away with you," says 1,
louder than before, "I won't have
this any longer.
And no gave a kind of eroan,
and took his hand from the latch,
and went champ, champ, champ,
through the frozen snow, again
and | thought gone, whom thsre
was once more a slight knock-a
faint touch like q ehild's now.
And when 1 opened the door
again he came quite in, and stood
leaning on his cane, pale as a ghost,
his eyes bigger than ever.
well, Of ell the impudenoe, i"
said 1.
He looked at me, aud said he,
"Madam,l have q mother at Green
bank. I want to live to see her.
] shall not, il / try to go any fur
Cher to night"
"They ell want to see their
mothers," said /, and just then it
came into my mind that hoped to
see my son Charles, who had been
. real soldier, an officer he had
come to De, mind you, wanted to
see him, and would soon.
81 have been wounded, az you
see, said DO.
"Don't 20 a showing me your
hurts said ]; ''they buy 'em, go