Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-11-16
MlRIAM'S TRAMP.

VI m-or have you been hlrt? Can /
40 anything for youY,
Nl'n an effort the prone figure raised
unnsciI on one elbow from where he
uau lanen by the roadside, and turned
epuA me girl bending pityingly over
u4h II race which, married and disfig-
uIeu us IL was b. hunger, fatigue ami
WEAKNESS, was still handsome and
nshted by deep-brown eyes, that held
III their depths 4 look Of pathetic ap-
peal.
He esSayed to speak, but without
avail for an instant; then with difficulty
the wan lips formed the words:
III! / believe / am dying, miss!'
Dying! oh, no." and ~instinctively she
oent closer over him, while a quick
tear fell on his cheek, and the next In
slant a hand, soft and cool as a snow
make, was laid on his forehead. But
you are really LII, | fear-and-and
hungry, too, | am afraid. Where do
You live? Have you any friends?'
Live! FriendsT' he repeated after
her In a dazed way. which showed that
me weakness which had well nigh so
fatally overpowered him was return
ing. i live nowhere; | have no friends
no home-no food. But it doesn't
matter now-l shall want none Of them
long"
But | must mott cannot leave YOU
here to die exclaimed the girl, looking
a~hXlouSly along the road which had
never seemed st utterly deserted as
now; not Il soul in sight to whom She
could appeal for advice or assistance.
nne iooked for Il moment with eager
scrutiny into his face to see If she could
recognize any n she had seen before.
NO he was Il stranger, and yet there
was something in his ~countenance, wan
u haggard though it was, that puz-
Zied her with a strange sort OF famil-
larlIy, But the glazed expression that
was already gathering in his eyes dis
PeIeq all other considerations for the
moment.
What should she-what could she do?
certainly not leave him to die by the
roadside, as he must inevitably do if
abandoned; and yet to make any at
tempt to take him TO her w home
would be equally futile.
Her mother-her adopted mother.
ra~ther-the only one she had ever
knoWn-had a rooted and unconauera-
bic aversion to tramps.
Naturally hospitable and sympathetic,
inns was a point upon which she was
intexihle-inexorable. No tale of woe
coaid move her, no object Of that. class,
no matter how abject or forlorn, In
splre her to pity or shake her resolu-
tioh' ana more than once Miriam had
sIipped u after some poor, repulsed
creature and dropped into his hand a
part or her w modest allowance, or
a portion of the meal which she must
otherwise have left untasted.
Mrs. Nelson had never volunteered
any reason for this strange behavior,
and Miriam had never ventured to ask
any, but she realized the utter hope
lessness Of attempting to move her
either TO pity or compassion in this
case.
So direful q strait, however, had
never come to her LOtice before, and
the extremity Of the ease made her for
once both desperate and defiant.
Her home was the ~nearest-the two
women were alone for the time, NJ.
Nelson being absent for a day on bust
hess in a neighboring town-and there
was a barn full Of cool, understanding
hay, and would be entirely undisturhed
at least until his return-a respite long
enough, ~perchance, to "a a human
life.
Miriam felt that IL she should leave
him there to die, the place would be
forever haunted TO her: ut any risk
at the risk Of Drawing such displeasure
as she had never felt-or V perhaps
losing the home that had been hers for
20 m.any happy years, she must help
and save this hapless fellow-creature.
TRY to see if you a stand up and
walk with my help a little w~ay-just
to that house yonder," she said, bend
ing again over the fainting man. II
can give you shelter there, at least,
and food-and perhaps help you to get
well again. Come-rouSe y~ourself!'
she exclaimed, giving him a gentle
shake, as he seemed lapsing again into
Inconsistencies. You must not die.
Somewhere, perhaps, there IL some one
watching and waiting for you, whose
heart will break If you do not return"
The words seemed to fall from her
lips without any conscious voHtion OF
her own, and they produced a singular
effect upon the stranger. He started
as if he had received In electric shock,
glared wildly at her for a moment.
then, with a desperate exertion of
strength, got upon his feet, and stood
clutching hold of her arm.
Slowly and painfully-diyided between
the dread Of his sinking down again
before the house was reached, and of
her adopted mother discovering and
defeating her benevolent purpose-Mir-
Jam guided his faltering, trembling steps
ulGng-pausing to steady him once or
twice when he threatened TO fall, reas-
surfing him with an encouraging pres
sure of the wasted hand resting on
his arm-along the road until the gate
was reached then np and around the
path to the barn, and back to the far
thar end where was a stall that was
never used. Seating him on a bench
that stood by the wall, she hastily
shook down n pile Of soft, sweet hay
into the stall, then, taking his arm,
assisted him to the impromptu bed,
mon which he sunk with a low, faint
ing cry.
scarcely daring to look at him lest
her worst fears should be confirmed,
Miriam FASTENED TO the house.
Where have you been, childg' her
mother called from an inner room,
as her light tread sounded on the kitch-