Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-16
THE TRAMP'S HALT.

The battered hat pulled down over his
eyes hardly shaded his rough face, most Of
which was covered with a coarse, bristling
beard. As he shambled on through the
heat and dust his eyes were fixed on the
ground, but now and then he raised his
head slightly and took a rapid glance over
the fields and up to the distant hills.
Presently he reached a slight bend in
the road, and, rounding this approached
a small frame house, situated on his right
hand, a short distance back from the road.
A small well kept lawn surrounded the
house and was shaded by large trees, which
seemed to watt refreshing GOODNESS to the
travel stained wayfarcr.
AS he neared the place his steps slacken
ed; finally he stopped, and, leaning his
arms on the low picket fence, looked long
and earnestly at the house. No one was
visible, and the stiffness, pierced only by
the shrill, metallic music of the locusts
down in the fields, seemed to Cypress him.
He moved little uneasily, then went
down to the gate, entered the yard, care
fully closing the gate after him, and after
standing irresolutely few moments walk
ed across the lawn.
AS he rounded the corner of the house a
little terrier rushed at him, yelping shrill
defiance and calling to tho door of the
kitchen tall woman Of perhaps so years
of age. Her iron gray hair brushed
straight back from her forehead, was
caught in a knot at the crown of her head
and held in place by steel comb. A the
first glance she might have been called an
'angular" woman, which expression usu'
ally conveys the impression of an angu-
lar disposition, but the severe plainness OF
her appearance was relieved by her eyes.
Soft gray they were, with kind little wrin.
kles around them, and they looked now at
the strange figure before her through spec
tacles, with twinkle Of quizzical sym
pathy.
Quieting with sharp word the Jealous
dog, which was still yelping around the
tramp, she leaned against the dOorpost,
drying her hands on a coarse towel and
surveying with slight smile of pity, shad.
ed with contempt, the ragged specimen OF
humanity who stood there awkwardly, the
battered remnant of hat grasped in one
hand, aud gazing at her with a look which
might have indicated sullenness or respect.
"Well, what dye want, my man?
reckon sOmethin to eat an drink'd about
suit We, chr Jest you set down on the steT
there, an I'll see what l can do fer ye.
never could scare up much affection fer q
tramp somehow, but l try to follow the
Scriptur1l advice bout the cup o. cold
water, an mebbe that was meant t. include
pie, eff any was handy"
Not noticing the gesture of dissent from
the tramp, she turned into the kitchen
and presently came back with bowl OF
milk and an immense piece of dried apple
pie, which she placed before her guest,
telling him to "set down an pitch in"
The wanderer, though evidently not
suffering from hunger ate and drank with
apparent but not unrestrained enjoyment.
The woman sat down on tho step above
him and watched him eat with an amused,
nearsighted expression.
Another thing makes me kinder feel
fer you tramps is my boy bein gone.
Nigh onto eight years now since kissed
him goodby down by the gate yonder, an
he started off SO bravo an hopefulliko.
Lord, how proud l was of him, goin away
to make fortune fer his mother, but
thought my heart would burst as l seen
him disappear round the bend in the road
up there, a-wavin his hand to me, stundin
loozin over the gatel'
where did ne go?' asked the tramp,
who was crouching on the step with bent
head. The woman's eyes were fixed on
the blue hills in the distance, and she did
not notice him.
"Out west. Got it into his head he cd
make a pile o. money out there, an
thought so, too, cause Tom was right
smart lad an steady as a rock. An his