The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-04-12

| like our city, because perhaps you We
got rather bad first impression. But
that'll wear off, sir. You'll like it be-
| fore you've done"
II hope so," said the patient,
dreamily. Pm here in America to
stay l hope l shall get on
Hope so, I'm sure said the doc,
| tor briskly. "Wish you every kind OF
| luck"
An outcast, ragged, bent, and pre-
maturely aged, stopped along beside
a high park wall. The slushy snow
of an English spring ebbed and flowed
across the soles of his bursting boots
/ the chill of the wind bit savagely
through his rags of clothes. Present
ly the wall gave place to sunk fence,
and the tramp stopped and gazed at
the view. Over an expanse of park,
and lawn, and terraces, rose the tim
bered walls and gables of an Eliza,
bethan country house, trim, solid
graceful. AS he watched, a fallow
deer came out into the open, gazed al
him for a moment in naughty impu,
dence, and then trotted into covert.
The tramp, with a sigh, started
YEARLY on his way 1T seems even
grander than | was told Of" he muir
INJURED to himself. Wealth, comfort,
happiness everywhere. And it might
all have been mine. Every stick and
every shrub left to the wife and me
between us. 1t fell to us by will the
day before II died; the day before |
was burnt to ashes in the Chicago
fire Fancy the irony of that. The
day before? Why didn't the news
reach me? I'd fine fund of selfish
ness i4bout me then.
"And Louise was right after all. II
was her duty to urge me to business
| was as lazy as the day was long then
and she told me of it, and hated her
for speaking. I've thought since over
that letter, and the pain it must have
caused her to write.
"Eh, well, that's all past and done
with | died. | was full of conceit
in myself, and thought an American
fortune was easily made, even if it was
sometimes lost with suddenness. Pah
l never reached the first rung of the
ladder. | never rose above laboring
with my hands at unskilled trades
and it was being constantly shown me
| how | was an Indifferent laborer al
that.
mo, I've missed it, badly. and al
through my own shortsighted fault.
might have had wife, children and a
stately home What do have is my
share of the Queens wet high way and
weary aches to lie down upon. o.
myself | shall never now be more thar
what | ana broken waster. Blu
there is one thing | won't do. anC
that's ask help from her. She'd give
it, if sought for it; she'd call me
back as her husband if she knew mt
to be alive; she'd share with me will
ingly what is. perhaps, after all
legally mine to share. But no. She!
IL good woman, and I'm what they
call in the States Il mean man. Yes
mighty mean, and down at heel, moi
at all white; but I've made my bed
and | won't remake it even if l have
the chance. Things are uncomforta
BILE, but l guess they won't drag out
much longer"
He sat heavily down ON the we
wayside turf, his legs dangling ovel
the ditch Ten years; ten terrors TO
me. Ten years for her thinking her
self my widow. She's had the chance
TO marry again; l heard all about it
Leslie asked her, the only man | wa
Jealous of before l won her for myself
She likes him | know; she always did
and for him she's the only woman il
the world But she wouldn't marry
him for all that, though he could hay,
given her love, title, more wealth, yes
everything a woman could want.
A crunching noise made the tramp
turn his glance A smart carriage will
a pair of ponies was coming up rount
turn on the west road. A woman
was driving; a man in livery sat be
hind. The tramp gazed for IL minut,
with starting eyes, then turned ava!
and with bowed head faced the ditch
"Oh, my Cod he murmured, anC
clinched his hands till the nails drew
blood.
The noise of the wheels ceased ant
there was the sound of rustiing skirts
The tramp also noticed the faint smell
of sealskin, but he kept his back reso
lutely immovable.
George
The tramp did not stir. A trem
bling hand was placed on his we
shoulder.
George, look up. l know it il
you"
Woman, go away. You are max
ing a mistake"
Look me in the face and repea
that
II will not | can't
She slipped down to seat besid
him on the sodden turf, and the groom
at the ponies head felt his jaw drol
down through wonder.
"Oh, Louise, why can't you pas