The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-06-14
A GENTEEL TRAMP.

| ma am, Sa1u HaDnaD Ann.
Very well, said Miss Eliot "let
him have it. There's the barn cham
Der unoccupied, and the little cot bed
stead is very comfortable, I'm sure"
But Hannah Ann still hesitated,
with the door-knob in her hand.
Whats the matter ?" brusquely in
quired her mistress.
| Begging pardon, ma'am," said
Hannah Ann, but l Amt certain he's
the barn chamber sort of company.
| He's very genteel-looking, and"
Miss Eliot turned her specialized
gaze upon Hannah Ann with a mild
| tolerance which was akin to contempt
Hannah Ann" said she, don't be
a foolr'
mo, ma'am," courtesied Hannah
| Ann, who had not lived for twenty
years in her mistress service without
being well accustomed to her mistress
ways.
'iThere's the genteel ones and the
roughs," said Miss Eliot. "And one
is every bit as bad as the other. And
we shan't have a bit of peace in the
country till this tramp nuisance is
abated. Is he old or young, Hannah
Ann ~
"Middle-aged, ma'am, 1 should
say
'Then he ought to be ashamed of
himself for not going to work to earn
an honest living" said Miss Eliot,
sharply. Put him into the barn
chamber, Hannah Ann, and give him
bowl of tea and bite of cold vic
tuals, and be sure you turn the key on
the outside of the door after he's fair
ly in for the night. One can't very
| I'm faIlnNu.r.rna M WE W from
ones door with such a thunderstorm
as this rewing''-with a glance at
the darkening West-'but it does
make ones blood creep, the idea of
letting 'em in, after all the horrible
stories in the papers. And l all alone
in the house with only Hannah Ann
and the bound boy. | do believe I'll
send down to Sopus' and borrow his
big dog until tomorrow; there's no
telling what mischief these ruf1ians
may be contemplating. Yes, I'll bor-
row the dog, and then we shall be
safe ~
So little Tim Trottersby, the bound
boy, was sent down to Neighbor So
pus' for the loan of muscular, square
iawed bulldog with glistening teeth
and red hanging jaws, who arrived on
the scene of action with growl that
made Miss Eliot's blood run cold.
| Dear, DEAR said Miss Eliot, what
Notwithstanding beast. '"
| He's drefful savage ma'am" said
little Tim, who, ostensibly leading the
dog, was, in reality, being dragged
along by the rope, and only released
himself from the MaZzeppa-like. fate
ening over hook at the side of the
kitchen door. "Taint safe for no one
to pass in or out while he's here.
But what are we to do p gasped
Miss Eliot, instinctively recoiling, as
the animal displayed his threatening
laws and immense rows of bristling
teeth in u portentous yawn. Little
Tim scratched his head.
| Don't know, maam," said he
4 ''Guess you'll have to go in and out oil
4 t'other door.
Mrs. Eliot bit her lip in vexation
\ but then, as her thoughts required tC
the tramp, she told herself that per
4 haps it was just as well, under all cir
4 cuInstances to have IL savage dog
about the place.
II In the meantime Hannah Ann was
doling out q meal of cold odds and
ends to a Misunderstanding individual
i'm seedy black, with a leather bag be
\ side him ("burglar's TOOLS" thought
1 Hannah Ann, as she eyed the leather
| receptacle with a dubious glance), anC
\ a bald spot on the top of his head
| He did not wear Il particularly fierce
expression of countenance, nor wa
there a murderous glitter III his eyes
|, H i'm fact, there WAS nothing belligerent
n in his appearance.
Can not see Miss Eliot - said he
II mildly, as he drank up the last of hi
\ weak and lukewarm tea.
"Missus is engaged, special" sait
s Il Hannah Ann. But she says you n
u to sleep in the barn chamber, and it
| very comfortable there"
sin the barn chamber J" repeated
the old man, in accents of some sur
prise, not to say distaste. HANNAH
Ann fired up at once.
81 guess you've slept in worse place
7 than that afore now, )" said she; ant
. away she whisked the tin tray upol
which the rejection of the strange
had been sent out.
The old man was duly locked int,
the barn chamber, and duly unlocke'
\ again at dawn, by the deft fingers o
Hannah Ann, who scudded ava
8 again, after she had turned the ward
of the key, as if she expected Who'll
! regiment of grenadiers to rush out
her.
s. Miss Elliot was experimenting tn
l. production of daintily- Drowned waffle
y i-her rest had not been especially pro
: NOTED by the growlings of the tierc
buii-dog under her window all nigh
= when she saw a face peeping in a
Il her through the vine leaves that draI
ed the kitchen window.
J. Mercy on us who's that ?" sal
l. she, dropping a ladleful of batter int
the fire.
'It's the tramp, ma'am," said Han
nah Ann, instinctively sweeping tn
silver spoons into the dresser drawe
Il only wish, madam said tn
stranger, alphabetically, Ito than
you for the hospitality which,
ooh I! it's very well to talk sal
Miss Eliot, with asperity, but yo
ought to be ashamed of yourself ~
MADAM -
II cat your age, to be loafing aroun
: the country, a common tramp Wit
IT your gray hairs to be-Hannah AM
there's that dog again. Give him
n bone or something to stop his yellin
" or we can't any of us hear ourselv
Z. think I've fed you, sir, and clothe
YOU" when Tigers snarls had tel
'r porarily ceased), but 1 don't belieN