The Monitor-register., 1897-07-02
TWO TRAMPs.

made the robins cock their heads to
listen. He was a good-looking young
fellow, with dark curly hair and a fine
bronzed complexion. His clothes were
coarse and stout, he wore q SLOUGH hat
turned down all arou nd, mt from hat to
shoes he was gray with dust. He bore a
stout stick in his hand and walked with
a light, springy step, whistling gayly as
he advanced.
He had just reached the brow of the
hill when a peculiar sight drew his atten-
ton. To the right at some distance stood
a pretty white cottage with budding
naples all about it. 1t was so neat and
cosy that that the young man would have
paused to look at it if there had been no
other attraction. Something else did
attract him, however, something which
qlickened his pace to a rum
Standing on the steps of the porch was
a gray haired lady, and facing her from
the walk below stood a defiant specimen
of the genus tramp. Behind the old lady
J in the doorway was a young woman with
a fire shovel in her hand. As the young
man opened the gate he heard a volley of
oaths from the tramp, coupled with an
emphatic demand for food. From this
the grayhaired lady shrank back, and the
rufiau sprang up the steps, and, pushing
her aside, attempted to enter the door.
"Hold IN, therep' cried the young man
from the graveled pathway. The tramp
turned and saw him coming.
"Wot's that?" he snarled.
With one more bound the young man
was on the porch, painting slightly, but
ready for action.
HAS he annoyed you, ma'amP" he
cried, and his hat came off as he spoke.
Eyes" said the gray-haired lady, in a
trembling voice. "He said we must get
him some breakfast and give him some
money"
The tramp stood 10 a defiant attitude,
his sullen eyes regarding the young man
with an ugly stare. AS the youth turned
from the lady. the ruffian glared at him
from head to toe.
Say" he growled, "you amt a.
workin' this side O. the street, too, be
your"
Come, now," said the young man,
quietly ''you climb off the porch and
chase yourself down the road. Vamoose!
Git %
He made a sudden move toward the
fellow, who backed quickly down the
steps. There he paused and delivered
another volley of profanity.
"Come down here" he shouted, ian
we'n fight to see who runs this ranch"
"I'm coming" said the youth, and he
flung his hat on the porch and followed
it with his coat. Then he turned to the
women and said: 'Lsdies, have the kind.
ness to retire within the house until this
Job is over"
Then he leaped from the porch and the
battle royal began. 1t was not q fight for
poets to sing. 1t was a struggle between
blind force on one side and skilled agility
OF the other. 1t didn't last long, but the
young man was dimly conscious that one
time in the fight When the big fellow was
crowding him pretty hard, the young
girl stood close at hand with the fire
shovel poised in a decidedly threatening
way. Finally an adroit blow sent the
ruff an to grass, and when he got up he
limped down the pathway and through
the gate, escorted by the young man, and
so disappeared.
When the deliverer game back for his
hat and coat, the old lady met him with
profuse thanks, and the young lady
smiled at him in a most charming way.
Was there anything he wanted-breakfast,
a glass of milk? He said he would like a
glass Of water, and the young lady
swiftly brought it. AS the young man
took it from her hands he permitted him
self to be instantly convinced that she was
decidedly pretty-a slender young woman
in a cheap dress of dark material, with q
! blue apron over it, and q white cap
concealing her dark hair. But Der face
was bright and rosy, and when she said.
"Will you have another?" the youth was
quite sure he had never heard a more
musical voice. AS he picked up his hat
the gray-haired lady said:
"Would you like to earn a little money,
my good young MANI"
"Why, yes, 1 would" the young man
admitted.
"Then, said the older lady, ''perhaps
you could beat a few rugs and a small
carpet for usa"
The young man looked at the pretty
girl and he thought he could.
TITS just th is way," said the Older
lady: "Our hired girl has been called
home by. a sick mother, and our
bred man sprained his wrist 80 badly in
trying to stop a runaway horse that he's
gone into to wn to have it doctored, and
SO Stella and l are left alone to finish up
the housekeeping. But if you'll clean
the rugs it will be a great help TO us.
Stella will show you where everyth ing
is"
And so under Stella's guidance the
clothesline was put up, and the rugs
we're brought out, and pretty soon the
sound of a stout stick we'll applied was
heard. Every time the young man paused
he looked toward the young girl, who'
with her skirts tucked up, was fitting in
and out of the doorway or pausing-a
very pretty picture iudeed-on the top
step of the vine covered porch. She was
a demure girl, the young man noted, and
not inclined to talk to the help, but once
in a while when he CHANGED to catch her
ey @ be fancied be detected a most mis-
chievous twinkle. After awhile she came
toward him.
81 don't believe you ever beat any
rugs be fJre," she said.
Sand why notf" he cried.
"Because you work too hard at it," she
laughed.
"Well to tell you the truth" he said,
"I'm working hard 10 hopes that your
mother will give me a little luncheon. I'm
b ungrier than a starving bear"
"I'll see what mot her thinks about it,"
she said and ran INTO the house.
Then the elder lady came forth and