The Holly chieftain., 1898-12-30

been walking all
day and had not been well treated. A.
many houses he had been turned away
without ceremony; at Others work had
been offered. Only one woman had
taken him in and fed him for nothing
and she had given him soda bread
which always disagreed with him, and
cold tea. The profession was not what
1T had been cracked up to be, thought
the tramp, and he began to think that
the burglar had the best of 1t after all.
He had always called himself an honert
man. and he now and then split wood.
when he could not get food without.
ibut. after all. was honesty the best pol
icy? He knew burglars who had their
little houses az neat and pretty as any
one would ask to see. Texts round the
walls, too. "God bless our Home" and
Ill that. The tramp liked pretty text
This very afternoon he had been walk
Ing with q burglar-they separated
when they came to the village in mu-
tua1 though friendly distrust-who was
going home with New Years present
for his little boy-a gold watch it was.
He had taken 1t from an old cur
mudgeon who kept it locked In box
doing no good to anybody. That bur-
glar was going home to have cozv
time with his wife and child, and here
was he, tramp, m honest man, and not
able to get bite Of supper. Decidedly.
tramping was not what he had been led
to believe II. He thought he should try
stealing, after all; he stopped, full of
thought, and looked around him.
A bright light shone from the win
dow Of cottage hard by; the blind was
up; the tramp stepped to the window
and looked in. neat, bright, cczy
kitchen, = little old woman busy over
the stove. No sign Of masculine pres
ence anywhere.
.Ill try here!" said the tramp.
He opened the door without knock
ing and went in. The little woman
looked up. "Good evenin'!" she said.
.I didn't hear ye knock. What can lido
for YET"
"Iwant some money" said the tramp.
hoarsely, for he had made up his mind
now. .
ssWell, haven't got 4 cent?" said the
little woman, ''and II had wouldn't
be fool enough to give 1t to you. 30
there It is, you see! But you can dc
something for mel" she added, bright
ly, .You've come just in the nick OF
time. Iwant this soup taken to sick
boy round in the next street. His
mother is sick. too. and cant COOK
things nice az he ought to have 'em;
hasn't means to get 'em, neither, ex-
pect: and ! set out that he should have
something good and hot to go to sleep
on and begin the new year with nour'
ishment inside him."
All the time she was talking the little
woman was busy getting out bowl
and cover and finding $ clean napkin.
.Herei" she said. and she poured
some OF the steaming broth into
ANAL cup. "see If that amt goodl
guess likely 'tis."
The tramp glowered ct her. but
a,.nk the broth and said II was good
.Then you take thisi" said the little
.omsn. "Go round the corner to the
enurth white house and say It's for
Tommy. What ye waitin' lott
Il didn't come here to do errandsl"
aid the tramp
eyes, you did" said the httls woman,
.Sarply. ~rhat's just what you com.
"a. I've beeu waitin' the past half hour
I. a. - Lord to send some one-l CAM
I. ~, n At night myself. fear Of tbs
\ II Ssthry--and Hes sent you. Reckon
4 ~ sirpews what Hes about!"
sic tsshed the tramp out gently but
assiS edlY and shut the door on him.
aWell. wanl" said the tramp.
x IA csrrisd the bowl safely to the
4 lopx white house from the corner.
4 Once, ed<ed, he stopped on the way
K si4 m tsred 10 himself.
!! Ton I" he said, and his tone e1-
\ a injury. You'd sh'n.