The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-09-02
Aunt HGllzibahS Tramp.
BV Grace Agnes THOMPSON

We had asked for a story and gath
cred expectantly around grandma
chair-a tale of true love when yol
were lassie in the days of auld LAM
syne," as Kathie put it.
Grandma smiled and looked dreamil,
into the fire.
1T shall be a story of the good day!
when Boston was many years younger
than 1t is today" she began. Grand
ma, by the way, is nearly 100 year,
old
You must picture a large. old-fash.
ioned farmhouse standing among great
elm and naples and surrounded by
broad acres of field and pasture and
woodland. only mile from Harvard
college and not many more from Bos-
ton, where l passed my childhood and
youth until ! married your GRANDPA
ther.
AT the time OF my story | was about
II. Our family then included two very
quaint people-Simon Greggs. the hlr-
20 man, and Miss Hephzibah Jones. |
could not remember when Aunt Heph-
ze had not lived with us. She was
an old maid spare and angular and
SILENT though always good to the chill
aren We could never gain the faint
est clue of her age, nor any idea of
where she had lived before she came
10 ue
rhere was really nothing about
Aunt Hephzie to which one might pin
romance unless it was this mystery.
yet my sister Kate and l. who were
!uSt at the sentimental age. wove all
manner OF romances around her and
oileh held long consultations about her
possible lovers, until we came to be-
lieVe she was the heroine of some ex-
uaordinary love affair which had end
ed In disappointment.
'One day while we were at dinner
is'her remarked: L found strang
'VOhing man asleep on the haymow
Nneh went into the barn this morn
ing saw him off the premises and
oiu MIN TO keep away. but you can't
en anything about these vagabonds.'
oh Thursday afternoon, as Kate
anu walked up the road to Squire
BAKERS two miles away, a man came
Su' OIL some bushes beside the road
We ieit sure the tramp had appeared
" Us and were little frightened but
+. uid not accost us, though he STAR
as ne passed in the direction of
|out nome That evening while Kate
PAU washed the supper dishes dis
Fussing our afternoon adventure as
["e considered 1t, Kate suddenly gave
s'art and whispered excltedly to me
IN 'ook out OF the window. There was
Eae tramp stealing stealthily along bv
NC oarnyard fence. 1t was rather
Eusky out, but that couldn't deceive |
r. Whatever he could be seeking
ound our house We failed to guess,
p'a'e was about to call someone. but
suggested that we wait and watch
IeVelopments. ""''"
aunt Hephzie was in the dairy nm,
.s away the milk. The window was |
~ n ana the tramp presently appear-
o'iofe IT, We girls tiptoed to the
OOf ana peeped through the crack
see what would follow. The tramn
~ saying something in a low. num-
w zone that we did not understand.
"' hephzie turned and stared I'm
A1ennent for moment, and then 4
were conVulsed with laughter. for
suddenly caught up one of the
(s"V-niled pans and dashed its con-
as over the astonished man.
NOW git out! Git this instant. or
give you another dose! Clar ont
aont dare show yer face on these
s"ises agin,' she screamed. And
ulah did 'clar out In a remark
nAii an hour later Simon Greggs
ehuckling to himself. as he
uu uia when anything amused him.
M ne said, as Miss Hephzibah
out OF the diary, did you ever
neeu! she exclaimed contemptu-
no. ! never did and never want
\, "' weil,' chuckled Simon, Il
eu poor feller out by the barn.
shs eu IT he'd been takin' some kind
me-. a'wer bath. SEE to him, sez |.
ba you ben doin' round hereg'
N ns SEE, SEE he, I was goin' to see 6
gns. "u friend, Hephzibah Almiry
a :; an this is the kind O. welcome i
|tha, su me And now. Aunt Hephzie I
y nan want your beau, who was b
kes = Hephzie seemed little con s
'psa ut minute, but quickly re- 8
Ipor ner composure. and looking
I'M .ss.ernly in the face, said very /
k,,n ~ Simon Greggs. do you know a n
tI,,n "nen you see one? II you don't.
an ame you learned c
=, matters came to climax next
Iocsa aoon. when the tramp boldly
Ma MIs. ., the kitchen door and asked q