Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-12-31

Copyrighted 1909. 10y Associated Literary
Press
Being she had never married. and be.
ing she had reached the age OF forty
five. most OF the people of the village
OF Millvillc spoke Of Miss Spoeneras
Aunt Nan. ana she raised no objec.
don. She had an income. ana She
lived alone. IL was said OF her that
she. was disappointed woman. She
was. but not in the sense that she had
loved aud lost. SO far as any -onc
knew she had never loyeL nj hn,
though several widowers had cleaned
their muddy feet on her dooIanat and
tried TO interest her in aGaiES matri.
monial. Just what was the matter
with Miss Spoouor was that she was
woman with n mission. and did not
know exactly what that mission was.
Up 10 the age OF thirty she haa
thought il was 10 convert tho heather
Of China and Africa. but the returns
were so uncertain that she had finally
decided tllt she was on the wrong
track. Then il dawncd on her 20 take
up the temperance question but here
she was handicapped. Old SO! Pritch-
ard was the only one in the village
that got drunk ana his wife said
that she would rather have him come
| home drunk than sober. as he broke
fewer dishes
There is nothing more discouraging
than feeling that you have a mission
and having that mission dodgtug you
and keeping you in suspense. The
only thing that can bc done. however
is 10 wait. Miss Spooncr waited, and
NJ length her miSsioI hove into view
II was in the torm OF n tramp. 1t
called NJ her house for something %
cat She sat IL down at the table and
babe 1t Gil up. While il was doing so
/ she ran into a neighbours TO see IL that
neighbor couldn't spare an old coat,
| and when src returned the tramp had
! departed, also her watch and chain
and other things.
Miss Spooner was justly indignant
| She gave the alarm. the fellow was
ovcrhaulcd. and before night lie was
in Jail at the county seat, six miles
! The justice Of the peace, the constable
and others applauded her action, aud
! FOR two or three days she felt that
she had done her duty. Then tho still
! small voice began 10 whisper To her.
| She had tempted the wayfarcr : IIe
/ had probably been driven 10 trnmpism
| 10y misfortune. lie might have been
| an honest man up TO this time In
/ fact, she made n dozen other exercises
| for him. ana all At once il dawned ON
/ her that hero was her long sought
mission There would be more 10y
| over saving one tramp than i'm sending
n million tracts 10 the heather. She re
| called that the man looked lonely and
downcast. as If he realized that the
world was against him. and she wasn't
| quite sure that hc didn't have tears
| in his eyes as he sat down 10 the
| spread
/ You probably know how conscience
/ works when it gets out OF leading
/ strings. and IL is useless TO relate that
/ within week Aunt Nan was asking
admission TO the county tail. She had
/ n friend in town and had driven over
/ TO tell her all about IL and TO stop for
/ few days. She began with the tramp
/ by begging his pardon He would
/ have been no tramp at all IL he hadn't
| taken his cue from this He pleaded
/ sudden impulse and stoutly asserted
J that he had turned about TO restore the
/ property when arrested II was the
! only theft lie had ever committed lie
| had been poor. but honest
I There was a second VISIT and Il third
/ The tramp grew more mellow az every
visit. lie was ready 10 ana did prom.
/ Use everything asked OF him, mcludine
| truth. sobriety, industry. economy am
! bition ana excelsior Then Aunt Nan
| went home and enlisted the aid Of bor
! minister in the mission They worked
| for a pardon but failed 90 get it,. No
/ one else seemed 10 have Il sbarlt Of
/ sympathy for q downtrodden nan who
/ wanted to climb up. Then came a
! mental struggle In which the minister
! did not participate. It was an Miss
| Spooners secret She wanted that
! tramp out Of jail that nc might lose
| no time beginning n new life
/ When Miss Spooncr visited the Jail
again she carried couple % 6les
/ with her, and They were loft there
Sho had convinced herself that hcr
mission was greater than the law n
/ took the tramp two NIGHTS TO Gle
/ through the bars, but on the Third
night, as the spiustcr sat alone I'm hdr'
/ house with swelling hesw DE entered
by tho back door She was cxpccGpp
him. She was a. give him S1Oto 70
far away ana make new start
Hc was 20 keep her in his thoughts as
lac climbed up and write her once a
fortnight The money was ready Tor
him, as well as a package Of IPo
visions She was giving him sstoply
advice as 10 his future conduct when
nli Of a sudden she was thrown 20 me
'oor Before she could scream soc.
ud time there was gag in her
mouth ana then her hands and feet
were tied. and she was helpless
Ihcu Tho tramp hummcd "a cheerful