The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-14
BY LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY.

Literary Press,)
When Colonel Glider had been
called to town that morning on bust
| ness. leaving his daughter Floy and
| the cook to care for the house. he had
said to the girl before leaving;
Daughter. remember what / have
told you many times over. A tramp
may appear during my absence. YOU
will be sitting here on the verantia.
He will gruffly demand food or
money, You will order him away in
your sternest tones"
But he won't CO." she said.
He may or he may not, If he
doesnt--if he shows disposition to
hold his ground or attack, you are to
retire within your fortifications.
refer to the house. You will find my
loaded shotgun in the sitting room.
The tramp Will probably attack by
the side door, as that cannot DO seen
from the highway, Face the door
with the gun at your shoulder. II he
appears in the doorway give him
warning. II he does not heed the
warning"
Shoot him on the spot, papa" In
ished the daughter.
Exactly That is. pepper his legs
| with the birdshot. That will demon
| aIize him and result in a retreat. Do
not pursue him, but hold your ground
until achievements arrive / will
be the reinforcements. DO you clear
| iy understand 2"
II do. father
An hour later. as Miss E'loy tecl'nei
! in a rocker on the veranda, burly
| big tramp turned in at the gate. He
| had a swagger to his shoulders and
a bad face. Az first military move
ment. the girl stood up.-As second,
| she assumed a very stern and I'M
/ compromising expression, .,,.
/ Missy. could I get bite TO eat at
| the Kitchen was grufrly asked,
mo, sir No tramps fed here
! The man shrugged his shoulders
and looked around in a ieering way.
| He was about to observe that the
| rich were growing richer and the
| poor poorer, and that there was no
| longer a show for a hard working
man, when Miss F'loy retired within
| the fortifications to secure the first
advantage. The tramp took 1t that
| she had gone to cal. a man OF some
| sort. or L. female who could handle "a
| broomstick with deftness and vigor.
and he retreated on his reserves. AS
he reached the highway an auto came
| up and stopped and a young man
alighted and opened the gate with
out giving him more than passing
glance.
Meanwhile, within the fortifica-
tons, the girl had armed herself
with the gun. She thought the at
titude OF the tramp defiant. Yes he
was ascending the front steps: now
he was ringing the bell; now he was
shuffling his feat; now he was re-
firing to come around to the side
door.
Halt. Haiti"
For moment he halted. and then
his form showed In the door. The
gun was fairly pointed and then dis
charged, and fall and shout fol-
lowed. Then The cook came rushing
in to find a girl covering on the
floor and to exclaim:
For mercy's sake, but has the dear
girl went and committed the suiclde!"
"Out therel Out there!" gasped
the shooter as she pointed TO the
open door.
"And what's out there Oh, missy,
but here's dead man! Was it you
that went and killed him."
IT'S a tramp that attacked the
house. Papa told me to retire within
the Notifications and defend them"
Tramp? II he's tramp then I'm
a lady! It's a young man. missy
a young man and well dressed. and
upon my soul there's an otobomiiey
at the gats!"
The colonel had not instructed his
daughter what to do with any dead
thu retreatIux snemy naight leave be-