Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-29
svening Star S
Daily Story
GRETCHEN AND THE TRAMP
ny LAURA BAKER BARNES.

OllClOlh
At last she was done. She started
10 remove her straight bingham apron
md the cap that covered her thick
Golden braids. when she heard
knock at the kitchen door.
AShe opened it impatiently. What
Huisance peddlers werei But the man
no stood there had neither brooms,
baking powder, nor patent dust pans
4 % SELL "A trampi'' Gretchen labelled
him mentally. Then she caught a
glimpse of a very clean though worn
white collar above the edge of his
ndh coat and changed her mind.
HrHe lifted his hat That settled it,
\ Awas no tramp, if he did wear
Iva beard, and had come to
)Vsatk door. But his first words
SyouJ1 am very cold and hungry.
EAal bu please give me something to
a was an inopportune time. Break
n was over and the stove was cold.
Etdes, she wanted to dress and go
&Zaat then an icy gust swept the
Kner Gretchen shivered. .'Come
III" she said impulsively. But the
Htchen is cold. Come into the din
log oom.''
RThe stranger held his hands CRATE
lily over, the blaze while Gretchen
sled herself in the kitchen. Then
~ spread a lunch cloth upon the
NOBLE in the dining room, laying out
N clean napkin, silver and dishes.
We even set a little vase of flowers
10 a.
va why she did it.
II 1T is too bad to trouble YOU" He
3oke slowly and with an effort.
u ut | have been ill and have been
Kable to obtain work since leaving
Rshospital yesterday
Hrhes no trouble at all, and | am
a,yslad TO do what l can. | am
MI YOU have been sick. 1t is
Ei1tifne of year to be out Of work,
tNa 1t is very cold
Ne brought in the generous dishes
"A Hlot food from the kitchen, and a
go of coffee. Then she left him to
nseK While he ate, 81 suppose il
NGhher Nere home she would think
sia lF'aay for not Saying to watch
~ Wsilver.' she thought. but the
S4X fellow certainly acts like a gem
~ yam, and | am sure he is honest.
II xole with eyes like his don't steal.''
yIhen she had given him enough
Me, as she supposed, TO finish his
VI, she returned to the dining
#n without her cap and apron.
4tchen was very pretty and looked
&ell In her plain blue dress.
The stranger had finished and was
ktanding before dim old portrait
Upon the wall. So intently was he
gazing at it that he did not hear her
n 10 i
evident interest and watched him
quietly. As he examined ii more
touching it here and there
with his finger, no became very much
excited.
To her establishment he staggered
2 chair muttering, cat last! AT
fist! After all these years I have
Wound it,
Gretchen was frightened. Had the !,
man become suddenly insane? Had
his mind given way from sickness
and trouble? What should she 90?
She wished her mother would COME |
home.
, Then she heard the front door open
sErr-closc. 1t was all right now. She
few into the hall with her finger on
her lips. Mother." she whispered /,
breathlessly. s'Nother, / am SO glad |
you----'' Then she stopped. A man
had his back against the front door, I
and the stubby black thing he had IL !
his hand was a gun. Then he deliber-
ately raised it and pointed it at her. |
She saN. it all now. There were two
of them. but she was too frightened
to try to think what their game was.
She made violent effort to keep her
senses. She must not faint. What
do you want?" she painted
~ in
house that's worth havin'," he said
between shut teeth IT don't care
whether it's jewelry, money or sill
ser, but | want it quick and you're
goin' to show me where 1t is. You're |
all alone--I Know that-an' | want
Gretchen had not heard the door
between the dining room and library
open softly, nor had she noticed
scarcely percepdble movement OF the
hangines between the library ano
hall. Suddenly a figure flung Itself
at the man with the gun. |
There was a sharp report and both
men went down with crash.
Then she quickly slid to the hoor
in a dead faint.
When she came to her senses on |
the hall floor, there was pillow UNI
der her head. Her mother was at the |
telephone calling for the police, ana
her tramp with the gun in his own
hand was daring the would-be bur- |
glar to move.
@Gretchen. ashamed of her weakness,
spJtspg to her feet. "Oh, mother
nv Jarling!'
The~esSwas little time for explana- |
tion. except that hearing the shot |
and finding the door locked, her
mother had run to the back door.
When the two policemen had gone |
with the burglar between them, |
Gretchen turned gratefully to her
rescuer and held out her hand. You
are very brave man. ! cannot thank
YOU enough for what you have done. |
Mother this gentleman has been ill
and unfortunate. Won't you ask him i
10 stay awhile? 1t is very cold out
side
Mrs. Van Tyne was as tactful and !
quick Of perception as her daughter.
Besides she had noticed the set table |
in the dining ROOM
"The gentleman however. seemed |
scarcely able to hear what the two |
women were saying. He was looking
toward the dining-room.
"There is a portrait-a painting-in
ezllr dining-room. ladies' 1t has a |
s.cftierful hstory--but. of course. it !
is impossible for you to know that. |
II is worth FORTUNE. That picture
please do not think me crazy--is re-
sponsible for the condition am i'm
Then he. told them simply and
quickly how he, who had been sue
cessful English artist and a director
of a national gallery. had obtained
special permission from the govern
ment to move this picture from its
place to his studio and copy it. 1t
was by Van Dyke, of whom he had
always been an ardent admirei. /