The Meeker herald., 1923-01-13
The TRAMP
BY MILDRED WHITE

0Sosssssssssss
Copyright. is2s. western Newspaper UAisn.
Nadia awakened ut the singing Of
the birds. There was a nest Of wild
canaries In the tree beside her bed
room window. and one red robin came
each morning to beg his breakfast.
Nadia loved these summers. spent In
Aunt Trusia's country home.
1t was here that she had met the
dearest man In the world. and almost
become his bride. Nadia, herself,
could not know why Gerry Rankin, In
the moment of his love telling had
turned restralnedIy aside and then
tempestuously exclaimed:
II ought never to have allowed my.
self to talk to you like this-I may
never hope for your love. my Nadia"
And so sorrowing, the girl wondered
and wondered.
At prolonged call Of the yellow
canary. Nadia went running to the
window, her unbound hair In rippling
waves down her back. Then, down
the deserted early morning street
came a strange figure. The girls eyes
widened, from surprise to soft synipa-
thy.
"why. the poor old SOUL" she muir.
INJURED; "the poor SOUL
She had almost forgotten the occur.
renee, In her own troubled problem.
when another week passed. Then.
hyppotlcnlly. almost, AZ upon the for.
mer Sunday morning. Nadia awakened
alertly from sleep. to run to the win.
dow at the cunary's song. Yes. the
desOlate man was there. coming slow
ly. sadly, 1t seemed, down the street.
Again he paused to rest on the oppo-
site steps; again went painfully on
his Indifferent way.
~ WISH" thought Nadia, charitably.
"that might know II he really II
n desperate need: I wish I could help
him"
But, an before. her own problem
which grew ench day greater burden.
drove thought for others away.
Gerry passed her now with scarcely
a glance. Any hope she might have
had Of learning the reason of his re-
"ub NNtNotA SnSS
ne was aware of her love for him
was forever gone.
II am afraid" said Aunt Trusia, con-
cerncdly, THAT your visit II not bene-
ftlng you as usual: you are pale, child.
and your eyes look tired, someway-"
"Oh. I'm all right" Nadia briskly
exclaimed.
But the tired eyes grew q shade
more sorrowful--
Why. oh why. would he not even
speak to her?
The canary sang 40 loudly the fol-
lowing Sunday that further rest was
impossible. Or else II might have
been that sleep had deserted Naida's
pillow. Any way. she hound the wav-
Ink hair into great coil on this morn
ing, and went out for 4 lonely walk.
And 1t 20 happened that she met the
weary tramp upon his usual journey.
He would have passed silently on his
way when he saw young woman In
his accustomed seat on the ONCE steps.
had not :hat young woman greeted
him smilingly.
II have seen you stop here every
Sunday morning." she told him. you
live near!" her soft eyes questioned
him.
"I live nowhere" he answered
brusquely. II wander"
"Teii ME about 1t ALL" she begged.
And the man told her. II may have
been the sweet. early silence Of the
morning that prompted him-lt may
have been the soft maternal light OF
Naida's eyes. for the man was a .
child In his grief. and longing for COM
fort.
II lived in this town when boy,
he said, ~and then aa 4 young man.
with my wIfe-but all the time. all
the time l wanted to get away; felt
Gagged, someway, by the smallness and
narrowness of II all. Wanted to travel
and see thIngs-the vanderbilt.
Couldn't resist 1t at last-went away.
left my wife here, because she could
not see things from my viewpoint; !;
could not understand the Unsuitable
longing that must be satisfied.
meant soon to come back, to live As
she would have me live. filling my
fathers place In his ONCE, sta,d, re-
spected. But she could not forgive the
short desertion; you see. left her
with the baby-sl,e said she could not
understand that lack Of Interest; she
went away. and I never found her
again. Worked in department store
some place: our people were gone.
there was no one to hide from. but
me- II was after she died that they
sent me word-the nurses at the hos
pital-it was too late then. I've been
wandering ever since"
"And your childl" Nadia questioned.
with q sympathetic whisper.
II sent him back here to school,
when he was a little fellow. When
his mothers small supply OF money
was gone he made his own way. ne
a Ak