Sarah's Tramps

1 lie girls Iinil boen so full of fun and nonsense tliat niorniug tliat it was "as jrood as a circus" to wutch tliem, unless you chanced to be tlie victims of .scinio of their miscli evous pranks; and it diil scein too bad tliat they two, who had been trying to the nerves and patience of everyboily all the forenoon, shonld have been away ia tho deligbtfui .-liiule and quiet of the woods when the tramps came, leaving poor, timid Sarah alone, with no ono to share her frgkt To begin with, Sissy had upset a pan of mille iu the cellar. Slio had entire charge of tho uiiltc tliat sunmier, ami was oarrying a brimming pan to its place, while Rhoda assisted mam ma wilh tlie after breakfast work up stairs, when she hnppened to recall Aunt Lzzie's last lener written to congralulato lier ou her new responsib liües. The part of thu letter which did the naiscliit;f was the closiug sentuucc: "1 cannot realize ihat the butter you sent was rcally mail e bv you, unassisted. How can you be demure enough for a dairy luaiil? Do you ever forget rouraell and turn somersaults With a pan of milk in your hands?" It was too ritiiouloos, and before she thoujht. sho was laughing so hard that, as far as tü at pau ot milk was coucerncil, slie might as well have don as Anuí. Lizziu had inlimatiul. They had just limshed making the dresses Mr. lirown had given them, dark red calicó barred with white linos, and uuw they were done and on, all tbe pent np torce that had to be held iu check whiic lliey were being made by hand, carefully, stitch bv slitch at a t rue, for inspeotiOD, Sueincd bouiul to lind vent. They raced aljout the yard, jumping the bars,erawliug under felices and ovt;r ruslic bunches, lurniug somersauits. doilgmg around among trees and flowei' beds, or darting through the shrubbery, turning, whiriing, falling, in a tiirmoil of quick motions, their red dresses and black braidod hair making eaotl so like the olher's doublo that you could scarcely teil them apart; and liitlü IIopi, look ng on admirÍDgly, wished slie were large enough to do everylliiug that "Sissy could. Just as Mts. lirown got comfortabl.v scttled to the weekly mouiling, glad to seo them inuocently amused, she glanced out of tho window and saw Siasy standing without support on tbe vcry peuk of the new barn, aml Rhoda bul a few feet below hur on tho scaffolding. Obodient to her summons they came in, demurely onough this time, briuging with thein a book agent lliev had clianced upon as they approached the house. He was a Iank hix-footer. with blue eyes, bald head, blonde nioustache, and tho squeakicst of squeak. voces. The girls had becomi) slighlly acquainted with him iuring the iiring turn at the academy, whcre his good natured simplic.ly, jliildish egotism and ridiculous attempts to s ng tenor because his voico was pitched high, has occasioned them no end of amusement. At the literary society, a few months before, ho had olnppod ihe climax of tho ludicrous bv h s delivery of 'Hingen on the Ruine" as a select reading. He attempted to Bnforce liis very peculiar rendition of the beautiful poem by frequent awkirard gestores which were sure to bo a l rifle out of time and were invariably lollowed by his losing h:s place. And now nolhing would do but he must come In and recite it for her mamma who. Sissy insistiid, was so. f oud of Ihat particular piece, aml no one else i'oiild reoite it as hodid; said he, tickled witli the llattery, gladly consented. Mis. lirown seeing at a glauco what ihe mischievous girls were about, but jnwilling eiliter for his sake or theirs o let him know they were makins; fun of hm, weloomed him kindly, and juietlv si'conded Sissy's entrealies for iho poem. Tbe girls seated themselves on a low jouch bohind him, whilo he faced Mrs. Brown for aud.enoe. and with difiicul; kept thcir mirth within bounds, iniccd, lie did stop once and look no and, hearing sometbiog saspio'oosy like a gigglü. 13ut the girls were as iemuro tis k.ttens, and all attention, nid although he had thought they were laugbing at him, the express:ons 5n thcir laces and a word f rom Mrs. Brown reassured him, and ho continucd ,o the end. Mrs. 15rown mado them do ponance for this pieco of audacity by contining hem to the house and to sewing carpet-rags for the rest of the forenoon, mi] all but repented it; for the girls, iy no means subdued, insisted on Irawing down their mouths and dis{iiising their voioes in a ridiculous conrersation wliich they kept up with no iiitcrmission but a peculiar hi, hi, hi, whiili they used as a laugh when they could not huid iu any Jonger, while personating "Josiah and Saniantha" Buil (ÜSCUS8 ng their visits to "Jonesville" with "the old mare and buggy," ', their trials arising from sewing ma chine agents and liglitning-rod men, imxiely about "Tirzv Ánn" and "Thomas Jefferson," and a thousand and ono absurd things poor "Josiah Allen's Wife" never dreamed of; unlil, in sp:te of herself, Mrs. Brown j taughed till she fúrly cried. And this was only a score of similnr days since vacations commenced and ('ousin Rhoda had boen their guest. Thero was nolhing in the way of amuseiiient that was unusually ad: renluresome, or tinctnred with misI chef, that had escaped their notice, and not called for at least a trial, from etting the alarm clock at all hours ol ihe day or night, pinning tho sheets gigether with half a paper of pins or llrewingoorn cobs in the beds when they did Urn chamber work, toeating a dozen a pieco of half-ripe Siberian irabs. 1 11 their moiithes were so (luckered that they could not purso up ihoir lips to spit out the Untólos pulp. I The girls hiont to inaka the tiiost of thetr vacations, eVen regardlessof the rest somelimes, though in tho mata tbeir ocuiipations were moro tlio outgrowth of superabundant 1 fe and Spirits than from anything malicioiis 11 the makeup of eithor. Of course theie was ninny and ni.iny au hour in all tliose glorious Bummer days when they gave tbemselves up to Nature" s iniluences, aud drank in her bcauties and raro pleasuros with the same abandou that cliaracterized their procecdings; for "Glen Farm" was the most dellghtínl placo in the world, and never falling in suppies ofpleasure to thoso wlio care to search nmong is stores. Uut all the long forenoon of that dav, not soon to be forgotten by poor Sarah, not the cool woods. wilh its ferns and sweet wild flowers, nor the l.ttlo crook rippling through the ravlne with frog and minnows, tadpolè aud erowfish for its inhabitants, not tho tiuy tow-boat moored by the rlverslde, nor the grand old blufïs that over-shfl lowed them across the streani, possessed a singlo charni to the nntraotable girls full to .overflowing of restless vivacity. Inimediately atter dinner. Mr. and Mra, Brown and litlle Hope drovo off; mamma and Hope I spond the afternoon with Aunt Ijonise, and ride home with Mr. Brown on liis return f rom tho city. AfLer hclping Sarah a lilllo abont the dinnor work, the girls went upstairs, Sissy to write to Christino Kunest, and lllioda to assist her by looking op douhtful and unfaniilar words In the lexicon; for Curistine was a Germán countess, nbout Sissy's nge, with wliom she luid becotue acqnaintod through a friend of both, who had assisted them in undertaking a correspondence for mutual plensure and profil, Sissy writing as best sho could in Germán, and tho little counloss replying in hor quaint. broken English. ïhat pleasant lask completed. after a shoit consul tation as to what it was best to lo noxt, they went down slairs, and stopping at iho dining room door, wliere Sarah was ironing, to let her know where thoy were going, they strolled off to the woods. The girls wcre scaroe!y out of sight beforo Sarah began to feel nervous. She lived in a constant dread of tramps, for tho country was overrun willi the that sommen The papen wore ülled with accounts of their ravages, and evon in this qniet neighborhood therc were repeated cases of timid women frighlentid by theso bold intruders. and not a few inslances of rough haadling or even serious injuries. Scaroely a day passed but ouo or more suspicious looking individuáis crossed the ferry just belotv the house, and a largo part of these made thora a visit. begging for food, oíd clothes, a placo to sloep, and sometimos asking for work; respeotfnl enougrh when thé men were at homo, but often bold and insolent in their manners, and dilücult to get rid of when they found the women alone. Sonie of them really looked as wretched an forlorn as thev professed, and took what was given thom gratefullv, sho wering their fervent "God bless you's, " upou the family as they went away. Left alone, Sarah foolisbly allowed her imaginations full play and conjured tip one of these dreaded visitors at every noise, at the samo time recalling all she had ever known or lieard of their lawloss deeds, aud stopping to listen at the slightest sound. The quiel liouso seenK'd so strange and lonely In the nnnsnal stillnoss; each thump of Iho smoothing irons, as she continued, lier work, the creaking of a loóse blind, evon tho sound of her own footsteps echoed throngh the great rooms, making the solitude almost unendurabl(f, vvhile tho constant swish of the maple leaves against the window, as :ho wind swaved tho branches, made rier start and look anxiously out again, and airain to assure herseff that that was really all that njado a noiso so like he approacli of some Intraden Glanomg nervonsly out tho window for the twentieth timo sho found her fears about to be real zed, for there, with in tho very dooryard, stood two of the most ungainly men in earnest consultation; their shabbr dress, with their slouclied bata drawn low over their eyes. the low, eager con vers at on, inLenpersed with frequent furtiveglances towards the. house, tho bundies of dollies slung over the r shoulilers at the end of stout sticks, all proclaimed them tho dreaded objecls of hor fears. Smolhering the screams she could not otberwise suppress by stufllng her bandkorobief into hor mouih, sho bounded past Iho front door. and up stairs just as they steppod upoa tho porch. As sho aliuost lluw to hor own room añil locked hersolf into the closet, a loud knocking at the door echoed and re-ecboed through the house. Too frighteueil even to cry, Sarah crouched apon the floor trembling in every lmb, weak and holpless as a baby, drawing hor breath in short, diffoolt gasps, and involuntarily straining her ear to bear the uuwelcomo sound of their ontrauco, and she had not long to wait. As if aware of tho deserted condition of the premisos thoy oponed the door and, shutting it with a bang, kicked over the hat-rack and aceomoanied the crash wil h boislorous laughtor, then in doep. gulteral tones they inquired for the girl they wero sure they had seen through tho window as they had caiue up, Hiid wno must be somewhere about the house. Suggesting that they "look her up" and suHing the action to the word, they carne up stair.s, talking in thoir deep, coarse voicos of blood-curdling exploits of the p;tst, and laughing in a way that seemed to chili her very uearl's blood as thoy hintod darkly of other similar deeds to follow in the near futuro, all the time walking boldly through tho rooms, slamniing doors, opening and slmtting drawero and boxes and knoeking the furnitun: about in a wreckloss manner that promisod ill for poor Sarah should they discover her place of concoaliuciit. At last thoy enterod her room, and having examined il as they had done the olhers, they came to tho closot door and lind ng it locked, shook and pounded it Savagely, deelnriug tliat the girl must be in there, and they would make her show hcrself or know tho reason why, their words, not leas than the tone in wuïch they were utterod, which to her in her hclpless terror, seemed almost unoarthlv, wero well nigh more than she could bear in silence, and she must have givon vent to her feeliugs in uncontrollablo sobs or screams had they not desisted and gone down stairs in search of "grub. " Having satisfied themselvos they shortly after took their leave, slaniming the loor behind them aud yelling a loud "good bye" as they went out. Such is tho account Sarah gave tho girls between her sobs half an hour later when they roturned from the woods and found her still crouched in the closet too frightened to stir until sonio of the faiuily returned; and still later she again repeated the samo sad talo to Mrs. Brown, interrnpting her account by convulsivo weeping, for tho poor girl was all bul distracted by the fright; but it was a much more simple story tbat good lady listened to a íow honrs later when all the others liad retired and only she with Sissv and Rhoda sat togother in the moonlight for their customary "good night' tulk, and the girls oonfessed how they had dressed in bovs' cast-off clolhing, slippling their dresses on again for concealment, and throwing tiio boots and bats as far as possible from the back chambor window where they could piek thom up when Sarah was not looking. They had made bundies of their dresses and sunbonnets down in the orchard and came back, prowling about the house until suro they had boen seen foro they entered, and proceedea as best they coulil to persónate a couple of tiamps, to have a liltlo f uu wil h Sarah for be ng so foolish as to be afraiil of evorv man she saw. Of conree, it had tunied out moro seriously than they had expeoted, aud Sarah'a extreme fear and gubsequont aervoas prostration had been enürely anlooked for, and they wore beartily sorry and asliamed and were nnxous to do sometlilng to make amenas, onlv they nevm' could confesa to Sarah anil ask hur forgivenesa, whlcb Mrs. Browu insisLed was Iho lirst thing to be dono, a8 she easily conviticod them af ter a few minutes' niotherly talk. Hasioning to perform the unploasant duty, not more from a degiré to place Sarah in a botter condition to get the sleep sho bo mnch nueded than "to have it over with," they went to her room, assisted by nianinia's kiss of encouragément. Rapping at the door and reoeiviog permission to enter, tliev went iu and found her sloepless and nervous and looking so palo and miserable that it made the task they had como to pevforni a coniparatively easy oue; and when, instead of angry teara ov indignant reproaches, as they had expeoted, she d d not say a word but lay back on the pillow at the close of their account of their afternoon's ad venturas, her frightened look giving place to ono of intense relief, the girls were complotely cowed, and, with a humble "good nigbt," slipped away to their owu room aud silently prcpared for bed. After a poriod of restless lossing, during which both had refraineil f rom speaking, being not yet ready to d scuss Iho subject on their'minds, and in no mood to talk of anything else, Rhoila broke the s leuco by tho characteristic remark: "VVhy didn't she spunk up and order iis out of her room, or say soniething hateful, or - " "Do anyth;ng but look so wretchedly happy," fioished Sissy. Another pause of a few minutes while the girüsh tbooglita roamed at will front the topic iu question, touching a dozen foreigo subjecta in as many minutes, and at last reachiag ono so ent rely disconnected with any of tho unpleasant parts of tho day's pro. ceedings that poor Sarah and her tramps were banished from thoirminda for the time, at least, and the busy tonques wagged merrily ngain witii their accustomed ease, onlv pnusing to count the strokes as the olock siruck the hour, iiiterrupting Rhoda in her account of liow. a great roanv years ago, Annt Sue, while visiling Aunt D: and Uncle Frank, bad dressed up in Uuclo Frank's best clotlios and gono walking In tho twilight with Aunt Di, making, with the a3 of a false moustache, such a handsonie, dashing, black-oyed stranger, and acting so do■voted and lovor-like thal, as Uncle Frank was away ou ono of liis long liusines trips, and every one knew Aunt Di had no brother and could not guess, even with the aid of all the villiige gossips, who it eould be - "Nine, ten, eleven," counted Rhoda, at tliis crisis of the narrativo. "And ten o'clock ia Sallie's bcdlinie,' addeil Sissy. "All right," yawned" Rhoda; "good night." "Bnt how about yonr aunts and the gossips? Aren't you going to finish your story? You've stopped in the most critical part." "That1 s all the better- it will sound more natural for my 'to be continue!,' " and turning her face to the wall the tantalizing girl stopped her ears with her fingers, and, pretending to snore, was soon safo in dreamland, where Sissy was not long followins:. -