Show e I SCR S SCRAGGS OR ro11iM = y fHE TRAMPS DAUGHTER B fZQLA LFORRESTER Copyright 189 S S McClure Co Why donft yotT wash your face I dont have tcr smarty Tommy stared in silence from his perch 6n the fence down at the young person who had given hini the rebuff She was a very homely little person Peering out from the tunnel depths of < < I r DO THEY EAT CATS a large white sunbonnet her face looked old and small and the quantity of mother earth with which it was liberally decorated amply justified Tommys mild suggestion Her brown hair hung in two limp pigtails behind her soiled black and white striped caljco dress clung in scanty folds about her poor thin little body and altogether alto-gether she looked forsaken ahd un cared for that Tommy could not help speaking to her as she passed barefoot along the hot dusty road before Uncle Rodneys peach orchard He certainly had not expected so sharp a return to his friendly overtures Say he began again Im awful glad Imnot as hot and dirty as you 4 are v areShe did not answer but her big gray eyes made Tommy think of the look In the maltese kittens the day he had swung it over the well by its tail If youhadnt called me names he said thoughtfully Id give you a peach I The gray eyes looked wistfully at the juicy fruit the yellow velvety skins flushed with dusky pink showing prettily pret-tily among the cool green leaves Tom mys teeth sunk deep into the luscious cheek of a tempting beauty I dont want your old peaches she said bravely and you are a smarty All boys are mean and smarties Humph grunted Tommy Whats your name I wont tell All right Dont Im going to call you Scraggs because you look It The girl pulled a long feathery tipped piece of grass and chewed it in silence Gee said his royal highness from the fence Im glad I dont have to chew grass like a cow > Still she did not move or speak s Ljihlnk Scraggs yt > u amJtSfe homeliest home-liest girl I ever saw Tile piece of grass twitched a little and tlJe sunbonnet bent forward 4 m f kl rY t u Tommy felt slightly uncomfortable and took another peach Say I bet youre crying I aint either she retorted defiantly de-fiantly I dont cry when folks are mean f meanWhy dont you go homey he asked blandly > We dont live tIn any home We just walk aroundv Were tramps Oh saldTonSmyr twnere > s the other one > Hes asleep over thereJ Hes my father k < I i Well youhact better go awky from heret he tsald sternly My uncle Rodneys got dogs thatbite A frightened look shone in the big soft eyes and she came nearer thence f the-nce Doth y eat cats she asked tremblingly trem-blingly Ive lost mine l1 ti I f 1 jf IIj I i flL 4 t J a > I ± i AND WOITEBUT HEAVEN LOOKED BACK I guess they would eat strange ones he replied consolingly Whats its name Heaven Its a black one because Im mourning for mama and I call it Heaven be ause thats where she went Its a very thin cat Perhaps they wouldnteat it I dont know anything about her said Tomniy sliding down from the fence as he heard Aunt Bess call from the kitchen but If the dogs arent hungry at dinner time Ill tell you Goodby Dont you steal our peaches I I I He ran across the orchard and up the hill to the barn yard There was a I large deep trough at one end of it where the cattle drank and on one corner sat a skinny black cat Bet thats Heaven thought Tommy Tom-my but he was in such a hurry for his dinner that he did not stop Such a dinner too Chicken and sweet corn and peach pie arid everything a fellow loved and Aunt Bess saying I I Bless the boy it does my heart good to see him eat All at once there was a yelp from Pickles the terrier and from the window win-dow Tommy saw him and the big Newfoundland Major dash down the yard after a fleeing black dot Theyre after the cat he cried dropping his knife and fork and rushing rush-ing after them Uncle Rodriey followed more slowly not to see the chase but to march Thomas back to his dinner Down the hilt raced the five Heaven leading Then Tommy saw a sight that made his heart leap and his feet fly With a bound Heaven sprang for the side of the water trough missed the mark and fell in with a doleful quenched yor of terror when suddenly sudden-ly a flash of black and white scaled the other side a white sunbonnet tumbled int the dust and Scraggs plunged boldly in after her darling Well I swan muttered Uncle Rodney sweeptng past Tommy with long qtttck strides but Major was before be-fore him and when the two came up the Newfoundland stood over something some-thing very limp and lifeless his curly coat dripping his tongue lolling out his tall beating up and down excitedly as he looked up at his master and panted in satisfied triumph On the ground lay Scraggs dirtier homelier than ever in her water soaked dress with Heaven imp wet i and skinny like herself clasped convulsively con-vulsively inherarms Well I swan said Uncle Rodney again with even deeper Qmphasis and without a word to bewildered Tommy I he stooped lifted Scraggs kitten and all in his strong arms and bore her to Aunt Bess The poor little thing said she as she stripped the wet dress off Shes just a sight Get a tub up from the cellar quick Tom and clear out of here Banished summarily from the kitchen Tommy sat on the back porch I watching Heaven dry herself and languidly lap the milk he gaVe her He wondered what on earth Aunt Bess I was dqing to Scraggs if she was going I to keep her and thinking of how she could now be revenged on him while I he groaned in spirit and twigged I Pickles ears until he howled sY 1 pathetically pa-thetically i At last Aunt Bess came out and hung i confidently and show him to you tooDo they eat cats was all Scraggs saidSeems Seems as if our Nell was back Rodney Rod-ney so it does said Aunt Bess watching the two with the mother love of her heart going out toward the waifKeep Keep it mother keep it if you want to answered Uncle Rodney and both looked across the fields to where the dark green of pines formed a background back-ground for a white church spire and Nellie did not seem far awaIt awa-It was twilight wheri the man came He raised his hat and talked sometime some-time with the couple at the kitchen door then came to where Scraggs sat Little girl he said gently these folks want you should stay here with them They say taint right for a little I thing like you to tramp with me an I I guess they are about right Your ma would want it so Goodby dearie I He stooped to kiss her but Scraggs I dropped the cat and flung her arms about his brown neck and whispered something He held her close in his arms She says shell go with her dad folks he said in a low voice She says her ma told her to take care of meSo So Aunt Bess wrapped up the calico dress and tears shone in her kind eyes as she kissed the little thin face Tommy refilled the white basket and in the soft still twilight he and Uncle Rodney and Aunt Bess watched the two pass down the road out into the shadowy world the man leaning forward 1 for-ward his hand Jasping Scragg and Heaven sTalked behind lifting her paws daintily at the cool touch of the evening dew and playing witch game I of tag with her lank lean shadow V So they passed on toward the sunset and none but Heaven looked back n S I i 1 T1T r I 1 r IS ki aIm a-Im THE OTffWEICOME VISITORS FROjffiTHE CHURCH some ragged little garments on a line to dry What did you do with her auntie asked Tommy anxiouly Washed her and fixed her up in one of your Cpusln Nellies nightgowns and rocked her to sleep she said quietly You take the white basket Tom and fill it full of the nicest peaches you can pick and hunt up a tramp under a tree She says Its her pa and wants him to have some aftiethat he didnt have ip steaL Then bring me back some for her Toms conscience pricked him as he filled the basket ana thoughtr how t S r mean he had been to the little stranger so he tried to be especially polite to the man he found under the chestnut tree across the road He was a ragged rag-ged homelyman with heavy eyes aud tanned worn face but when Tommy spoke of the thin girl with the cat his face brightened All right sonny keep her Ill be round at sundown Tell her I ate the peaches The long golden summer afternoon passed slowly Scraggs slept well afilT when she putiin an appearance on the porch Tommys Worst fears were con flrmed She mustrJe going to staA pretty pink dress of Cousin Nellies had taken the place of the mourning calico Her hair was neatly braided and tied with ribbons she wore shoes and stockings and had a peach in each hand Crushed and penitent Tommy humbly hum-bly offered to do the honors of the place and she followed him around hugging Heaven and eating peaches while he shewed the chickens and his loivi et bantams the pigeons and his rabbits and even told the secret of the black birds nest In the apple tree and the flatheaded adders hole near Ill catch him some dayP he said |