Show 00 A jim bannister jumped out of the tr train aln hla big black bag in his bis hand and his eyes went ranging up anil and down the platform in search of his wife and children they generally were there to meet him when ho he came down from town on friday evening finding that they were not visible he left the station and took tho the road that led away from the town and the harbor towards the new suburb which had bad of late years set up in business as a watering place it was cheap and hin althy and tho the boys liked to go down to the harbor and see the ships and talk to the sailors bannister soon got o out it of ct town for he was walking fast but as the road began to rise his pace became slower blower till as he neared the bend where the road turned toward tho tha clust cluster ir ot red brick villas he was wag going quite leisurely A nian man watt was sitting on the stile at the corner a tramp he seemed to be bannister frowned ile ho was a hardworking man himself and lie he did not like tramps perhaps envied them a little ills his faco face assumed a stern look as he went along As ho he approached the man got cot up and came slowly toward him yes lie he was a 9 tramp there could be no boult of 0 it his hla rough pilot cloth trousers tro usera at m k 44 biz v r 4 V IAN ha K 54 pg wa v d 1 iq AV i aa ml maur q 4 I 1 atae VR p AND I 1 HAVE BE WAITING were worn anil and detained ital Eta ned ined ile he wore no shirt for the old tweed jacket jachet NN was a s buttoned u up to the neck on oa his load head wa was a battered soil soft felt hat on his feet a pair or of seamans shoes lie he stopped as he drew near the respectable spec table roan man with the black bag but ho he did not say a word bannister looked at him their eyes met and the uns unspoken pohen appeal was more eloquent than any words could have been plainly mainly the man was a derelict so clear was the express expression loa in the mans face tint that bannister answered him as it if he had bad spoken sorry I 1 have nothing for you the mans swarthy cheeks hushed flushed did I 1 ask you tor for anything he said eald then the next instant 1 I beg your pardon I 1 am wrong I 1 did though tint not la in so many words you look as if you needed help jim said bald awkwardly then my looks only tell the truth said bald the derelict and as ho he spoke he smiled the smile startled bannister this was the tha face of a cultivated man of what one calls a gentleman dirty land and unshaven as it was lie felt that lie he could not offer this tramp a copper 1 I am sorry borry lie he said hastily but I 1 cant stop to hear your story tonight did I 1 offer to tell it said the mau man calmly no yet I 1 should 1110 to hear it 1 I dont see tho the object of my telling it it Is a very common one I 1 quarreled with my best friend an uncle lie he treated me unjustly or I 1 thought he did so I 1 ran away to australla australia A to seek my fortune for timm and I 1 found this ila ho ended with a rueful downward glance elance at his bis tattered raiment shaou sq you made your way back to the old country r said absently fingering taa cis colas li ili ais trousers yes and to tho the old town and now that I 1 have got biele I 1 laut li lid hud d the courage to to a soul you see I 1 worked my passage home and I 1 scarcely think any of my old friends woid now be pleased to see me lie he gave a short bitter laugh but you must have some relatives only the uncle I 1 told you of ile he la dead I 1 have seen his grave in the churchyard and the old house Is iu in tho the hands bands of strangers by this time they wore were moving on side bide by side aide for bannister Dann lster was anxious to get home 1 I should like to ask your opinion about one thing said the derelict derel lct abruptly well what Is it iu in bools when a roan man goes off as I 1 did there Is guu si i 0 im cares for him now how long do you think a girl bs be it 11 ely cly to wait wail for a follow fellow never getting word or sign amm mm him nil tho the time would she sha be licely to walt wait five years do you think jim B could have laughed alouis lio lid buld have laughed at the idea of 0 any girl waiting div five years for an absent lover without a word to shoy show that he ha yet cared for or her ho could have laughed nt at the idea of any woman waiting for the human wreck at his side ila iio could have laughed at the eager look on the mans halt half 0 face as ho he put hla his absurd question but there was a pathetic look in the brown eyes ond and bannister did not laugh As he kept on looking the inclination cli to laugh died away altogether instead he gave the answer that seemed to him at the moment the only possible one to give A girl would wait ten years twenty years lor for the man the she loved that Is it if she were a true woman I 1 am certain of it I 1 know it by my 1 I mean I 1 am sure of it from women I 1 have known time makes no difference la in their love and absence only makes them love more strongly you really think so eo asked the tramp in a choking voice 1 I do the tramp stood still 1 I am glad to hear you say that he bo sald said hu huskily shily 1 I am glad I 1 asked you the question you have put new life into me goodnight good night sir mr and he be was turning away this will get you a bed and somo some supper said bannister handing banding him bim a saher silver coin tho the tramp looked from the money to the giver 1 I should like ilka to send this back to you yon when I 1 can he said will you tell me your name you mind but my name la Is bannister Dann lster wo we are staying here for the rest of the month goodnight good night ho he waved his hand and wits WAS gone the tramp leaned over a gate thinking ile he could see the chimneys of the house honse that had been his uncles the tha doivo he bo had hoped would ono one day be his own it belonged to charley hudson now so ho he had been told in the town but margaret had preferred him though some called him a neer do well was it possible that sho she had been walting waiting for him all these years the very thought made his heart burn it seemed impossible it was too much to expect from any girl yet that mi mi n aliat was his name bannister he be had seemed to think it quite likely ila ho must find out ile ho must get some decent clothes so that lie ho might make inquiries some one in the town must ehnow what had become of her another thing ho mat send birk that money to tf bannister as soon as but now was ho he to kiil him ile ho know the mans name but not his address and lie he was only ft a summer visitor ile he might not be able to repay the money for weeks ile he turned and began running after bannister as well as his bis clumsy shoes would donld let him A little ahead there was a bond in the road and lie he felt suro sure that once around that corner he would catch sight eight of him ile ho turned the corner and saw bannister but ho he was not alone A girl in a light gray costume was coming rapidly to meet him two children darted from her side and outrunning out running her threw themselves into their fathers arms the mhd two tho the man and tho the woman camo came close together sho held up her faco face and ho he stopped and hissed it it was not till then that he bo siw saw her fare face margaretl margaret ills his heart stood still ile he would not bellevo believe it had not the tha man said but of course he bo could not know was it margaret ila ho did not feel quite sure now that her back was turned to him film but ho he tell felt that ho he must know at once at ono one side of tho the road there was a thick hedge and a held field on tho the other side of it tho the tramp ran back to tho the gato gate climbed over it and then ran under cover of tho the led hod TO so ns as to pass beyond tho the little group there was no difficulty about it the hedge screened him completely ile ho could spa them coming slowly along tho the woman had her hand band on tier her companions arm and she smiled into his faco face ns as they talked it was margaret margafet her ber self lie ho could hear bear tho rains mans voice now and lie ha crouched lower lost lest lie bo might tie bo seen tho the poor follow actually asked TOO it if I 1 thought a girl would walt 1190 years for au an absent lover and I 1 the heart to say what L thought I 1 said yes twenty years dearal poor chap I 1 suppose he bo fancies somebody Is waiting tor for him tho the voice ceased and tho the tramp peering mering out from his bis hiding biding place saw that margaret had bad withdrawn her land bund from tho the mans arm and was walking a little apart from him so she bho told him anything about mo me said tho tramp to himself ila ho got bade back to tho the road and thrusting his bis hand band into hla his pocket his bis fingers closed on tho the piece of money in a another 11 instant he bad dashed it down on the road and was hastening back to tho the harbor that night ho spent in an outhouse tho the next day driven by hunger ho he wont to a farm house asking for work but hoping to get some food tho the tanner farmer by way of IL a jole joke offered aed him a job and seemed surprised wh tax he jumped at the offer by degrees the tramp began to assume the appearance of a decent working man ile he wore moleskins mol eskins instead of his old rags on weekdays week days he worked hard but on sundays ho he wont went and lay on the sand and listened to tho the surf breaking on oa the beach and dreamed one sunday afternoon ta a little mite three or tour four years old got surrounded by the tide as she was building a castle on the sand there was not a shadow of danger but it was impossible to reach her dry shod the tramp waded through the water picked up the child and looked around for her mother it was margaret who dropped her book and camo came flying over the sands margaret lie ho put tho the little ono one down gently and turned away in a moment there was pattering a apat ot of soft footsteps behind him wont you lot let me ma thank you 4 oh alan it Is 13 youl you dont you know me m a 11 yes margaret I 1 know you but I 1 thought I 1 had bad better keep away from you ive treated you badly prec louiN badly but I 1 cant stand by and soo sea 22 0 you another mans wife dj aunt margaret auntie mo vi 00 ool oo piped a childish voice alan dean gave a great start ills ilia heart beat wildly what he cried you are not the childs mother you are not nor mr mr Bannis Danni wife no no alan jim bannister mar map ried my sister 1 I 1 I know knew you would camo came back and I 1 walt waited edl your uncle found out after you had bad gotie gone margaret said as aa they made their way slowly homeward a good hour afterwards that he be was quite wrong ho he had mado made a mistake in the accounts and you were perfectly honest ile he bitterly repented ill his words to you and would have written it ho he had bad known where to address you ile he told me so BO himself and to show that he was convinced that he hid had misjudged you he be left youa hall share of everything ho he hadtke had 4 Is yours and the farm with HI r why I 1 thought charley hudsn buds was to have that ha tho the fa favora favor 11 4 you know 0 yes but your undo uncle thought lie ha bcd you some reparation tor for thinking you had bad cheated him and r ro po o driving you away from home hodgel ho die 1 almost four years ago my aly sister lid been married some time before that thal and you my dearest what have you been doing oh I 1 live in london now I 1 have pupils and I 1 have been wat waiting ting 11 ile he turned suddenly and caught her to his breast please god my little girl he whispered as he strained strained her yet closer to him our waiting days are nearly over |