ier in the day and who, wonder of wonders,
had actually paid for the food she gave him, had been of a different
stamp. His clothing had proclaimed him a tramp, but, thanks to the razor
Bridge always carried, he was clean shaven. His year of total abstinence
had given him clear eyes and a healthy skin. There was a freshness and
vigor in his appearance and carriage that inspired confidence rather
than suspicion.

She had not mistrusted him; but these others she did mistrust. When they
asked to use the telephone she refused and ordered them away, thinking
it but an excuse to enter the house; but they argued the matter,
explaining that they had discovered an escaped murderer hiding
near--by--in fact in her own meadow--and that they wished only to call
up the Kansas City police.

Finally she yielded, but kept the dog by her side and the shotgun in her
hand while the two entered the room and crossed to the telephone upon
the opposite side.

From the conversation which she overheard the woman concluded that,
after all, she had been mistaken, not only about these two, but about
the young man who had come earlier in the day and purchased food from
her, for the description the tramp gave of the fugitive tallied exactly
with that of the young man.

It seemed incredible that so honest looking a man could be a murderer.
The good woman was shocked, and not a little unstrung by the thought
that she had been in the house alone when he had come and that if he had
wished to he could easily have murdered her.

"I hope they get him," she said, when the tramp had concluded his talk
with Kansas City. "It's awful the carryings on they is nowadays. Why a
body can't never tell who to trust, and I thought him such a nice young
man. And he paid me for what he got, too."

The dog, bored by the inaction, had wandered back into the summer
kitchen and resumed his broken slumber. One of the tramps was leaning
against the wall talking with the farmer woman. The other was busily
engaged in scratching his right shin with what remained of the heel of
his left shoe. He supported himself with one hand on a small table upon
the top of which was a family Bible.

Quite unexpectedly he lost his balance, the table tipped, he was thrown
still farther over toward it, and all in the flash of an eye tramp,
table, and family Bible crashed to the floor.

With a little cry of alarm the woman rushed forward to gather up the
Holy Book, in her haste forgetting t