A kind, motherly woman who answered the knock stared with astonishment at the juvenile tramp, who blurted out in a faint voice, “If you please, ma’am, will you give me a drink of water? I’m so hungry, I really don’t know where I shall sleep to-night.”
The good lady laughed heartily at the little fellow’s quaint request. She took him into the house, and led him into a back room, where a great fat man was seated at tea.
“Who is this, wife?” said he in a surly tone, looking at our hero.
“Only a poor boy begging some food, Mark; that’s all,” answered his wife meekly. [[74]]
“I didn’t beg, ma’am, please,” said the boy quickly.
“Oh, you didn’t beg?” rejoined the farmer in the same gruff voice. “Git down on that stool now.”
“I came a very long way, sir, and I——” began the boy.
“Silence! Wife, take his bundle; pull off his old shoes; let him be washed; then give him his tea.” The voice lost nothing of its coarse disagreeable ring as it gave the curt order, but the man’s eyes looked kindly at the little wanderer. “What is your name?” still gruffly.
“Tim, sir, please.”
“Tim what? Hav’n’t you another name?”