for scarin' us."

"There's no danger of his doing us harm," said grandma Padgett
mildly, after she had leaned out at the side and brought her blue
glasses to bear upon the lessening figure of the little old man.

Yet Corinne watched him when he sat down on a bank to rest; she
watched him grow a mere bunch and battered hat, and then fade to a
speck.

The 'pike was the home of such creatures as he appeared to be. The
advance guard of what afterwards became an army of tramps, was then
just beginning to move. But they were few, and, whether they asked
help or not, were always known by the disreputable name of "beggars."
A beggar-man or beggar-woman represented to the minds of aunt Corinne
and her nephew such possible enemies as chained lions or tigers. If
an "old beggar" got a chance at you there was no telling in what part
of the world he would make merchandise of you! They always suspected
the beggar boys and girls were kidnapped children. While it was
desirable to avoid these people, it was even more desirable that a
little girl should not offend them.

Aunt Corinne revolved in her mind the remark she had made to the
little old man with a bag on his back. She could take no more
pleasure in the views along the 'pike; for she almost expected to see
him start out of a culvert to give her cold shivers with his
revengeful grimaces. The culverts were solid arches of masonry which
carried the 'pike unbroken in even a line across the many runs and
brooks. The tunnel of the culvert was regarded by most children as
the befitting lair of beggars, who perhaps would not object to