The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-03-31

WVaiu t&hS uFou iulctit the Quty Oh OK
amining into the case Of my friend, the
Trap, and giving him such relief as
was required. Il did not know until
afterward, however, that he rascal had
} already despoiled their scant purses OF
S3.5O.) When the door was closed
upon them turned upon him.
"You Internal rascal"
"Ah, Captain, and would 70 be O.
fusin'nse 4 carrakther and me qiyin' ne
such one as Oi didP God save us!
but II ye'd hav' seen the lux that the
purity one give ye. Well, before the
chills and fever bruk me spirits entire
", wher ! was a young man, and max
in me tin dollars week brick maxim,
its meself that wud huv gwen
81 consider,"I broke in, "that a
dollar is fair price for your story, and
as | shall have TO take Il all back and
expose you before the next twenty-f .ur
hours pass, / think you had better
hasten to Milwaukee, New York, or
Louisiana.
handed him the dollar. "Mind, l
don't want TO see your face again"
"fe wunt, Captain"
And did not.
But 1t so happened that later in the
season, when the migratory inhabitants
had flown to their hot-air registers in
Boston and Providence, | breakfasted
with one who had fingered. II was q
certain Boston lawyer-replete with
principle, honesty, self-discipline,
statistics, aesthetics, and perfect con-
seriousness OF possessing all these vir-
tues, and full recognition Of their
market values. | think he tolerated
me as a kind of foreigner, gently but
firmly waving all argument on any
topic, frequently distrusting my facts,
generally my deductions, and always
my ideas. In conversation he ALWAYS
appeared to descend only half way down
a long moral and intellectual staircase.
and always delivered his conclusions
over the balusters.
1 had been speaking of my friend, the
Tramp. "There is but one way OF
treating that class Of impcstors; it is
simply 10 recognize the fact that the
law calls him a syagrant,' and makes
his trade misdemeanor. Any scnti-
ment on the other side renders Won
pari,ceps criminis. | don't know but
an action would lie against you for en-
couraglng tramps. Now, / have an
eilicacious way Of dealing with these
gentry He rose and took double
oarreled fowling-piece from tho chin
ney- "When a tramp appears on my
property, l warn him off. III he persists
! fire on him--as l would on any Grim
inal trespasser."
Fire on himP' echoed in alarm.
. les--but icith poacdcr oniy, OF
course he doesn't know that. But he
doesn't come back.n
II struck me for the first time that
possibly many other OF my friends ar
guments might be only blank cart
ridges, and used TO brighten of other
tres passing intellects.
Of course, il the Tramp still per-
sisted | would be justified in using shot.
Last evening had q visit from one.
He was coming over the wall. NV
shotgun was efficacious; you should
have seen him run!'
1t was useless to argue with so posi-
tive a mind, and l dropped the subject.
After breakfast 7 strolled over the
downs, my friend promising to ioin
me as soon as he arranged some house,
hold business.
IL was q lovely, peaceful morning.
not unlike the day when first met my
friend the Tramp. The hush Of a great
Benediction lay on land and sea. A
few white sails twinkle aiar. but sleep-
ily--one or Two large ships were Creep
ing in lazily--like my friend the Tramp.
A voice behind me startled me. :
My host had rejoined me. His face, !
however, looked q lite troubled.
- Just now learned something OF
Importance, he began; "it appears
that with all my precautions that
Tramp has visited my kitchen and the
servants have entertained him. Yes
'erday morning, ii appears, while z
vas absent, he had the audacity TO Dor I
'ow my gun to go duck shooting. At
he end of two or three hours he re-
urned with two ducks and-the gun. -
That was, at least, honest.'' {
fes-but! That fool Of girl says p
hat, as he handed back the gun. be Z
old her II was all right, and that he y
lad loaded it up again to save the mas ?,
er trouble.n Il
think | showed my concern in my :
ace, for he added, hastily, cit was
My duck shot-a few wouldn't hurt ;,
imp Il
Nevertheless, we both walked on in q
Hence for moment. :
~ thought the gun kicked little,-
Q said at last, musingly; "but the
lea of-hallo! what's thispr
He had stopped before the hollow
here had first seen my Tramp. 1t =
las deserted, but on the moses there
'ere spots Of blood and fragments OF
n old gown, blood stained, as il used
,r bandages. Hooked at it closely
was tho gown intended for the con-
imptive wife Of my friend, the Tramp.
But my host was already nervously
acking the blood stains that on rock,