The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-02
Tramps in B0nnets and Skirts.

81 heard that You wanted servant,
ma am, and came to see if you would
hire me. Do you think I'll do?"
Sne was a large, coarse, elderly wo-
man who spoke. Her face was tanned
and hardened by wind and sun and
rain, and she looked about as unde-
slrable servant as could be found in
all Orange County, where the lady to
whom she mado the application lived.
mo, | am not in need of another serv-
ant" said the lady, very shortly. The
woman had so quietly entered the open
door OF the little country house that she
had not been noticed unit! she spoke.
''Then I've been fooled" she said,
with q plain affection of viciousness. Il
came from Middletown, twenty miles
away, where l was told You were dis
tracted because you couldn't get good
servant"
Who told you thatP" asked the
lady"
"a Mrs. O'Reilly," was the reply.
al don't know anybody of that name,
and know nobody in Middletown.
Are you quite sure you are telling the
truth!" said the lady.
"Quite sure, num- replied the Wis
itor, wholly unabashed. "Well, can t
get back to Middletown tonight May
| sleep here??'
80, no, impossible" was the dis
couraging answer. Il have hardly
room for my own family in this little
house"
"But I'd sleep anywhere, in the eel
lar or in the barn, you know" persisted
the woman
You can't sleep here" replied the
lady.
"Will you give me drink of waterp"
A glass of water was given to her.
and she solemnly shifted at it, and
placed it upon the table. She stood up
with an indiferently. concealed battery
of abuse in her face, but seemed sud
denly to make up her mind not to I'm,
mask it. She merely remarked:
''lf you find dead corpse a-hangin'
to the tree in front of the gate in the
mornin, don't blame me for it" and
she strobe away.
Il am very glad you were here, u
said the lady to the reporter. ''My
husband won't be home for an hour
and if | had been alone l should have
had hard work to get her to go. She is
one of those female tramps."
"a female trampr' exclaimed the
reportar in establishment. "Why,
never heard of such thing before"
"Men are very seldom troubled with
them, :" was the reply, "but they poster
US women whose husbands 90 to the
city to business every day. They are
all of them pretty old, and l never
heard one of them tell different story
from that you listened to. You would
be surprised to learn how many ladies
either through fear or creduiity, are
imposed upon, and let them stay al
night. And one night is very likely tc
lead to three or four Ii | had giver
that old woman the slightest encour
agement-if | had given her glass O
milk when she asked for water
would have trebled the difficulty of get
ting her to 90, She won't hang hersel
outside. She will tell the story she tolC
me until some one allows her to sleer
in barn. The female tramp does no
often run any risk in stealing, but if am
small article not likely to be missed, il
lying within her reach she is almos
sure to carry it away. She is less laz,
than the male tramp, and, therefore,
think less honest Nobody ever see
her asleep in q ditch. She prefers :
bed and almost always~contrives to ge
one. Nor does she travel so far owe
the country, combining herself for tn
most part to one county. 1t seems t,
be a pure love of vagabondism tina
chains her to the 1ife, for when she i
engaged as a servant she won't work
and resumes her wanderings in fey
days. She makes her way toward
city as the cold weather approaches
and passes the winter months in tn
penitentiary or the almshouse. N, ]
Sun.