Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-08-22
THE IIUNDREDTU NAN.
[Florn Haines Anponvi in The Current.l

tramp's face as he balanced dime on the tip
of his finger, I'm not going to read you
homily on the subiec of labor, but ] want to
present for your consideration little matter
of statistics. You know, as well as |, that
the territory is swarming with men of your
class. No less than six. Logging for money,
have stopped me on the streets to-day. while
down there at the yard indicating with his
hand row of tall lumle Pile surrounding
a small building in the distancc--"We haven't
had three applications for work in month
"Try me
"Do YOU imagine you would work if YOU
| had the chance. ! have had II little expert
ence with fellows of your sort YOU have
such remarkable appetit"s" He addressed
him gcn'ricaliN, as the representative of
"a race. you work half an hour, then come
around with the plea that you can't labor on
an empty stoina h. draw an advance of half
dollar your wages, and that is the last
we ever sec of YOU
The man retorted so sharply that one could
almost have fancied the poor remnant of
spirit still abiding in him stirred to some
thing resembling wrath.
That's always the way he nuttered.
Say we won't work; then won't give
show. | know we're a pretty low-down lot,
but some of us start out square enough. If
man once gers uOWn, lnere no getting up
again"
There was something almost pathetic in his
very sullenness as he shuflled away, his rags
Tapping in the breeze, and ill-mated shoes
Gathering an accompaniment to his gait
"Come back here, will YOU
John Proctor's voice was stern and decisive
The tramp halted, hestated, looked away,
then shuttied back again
"Come down to the yard this afternoon and
I'll give you job But take the half dollar
and get filled up first
He had exchanged the dime for larger
coin and held it in his outstretched palm.
The man did not Immediately ext, nj his
hand to take it. In the moment or two that
elapsed the young lumherman thought that
he detected a trace of something allied to
resentfu pride in his bearing. But the ilu
sion vanished as grilny hand closed greedily
upon the silver, and the fellow disappeared
without even troubling himself to make any
formal expression of his gratitude
John Proctor looked after him with Il quiz
zical smile. Five minutes later he knew his
own name would he the toast of a drunken
crowd of loafels in the saloon around the cor
ner. It was not his first experience of the
kind To he sure it wouldn't help to advance
certain QuixOtc reputation which had at
tached itself to him since his first advent
in this little new Mexican town. But he had
steadily adhered to his creed: Granted that
ninety inc cut of hundred of this floating
population were thieves and mendicants, he
was wont to say he preferred to be victimized
by the ninety and nine rather than Hiss that
hundredth man.
Arrived at the park, a strip of land run
ring through the heart of the place, the title
to which was in dispute between the railroad
company. Il handful of determined Squatters,
and the government, John brought down the
wire fence this noon with one vigorous kick.
Kicking down this wire fence was one
of the legitimate pastimes of the in
habitantS, who could not afford to make a de
tour of a mile or more to reach their places
of business, nor yet hazard garments by
scaling it. These encroachments on the part
of the citizens had once been resisted with
warlike demonstrations but now as Proctor
stepped through the gap, patient looking
round-shouldered little man advanced, trun-
ding a wheelbarrow laden with huge coil
of barb wire, and politely greeting the tres
paseer, set about repairing the fence. Par
was in the employ of the road and
scrupulously obeyed his instructions, but a
CLEAN Of humor in his eye told that he sym
pathized with the transgressors
AS John Proctor took his way down
through the park i'll the direction of his Of
flee, he seemed to throw off the unpleasant
reflections which had been annoying him,
with one shrug of his powerful shoulders.
| The young mans eyes fell cheerily upon the
somewhat incongruous array of buildings
| which constituted the town He gloried in
the homely little edifCes, squatting over the
| ground in various directions. Had not every
foot of lumber been supplied from his own
yard, and did not this avalanche of trade
mean-Annie! Nothing could be mean or
poor which brought these weary years Of
waiting to an end He was prac-
teal man, little given to enthusiasm
of any sort, but for her sake he looked
with glowing vision upon the turreted noun
tain tops in the distance, with their purple
shadows and golden lights. How she would
rejoice over them, that quiet little denizen of
western praiiies who had lived among the
monotonuus levels of central Illinois all her
life.
The thought lent cheerful energy to hi,
voice rs he entered the yard and gave some
directions to MaXOn, his hard-worked book
keeper and general factotum. Proctor wa
deeply engrossed in making out an order fol
several carloads OF finishing lumber when q
shadow darkcncd the door, and the tram,
stood before him. He could not relreSs al
exclamation Of surprise. The vagabond oh
served it, and his face lowered as he asserted
himself dciiantly.
YES I've comc,' ne said. What are yot
going to give me to dor
John Proctor put n his hat and went witt
him into the yard, where an empty ear wa,
waiting to he filled On an order from neigh
boring town. He showed the man small
slip of paper tackled upon the end, and wa
about TO G Xplain where he yyoulI find tha ma