Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-10-12
A TRAMP'S CONQUEST.

Tom was hungry, That is not an
/ alarming condition when one is in
easy reach of a restaurant or the
home table. But hungry, cold and
potIoFr eleahs i'll a little Weeon-
tsin settlement, is, TO any one but q
professional tramp, an embarrass-
ing position to be in.
II was inJust that position that
Ton Hamilton found himself one
summer morning. He, with three
or four others, had been spending
couple of weeks among the fa-
nous trout streams of WincOnsin.
He had made friends with two
noble. red men who served them as
guides.
At last these pleasure-seekers
separated. Toms vacation had not
quite ended, so he was to remain q
little longer.
The next day he discovered that
he had lost bis purse. Then he had
lost his hat in going over the rap
Ids. His coat was demoralized ; his
boots had lost the shine that dis
Ftinguished them on State street.
) What few effects he had brought
with him were either in the hands
of the rest Of the party, for they
had taken charge of the luggage,
or in the hands of his abO riginal
brothers.
That morning his cogitations
4 ware Something in this wise:
"Well, Tom Hamilton, this is a
rather interesting state of things.
Twenty miles from a railroad sta
ton; no money, no clean clothes,
no anything.
po II do charge you, Tom Hamilton,
with being a tramp, that's what
you are, now be true to your char
acter, sir, and make a successful
trabR sPefhaps b9Ysytr, you had
better take an account OF stock; ID
other words, see what yonr re-
sources are.
sndstErst -ATwo soiledhandkerchfefs
evidence Of former respectability
I a bit OF rbyming composed and
sung BY our campfire, evidence OF
extraordinary mental power; a
photograph of cousin Bessie, show
ing that l have known the refDing
linffaence; of female friendship; a
copy of TennysOn, couple Of cl-
gars and an empty match box.
"These are my possessions this a.
m. Now, here is a little hamlet
where / ought, according to poetic
tradition, to find every latch.stnng
out and every man ready to clasp
me in his arms and call me brother,
ready to share the Iast. crust OF
bread and the last cup of coffee
with me-
Tom recOnnOitered a little after
the fashion of thoroughbred
tramp. One woman offered tC
give him his breakfast in return
for an hours devotion to her wood
pile, but he fully intended TO bs
consistent, and so he declined hel
offer.
He noticed large, pleasant.look
ing brown farm house, set well bach
from tie road. The. Lawn in from
was smooth as a floor. He noticed
a fower-bed in the distance, gay
with bloom. He saw the hanging
baskets in the porch, and he look
ed upon the place as critically al
though he medtated purchasing
instead of asking for breakfast.
This looks inviting. This hous'
has a fine expression, for houses
have expressions as we'll as theb
Inmates, and there is a young lady
swinging in that hammock. 1knov
she is young, because she has on
light.blue dress, and any one no'
young ought to know better thar
to wear light blue. She also hat
fair bair and blns or gray eyes.
"This is a somewhat ridiculous
way for a hungry man and a TEN
porary beggsr to reason, but II
shows that my exposures and pri
vations have not impaired my pow
erful Intellect
He tired his fate at the kitchen
door. '.."
z "Sure, now, it's hungry yOu are
and It's something to ate ye'Fe want
ing 0/I I[III ..
!. "If you please .
"Tben III be asking the mistress
"Can't you give me something
withOutR7
"Av cOOrse | could, young man
but IT'S Norsh O'Flaherty that
obeys orders.p
"Certainly, Norah, give him some
thing,' be heard very sweet voice
say IN answer to Norah's inquiry
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