Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-02-07
SALLIE'S TRAMP.
He First Amused Her and at Last
Married Her.

The clatter ofpans, the rhythmic throb
of the rolling-pin, with the accompani-
ment of slamming oven doors. and a
girls CHEEKY voice singing snatches of
old love songs. Pretty black-cyed
Sallie Elliott, farmers daughter, busy
at work as usual, and singing as she
wrought that busy afternoon before
Christmas. Stewing and baking and
irving to be done for tomorrow and to-
morrow's crowd of visitors, and the
aroma of stewing fruits, baking cakes
and pies. and frying doughnuts filled
the room and was waited out through
the partly open door, and down to the
roadway Father and brothers had
driven out into the field gathering corn,
mother had just stepped over to a
neighbours, and she was left all to her
pretty self to do the accustomed Satur-
dav afternoons fixing Quite lot of
it too, seemingly, for one pair of little
hands to do, but they were deft, willing
little hands, and the way work flew be-
fore them was simply magical. A
clumsy shuttle along the walk, an I'M
steady step on the porch, and the door
was pushed rudely open, and mans
burly figure darkened the doorway.
The blthe song died away in pitiful
little quaver.
"Ha. ha! Now have you! A weak
girl all alone saw men folks leave
neighbors too far to be alarmed-too
cowardly to use weapons even did she
have them in short an easy victim.
To morrow's dailies will announce
another tiendish murder by tramps TO
sensations loving world! Just fresh
from slaughtering my -hundredth
man, while my arrests, robberies etc.,
are entirely too numerous to mention"
All the tramp had said was only too
true. But though the ROSY cheeks did
turn deathly pale and there was the
least perceptible culver about the rose
bud mouth, the black eyes flashed
ominously as they cast furtive glance
at the cleaning butcher knife lying
near
Butcher knife won't amount to a
hill of beans observing the glance
will only add spice of danger to the
sport and thereby render it more ex-
hilarating! just as well meet your
fate resignedly. Your only respite or
hope is, to at once set before me plenty
of the very best you have to eat this
very minute. Look sharp nown'
She looked at the man critically. A
rough, ragged and dirty man, with UNI
kempt hair and a rough stubble of
beard covering his face, and pair of
bright mischievously twinklng blue
eyes that gave the lie to his threaten
ings.
30, perhaps you are not altogether
so bad man as you seem to wish to
make out, i" she ventured with pitiful
attempt at smile. "At any rate, not
so bad as to take advantage of help
less girl who never did you harm"
What, not, and a tramp! A rag
ged, dirty and brutal tramp" he en-
claimed. Surely you can't have kept
up with the papers All poor fellows
out of luck, and ragged and dirty are
tramps, and to be Kicked and cuffed
about like dogs and then wondered at,
that some of them act the dog they are
treatedn
"But all men a little ragged and
dirty are not tramps. more than all
men who are finely dressed are gentle
men, answered Sallie with a little
laugh now. 'lf they were, we should
nave lots of tramps who are any thing
else, and lots of fine gentlemen who
are not so considered
"lf you doubt my tramphood, just
put something before me really good
10 eat and | will convince you beyond
a doubt. Be quick about it, seating
himself at the table-''for | am in haste
10 be through and proceed to murder
you plumber the house, and then fire it
according to the usual and most APP
proved method"
,. oallie laughed little uneasy laugh.
1t was plain to be seen that the fellow
had no notion of doing as he boosted,
sun her position WAS not one very en-
Vlable by any means.
>. certainly you shall have something
w. eat she FASTENED to say, 1--WE never
urn any one away hungry, no matter
VINO Not very much of fre-let it
r down while at my bread, stirring
1. Hgorouslyi-"will run out after
little wood
=. Not much will you" exclaimed the
Tramp sprnging to his feet; ''am too
snarp Tor that; all you want is to get
out IN sight of some one passing and
give the alarm. saw the wood pile
ramps always look to that, you bet
saw That it was all worked up too, else
shoudn't have honu>ed YOU. I'll go
ior the wood while YOU put on my din
n nes, ny the by. just introduce the
will you?n
The fellows assurance was simply
unparalleled, and yet in the way he
I I.