Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-03-02
The TRAMP,s STORY.
Ne Tells Of Timo When IIe Was Happy
with Ills Wife and baby.

WIN VINO anu
"Do you sec thin shclvcsF'
Ycs, saw a lot Of shelves on both sides of
tho postoillcc corridor, ON which people
wrote postal cards or assorted their mail.
"Whnt about tlcmf'
''Jist look at thin tramps there" was
Dennis reply. and rs VIC followed the di-
rcction OF his finger we saw perhaps dozen
dilipidatcd trainrs leaning on tbs decks.
Some were old, others were youn: Some wore
merely dirty, others were llthy. All looked
cold. all luoScl starved. All were tranps,
but they all pretended TO bc writing letters.
That's tho way they work it," growlcd
the old watch,nan. iii, tiicrc!" no cx-
claimed. rs hc shook his cane at tho tiamps,
and tho limo of highway kings topplc.l iv-
ward the doors like tcnpins struck by n ball
''HeS," continued the watchman, "thcy 20
out, but they'll all come back through another
door. You sco they como In here when iis
cold and pretend to write letters, or say ticy
are c@icciins letters. Twenty or thirty of
them Hrc always here. and 1t keeps an old
man like inc busy. Say. it's time for that old
fellow you saw mo fro out TO bc In OH tho
other side. Let's so around TO tho Park row
side"
There hc WIS again. Ills head was nodding
on his breast, while In his hand was pack of
greasy old letters Ills mouth opened as IL
about 20 say I'm SrcctinS letter." when
bang! siam! crash! Dennis fired him through
tho swinging doors
Out on the pavement wo expected to find
tho old trsmpa IA battered wreck hut, "Ah.
there, coppcrs," hc remarked chccrfully 10 a
couple ot hurryinS policemen. touching hls
hat politely, Il sec that in spite Of oil pro-
dictions tho stars are out tonight. Good
evening, gents"
called TO him. Say, old man, cono over
TO llitchcock's."
~ hostelry, presume" was his response.
and Offering 10 take my arm. which denied
him, lac accompanied mo over 10 tho place of
''lcvf ami" Uncc my tramp had been u
good looking man, but now he was broken
down, middle aged, blcar eyed "bummcr :"
y hilcous scar on his LIFT cheek cmphasizcl
tho maligni,y Of his expression.
Dear old Boston" Ec sighed, ms he shovcl.
cd In ths brails; Il say dear old Boston To-
cause am u i'oS;onian. lcs, and once was
proud of it, too. But now, oh, Lord.r and
the oil wretch pretended 10 snivcl
My storyf' lc continued. "Ah. I wns
onco u business man IN the town OF Arlington,
Mass ! made II good living. hal pretty
wife, children. comfortable home and all that
thought would 80 to farming, because my
health was not rool, and iut all my savings
In u nice little farm In Iiampdcn. a lit,lc town
near Bangor. Ne. That was twenty-five
Years ago. stranger. There we were happy.
| usL TO skate IN the winter up tho l'c.ioiIscot
10 Bangor for our groceries aal Tor the cxcr.
cts'. coull take u bag uf co.Tcr under ono
arm, u ha,n under the other. tie sack Of
Hour oa ily back, and II the wigtl was with
mo could skate those eight miles In half nn
hour, stranger" The old fellow warmed 20
his narrative and proceeded:
''But my wifc wasn't happy. Sho pin,sl
fer Ets;un, AMI ,:nrliow didn't scc::l io sec
that She lookcl forward for the ii:ac-, when
would ska, 10 Bangor Tho ncighbors. | re-
member, u>Cd to look curious, anl by and by
noticed the old women ceased to talk when
| drew ncr. \ shudowy fear bcgan TO
han; over mc, but | tried 10 laugh at it,
But ono day" sighed the tramp, lit came
Ny wife has been nervous all day She had
bccn To the Iostot!icc every mail, us il she tx.
pcct,sl II letter. IL was the day, too. on
which was 20 skate TO Bangor. But 1t
look"l - stormy that said would not go.
Ny wife looked frightened, turncd pale. and
even then | did not suspect"
The tramp was excited now and went on:
"By nnd by slic called to mc and sail. Jack,
sou ia,ist go To Bangor: baby has the Group
And slo said 1t ~ II shc meant 1t, too,
stranger put on my skates Tho wind
WAS II: ,ai,is; Inr. hut did not know IT, Tho
Ico sped Under my feet. the shore giidctl toy
and the clouds could not keep lacc with me-
The 'lara frownins hills oa either side II tho
old rcnohscot rosc and fell as few on rho
wings Of the wind. Ono mile, two miles.
thrp and four Half way! With every
muscle siraaci and my body glowing like a
furnace, my heart torn with pain, rushed
on ia the darkness.
"Ilark! What was thati My heart al.
most s.oppsl beating. The wind had In
creased in;oa u hurricane. What was that
saw before INC. oh, heavens. Arouni High
Head. IN front of mc in the dim lights of the
h.,lc city, WIS wide cSpanSc of foaming
water '!is.ins tho leo field into millions Of
fragments The icc was going out and was
ia ,a.c middle "f tho river!
We'll. stranger. when the lee goes out Of
great river ia tho icr;h II wild storm, II
goes ! caa Srnuw that horrible whitc line
ot i"n'l plursin; up out of the darkness and
swonria.; down on Inc. lean fccl nIySclf dart
over uillrol.ca patches Of irc like swallow.
| remember low junlsNl from ono cake 90
anu;,cr, AMI sometimes that awful feeling OF
despair Gnd exhaustion comes over mo ms
rcs';. how r,a,l, that last fearful plunge for
tlso shur' NV l"ni struck something and
did not coiIs IL until the cold waves had
f!rrnrhc,l ~" through nn,l through again rs I
lay an the lsy,''h az High Head. | staggered
10 my fNi bleeding from the wound that
ca,i>.'l Tho s''ar tina; have carri,Sl ever since
! man driving 10y WAS kind 10 mo and took
me- e. doctor w..o lived near by.
well, Granger, there amt much moro 20
tell ! rot Enino in less than an hour. Sho
wa, gone, hut she lcft u letter telling mo that
perhaps snino time She would write mo when
shc thought that mi.;h, like TO sec my baby
Sometimes when | am taken a little worse
than usual these cold nights expect letter"
-Ncw York l.crald.