The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-06-13

PUT THAT TRAMP OUT"
Drane walked down according to di-
rections. He approached the clerk.
s'Some miserable thief" he began.
The clerk struck big bell with alarm
ing force.
"Walsh," said he to porter, ''put this
confounded tramp out. l thought you
fired him an hour ago."
$50 did, SIR" said Walsh, rolling up
his sleeves, ''but he don't come back
this time unless his remainders is
brought up from the sidewalk in bas-
ket."
Mr.. Drane turned about with the in
tentlon OF standing the porter on his
head for his impertinence, thing he
could easily have done, for he was
young man of remarkable strength and
excellent training in the use of it; but
as he turned he saw his own image in a
long mirror let into the wall. He was
the ideal dead-beat. He stared at this
libelous carioa 5ure of himself with utter
amazement. The character reached out
from the mirror and seized upon him
with grip he could not shake off. He
seemed to shrink morally, intellectually
and physically to fit his garments and
there was no more backbone in his
body.
He was the tramp all over. In spite
of himself, he played the part to the
life and submitted to election with only
the ordinary protestations of injured in
nocence which are always ridiculous.
He stood on the edge of the sidewalk
and endeavored to collect his senses
1t was time to stop making mistakes
and he knew it. Evidently he must
have money, and the only way to get it
that was speedy enough to satisfy the
demands of his impatience was by wire.
He found telegraph office and wrote
out modest request that his father in
Kansas City should send five hundred
dollars at the rate of one hundred and
ninety thousand miles second or faster
if the electricity could be hurried.
1t was branch telegraph office and a
young man with shrewd face was in
charge.
'Send this collect" said Lawrence,
laying down his message.
what do you take me for?" inquired
the young man, blandly.
Lawrence recognized that some ex-
planation was necessary, so he briefly
outlined the case. The young man
looked interested, and Lawrence was en-
couraged. He entered more into detail,
and the young man put on sweet and
trustful smile. Lawrence reached the
point in his narrative where the porter
loomed into prominence, and he hesi-
tated, feeling the humiliation of his de-
feat.
HAnd then-and then" said he, blush
"And then," said the young man, SOL
emnly, ''you put the cork back into the
bottle and the green snakes disappeared.
commend your prudence. You've had
enough"
"Do you mean to intimate that 1 am
intoxicated?"
mot at all" replied the young man;
shut you'll have to try this story at the
main Office on Broadway. 1t is too ex-
citing for my nerves."
From this position the manager re-
fused to recede, and Lawrence was
obliged to content himself with direc-
tions how to find the main office. 1t
was not a very long walk, but shame at
his garments made it path of torture.
1t was not plain sailing after he got
there, either, for it took half an hour of
painful argument to coax the message
on to the wire.
The answer was slow in coming. The
long evening twilight was well ad-
vanced before he was notified that Kan
sas City had been heard from. This was
the reply:
"Have wired money to New Haven.
SANFORD DRANE."