Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-11-26
TRICKS OF TRAMPS.
Secrets OF Trade That Fail to Secure q
Meal for a Knight of the Road.

Meal for knight of the Road.
He had seen better DAYS. Anybody could
tell that. But the chances were that his
sight had not rested on a day that had not
been decidedly worse for very long time
His clothes were not in as good repair as
they might have been. His beard, which
was of pronounced red, with traces here
and there of warm Titan shade, was fully
two weeks advanced toward maturity, and
his nose matched his beard perfectly in
general appearance. He was not pretty
man.
TO get down to hard facts he was
tramp.
He walked up West Main street in an
amless sort OF way and his every action
gave proof to the fact that he was playing
in hard luck. Just up by Plymouth av-
enue another tramp came along. The sec
ond one differed from the first but very
little in his general makeup. He was
younger though and not quite so dirty.
The two men met and stopped. They eyed
each other curiously for a moment and
then the second one said, "How're they
cominW
"Rotten," replied the first one senten-
tiously
"Same here" said the other one grimly.
clad any grub'"
! "Nope"
"What are yer doin''
"Lookin fer IT,"
"Where yer goin"
"Goin ter try my luck out here on this
street Worked the same woman four
times by calm an askin If her mother was
in. She's sixty, but she thinks she don't
look it, an she's bit every time on the
same gag. Wanter go long,"
The young man was pleased at the pros
pect, and said that he did. Up the street
the two pedestrians sailed and after few
moments walk reached the house where
the susceptible woman lived. just as the
man who had been there four times was
about to try, n happy thought seemed tc
strike him, and he turned and said "Say
watts the matter with your gon' in al
maxim bluff at her. She'd know me
sure"
"W'at'll I sayy" asked the young man.
Jaw, give her any CUFF you think Of
Ask her if her grandmother Is in, ant
when she tells you she is dead, beg he
parding an tell her she's so young lookir
that you thought she was Twin with her
Any sort of stuff'll 90, she's so dead stucl
on bein taken for younger than she Is"
The young man was tickled with tn
idea, and he pulled the gate open anc
walked MP the front steps with a noncha
liant air and pulled the front doorbell. Ii
a moment the lady of the house came T.
the door, and he took off his hat and mad
low bow. "Scuse me, ma'am, but is an
of your grandchildren home"
81 haven't any grandchildren, snapped
the woman as she started to close the door
II AK your parding, maam. Come t
look at you, you amt old enough to hav
grandchildren. Can l see your marrie
daughterY"
"Why, you insulting wretch, and m
only thirty years old. Get out of the var
or Tll scald YOU" almost shouted tn
woman as she slammed the door shut wit
bang that could be heard a square.
Meanwhile the other tramp stood at tn
bottom of the steps, black in the face fror
anger When the young man came dow
he grabbed him by the throat and hisseC
u "What did you ask her that for9 You're
u handsome gilly, you are. You don't kno'
as much bout taffyin woman as | d
y about the inside of a bank" Then
pushed the young man from him an
:, strobe out to the sidewalk. AT the gar
II he turned and shouted back to the youn
, fellow who stood where the old man ha
u showed him: "You're a tramp. You
!. BAIL The best thing you can do, youn
Ii teller, is ter go ter work"
And he strobe down the street nevt
once looking back at his quondam partne
y Rochester Democrat.