Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-05-19
A TALE OF A TRAMP.

A TALE OF A TRAMP.
He was Enthusiastically Il tramp. the
ragged old man that Aunt Libbie
found lying sensc'css upon his face in
the dusty highway that suItry August
afternoon. The terrible heat OF u
burning sun had been too much for
his feeble strength and he had sunk
TO the earth overpowered by u sitting
atmosphere that seemed like breath
from the scorching interior OF some
fcry-hearted volcano.
Most people would have bundled the
old ragamuffin of TO the workhouse
Immediately. helpless and sun-smitten
as he was. but she was made OF a DIFF.
acrent stuff this ten Ter hearted little
Aunt Libbie of our She nassily sum.
noned the whole household out into
The heat and dust o, the highway and
made the hired maa AMI myself raise
| ihe almost lifc,csS form OF the old
! boggar AMI put IL tendery to bed in
the tiny spare room that she had re-
served when we came to live with her,
/; while Maggie wen: in haste for DIR.
! Palmer.
There was a mournful tragedy hid
! den away il the buried past of this
/ 50 voiced tender hearted little old
#ly, though no one ever would have
! suspected it from her sweet face and
calm ana placid appearance. Long
: years be.Ore when Aunt Libbie was
,,ill Il fresh and beautiful young girl,
! her heart had been won by handsome
| Gushing young stranger called Tom
! Dacre. AS he seemed steady and re-
! liable and the soul OF honor they be-
I came engaged af er Il short cpurtship,
| even though she knew nothing what
! ever OF her handsome lovers ante.
ccde1ts. For while everything went
on happily and the wedding day rap.
| .dly drew ucar then c,:mo Il thunder
| cap.
A neighbour Deacon Burgess, bought
IL large tract of land known as the
/ EdmOnds estate, and went to the city
one day to draw funds from the bank
| with which to pay for it. AS it was
! long drive and he did not expect TO
/ get back until late he took his son,
Henry an intelligent lad of fifteen,
with him for company.
About ten O'clock that nig hi the boy
came rushing back into the Burgess
/ homestead. with a face like ashes and
great, Mortified eyes, and with all the
indifference Of extreme terror he told
an awful story. He said that he and
his father had nearly reached home
again, when, as they were going
through a dark an lonely strip of
wood and, highwayman suddenly
| sprang from the bushes by the road
side and seized the h rise by the bride.
Pointing a pistol straight at the dea-
cons breast he demanded his money
The carriage lamps were burning
brightly, but the mans face was en-
velOpcd TO the eyes in thick. dark
mu er, so he could not be identified.
The deacon was brave man though
sOmewhas along in years and he was
nO} ono to give up his hard-earned
sQvirgs without a struggle. leaping
| suddenly rom the carriage he Crap
Piled with the robber at the same
time calling upon the boy for assist
auCe
The onslaught was 50 unexpected
that the rufiian was taken entirely by
| surprise The cloth was torn from
his face in the struggle, but before
the frightened boy could render his
father the slightest assistance the
robber pulled the trigger and Deacon
Burgess fell headlOng to the earth
The boy leapcd into the bushes and
/ escaped in the darkness; but "a he
/ fed from the fatal spot he threw a
hasty glance behind him and saw the
assassin leaning over the PROSTATE
| form OF his victim as he CROPPED in
| the breast for the roll of bills that
/ had been the occasion OF the crime.
The boy 5 story created the utmost
/ CONSERVATION at the Burgess home.
stead. An armed party of neghbOrs
was hastily summoned. and set out at
once for the scene of the encounter
. The terrible tale was but too true.
They found the unfortunate man pros
trate in the road and weltering in
blood, shot through the breast while
the old horse stood hitched to tree
close by. The money was gone.
Deacon Burgess lived until the fol-
lowing day and recovered his senses
perfectly toward the last. Both he
ard the boy Henry swore most posi-
lively that the perpetrator OF th @
dastardly deed was no other than Tom
Dacre. But no earthly power could
save the wounded man, as he was
bleeding internally and at 3 o'clock
in tho afternoon he breathed his last
1t was two days before Tom Dacre
could be found but at the end OF that
time he was arrested returning from a
neighboring town. The officers kept
the Infatuated citizens from lynching
him only with the greatest difficulty.
and that very evening they started for
the city with u cir prisoner.
Not long after they set out as Aunt
Libbie sat with dry eyes and stony
heart in the little garden, we'll
known voice called to her from the
shrubbery; and IA moment later Tom
Dacre was at her side He had broken
away from his captors and succeeded
in Guiding them in the darkness but
he could not leave the place perhaps
forever without bidding his sweet
heart farewell. and at the risk of his
life he had sought her side for that
purpose.
He swore that he was innocent Of
the crime Of which he stood accused.
and begged for a single word OF love
and consolation to cheer him in tho
long, dreary years of his coming exile
but all in vain. The proofs OF hi,
guilt were too strong, and Aunt Libbit
drove him from hcr side with horror
and loathing; even while her owl
heart was breaking with the pain o
the separation
From that hour Tom Dacre wa
never seen again. Search as the,
would. the detectives could not fin,
the slightest trace OF the missing man
and after years OF unsuccessful eifor
the search was finally abandoned
The hput.,l mupdnr of nnnonn D,,-oog