People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-07-29
HIS OTHER SELF.
The Vagrant Who Read His Own
Inscription.

On July evening at dusk two boys
sat near the crest of grass-grown en-
bankment by the railroad at the west
ern side of Pennsylvania town. They
talked IN low tones of the sky's glow
above where the sun had set beyond
the low hills across the river; and also
Of the stars and OF the moon, which was
over the hOusetops behind them. There
was noise of insects chirping in the
grass and of steam escaping from loco
motive boilers in the engine she'd
A rumble sounded from the north
and in that direction locomotive head
light came into view. 1t neared as the
rumble grew louder and soon freight
train appeared. This rolled past at the
foot of the embankment.
From between two grain cars leaped
a man end after him another. So rap
idly was the train moving that they
seemed to be hurled from it. Both
alighted upon their feet. One, tall and
1.-THE, led the way up the embankment,
followed by the other, who was short
and stocky.
BUNS" whispered one of the bows
at the top of the embankment.
The tramps stood still when they
reached the top. Even in the half-light
itcOuld be seen that their clothes were
ill-ftting, frayed and torn. They wore
cast-off hats; the tall man, whose face
was clean-cut and made a pretense Of
being smooth shaver, had a pliable
one; the other was capped by dented
derby.
Here's yer town at last And il
looks like very jay place at that
said the short tramp to the tall one
casting his eyes toward the house roof,
eastward.
The boys, sitting twenty feet away
became silent and cautiously watched
the newcomers.
Yep" replied the tall tramp, in /;
deep but serious and quiet voice; "an(
right about here's the SPOT where
jumped on a freight train fifteen year,
ago, the night ran away from home
That seems like yesterday, though Tv,
not been here since"
Skipped a good home because tn,
old lady brought you new dadl 70,
wouldn't catch me being run out by n,
-stepfatherl Billy, you was rash!"
"Mebbe | was. But on the dead, Pete
1t was mostly jealousy. | thought m,
mother couldn't care for me any NOR
If she could take a second husband. NJ,
sister thought so, too, but she WASH
able to get away like me! OF course
was wrong, 1t was boyish pique drov
me away. l didn't fancy having an
other man in my dead fathers place
either. And | wanted to get aroun
and see the world bit. After I'd gon
often wished / hadn't. I'd never i'm
agined how much | loved mother an
sis. But was tougher and prouder i
some Ways than most kids. You can
understand that sort of thing, Pett
And you can't guess how feel bei1
back here for the first time in fiftee
years. Think of it, was Just fiftee
when l came away. Why, spent hal
nylife here, Petite"
"0h, I've read somewhere about tina
the way great men feel when the
visit their native towns"
The short tramp took a clay pip
from his coat pocket and stuffed into
a cigar end fshed from another poke
Then he inquired:
And now you're here, Billy, whI
are you go'n' to do?7
Only ask around what's become
my folks, then 60 away. ltwon't tai,
long
''There'll be a through coal trai
along in about an hour, 'cordin' to VIII;
she flagman told us at that last tow