Feliciana sentinel., 1892-07-30
HIS OTHER SELF.
Tho Vagrant Who Read His Own
inscription.

sat near the crest of a grass-grown EN-.
bankment by the railroad at the west
ern side of a Pennsylvania town. They
talked IN low tones of tho 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 shed.
rumble sounded from the north
and in that direction a locomotive head
light came into view. 1t neared as the
rumble grew louder and soon a freight
train appeared. This rolled past at the
foot Of the embankment.
From between two grain cars leaped
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.
'Bums." whispered one of the boys
at she top OF the EN- bankment.
The tramps stood still when thev
reached the top. Even in the half-light
itcould be seen that their clothes were
ill-fitting, frayed and torn. They wore
cast-of hats; the tall man, whose face
was clean-cut and made pretcnse of
being smooth shaven, had a pliable
one; the other was capped by a 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 roofs
eastward.
The boys, sitting twenty feet away,
became silent and cautiously watched
the newcomers.
Yep" replied the tall tramp. In a
deep but serious and quiet voice: land
right about here's the SPOT where 1
jumped on freight train fifteen years
ago, the night I ran away from home.
lhat seems like yesterday, though I've
not been here since" rf
: Skipped good home because the
old lady brought you new dad. You
wouldn't catch me being run out by no
stepfather! Billy, you was rasbi'
Mebbe was. But on the dead, Pete.
fe was mostly jealousy. I thought my
mother couldn't care for me any more
II she could take a second husband NV
sister thought so, too, but she wasn't
able to get away like me! OF course
was wrong. 1t was boyish piquc drove
me away. 1 didn't fancy having an
other man in my dead fathers place,
either. And I wanted to get around
and see the world a bit. After I'd gone
often wished I hadn't. I'd never inn
agined how much / loved mother and
sis. But was tougher and prouder in
some ways than most kids You can't
understand that sort of thing, Pete.
And you can't guess how / feel beiu' |
back here for the first time in fifteen
years. Think of it, ! was just fifteen |
when I came away. Why, spent half |
my life here, Petie!''
sfOh, I've read somewhere about that |
the way great men feel when they
visit their native towns
The short tramp took a CLAW pine
from his coat pocket and stuffed into il |
9 cigar end fished from another pocket.
Then he inquired:
And now you're here, Billy, what |
are you go'n' to do?''
Only ask around whats become n,
my folks, then go away. 1t won't take
long"
: ''There'll be a through coal trail;
aiong IN about an hour. 'cortlin' to what
the hSgman told us at that last town
that?s ~ " 'ounoe
Yes. We needn't stay here. There's
little to be picked up in a place like
this"
Then skin along and make yer iu-
Testigations- I'll sit here and smoke
III you come back. If you could pinch
bit o bread an meat by the way, il
hurt"
III try" answered the tall tramp.
I'm goin' to ask the kids yonder, first.
any o. my people still live here" Il
The tall tramp strodc over to the two
oys His companion shambled down
ne embankment to obtain, at the turn