Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-09-13
I TOO Stories.

grass, beneath an apple tree whose
fruit almost touched his brOnzed and
bearded face a tramp lay fast asleep
with a short corncob pipe clenched
between his teeth. His arms. stalwart
arms that might have done much in
the harvest field, were folded across
his breast.
Presently a self-binder rounded the
turn of golden grain and old Farmer
Brown strobe under the apple tree
He pasued, whip in hand and gazed
Xrimly down 90 the sleeping figure
tnally he gave a sharp kick on the
>)les of a well worn shoe that barely
covered the red and blistered feet and
sad:
Wall, what We dom hyar?"
The tramp raised himself slowly to
sitting position.
What am | doing here? Sleeping
reckon"
Wall, yer loafin' aroun' my farm
amt yer?"
Reckon So"
Wall, what's yer business here?"
NONE, L reckon.
Wall, yure a rum TN anyway. Say,
ye're marrieu?'
The cold, steel,blue eyes flashed with
a deadly fire.
Yes, unfortunately, yes
The old farmer sOftened perceptibly
for there was som 4thing superior In
the mans makeup
The tramp coly filled his pipe with
plowbOy tobacco, lit it with a parlol
match and pulled away with proyok
ing deliberatiOn.
Say, old man. he SAID suddenly
and with an energy that caused the
farmer to slip down besiGe him, dc
you want a story? Do you want tC
know how | became a tramp? Listen
Il married when nineteen a farmers
daughter, who bad been driven from
home because Of IN error in her young
life. | married her knowing full wei
her follies. For thirteen years We
lived at least as happily as most mar
rl"d couples and loved each other as
man and wife should and then z
shadow fell across our hearthstOne
Across from Our home in the quiet
village of l. young man boarded
who was young and handsome anC
clever. ] was often absent from home
for | was a travelling salesman foI
q large house in Chicago. L often
came home unexpectedly and one
Dight l dropped off passenger coach
to the platform. 1 had determined
rpon a surprise to my wife and so |
ade my way to the kitchen door
stood ajar and l walked on tiptoe
TO the parlOr. There a sight met my
gaze that chilled my blood to the mar
row. Seated upon low stool was my
wife. Beside her sat the clever young
man who was gazing fOndly into her
face. while stroking her brown hair
away from her clean cut brow.
The sight nearly drove me crazy.
| drew Il 3S-calibre Colts from a
side pocket and pulling the trigger
I emptied every chamber at the guilty
pair and they fell dead upon the car.
pet. Then | fed, out into the rainy
night and when my brain cooled Off l
found myself on a freight train bound
| knew not where and cared less.
AT length the train pulled into the
freight yards at st. Louis and-weu,
my career since then wouldn't inter-
est you. l haven't had any ambition
since. But, helloo, good man, what's
up?" for the old man had fallen prone
upon the grass, and his eyes rolled
as if he had been stricken with apo
plexy. The paroxysm was Of short
duration and he arose to his feet with
out assistance. He was very grave
and serious now.
Listen, young man, and l will tell
you story as true and strange as
your own. | am the father Of seven
children. One of them, my daughter
Sally, ran away from home because
her sins had found her out. She mar
rled a kind-hearted stranger in CHI
cago, who made her a comfortable
home near by. We never heard from
her for nigh onto thirteen years and
then she wrote a letter so tender and
pathetic that l sent her youngest
brother on a visit TO her. He was
gone but a short time when | heard
that they had bsau shot by jealous
husband and were lying at the point
of death at a Chicago hospital. But
they didn't die and when they re
covered 1 brought them home. That
gal II | mistake not was your wife.
The lover you shot was my son and
lot the young man you mentioned"
The tramp buried his face in his
hands and the first tears that had
Welled up from a heart that had
known the burden of a life's sorrow.
Bring her to me-" he whispered
hoarsely. and he waited and watched
with keen Impotence for his wife'S
Cunning. At length she stood beside
him and a smile radiant with love
fitted over her beautiful face as she
took his outstretched hands in hers
and whispered so low that only the
angels and the tramp caught it:
Willie, darling, my own. Thank
God"
The Whilom tramp is sturdy
farmer now who resides not a thous-
and miles from Madison and the
forgetful or forgiving
Of past tragedies, live content with
their children.