Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-29
Che Story Of a D0aif ano Stray

VIZ wv Z ~ - W@'I 1'S TOi' az
t Move on! We don't want sun
downers here. Go to the pub
+ GA Sundowner" is a tramp who
roves about the country from station
to station begging food, but never do
ing any work that he can avoid. What
ever distance he may have travelled.
he always manages to time his arrival
at a station at shutdown, when the
hands are coming into their huts for
tea. He shambles over to the huts, ap-
parently f5Otsore and lame, and is al
ways sure of meal, a shakedown,
and q breakfast in the morning and
generally a piece of mutton and big
slice of damper to carry him to the
next station.)
The words were harshly uttered by
slatternly woman. standing at the door
of poor cottage on the outskirts of
the settlement.
She stood with arms akimbO. regard
ing the tramp with a look of angry
scorn. She had lost all traces of come
illness, but now her face was hard and
careworn. Her mouth was tightly
drawn at the corners, and her great.
dark eyes were restless. dilating and
vicious. Her face and neck and bare
arms were bronzed by the sun. She
wore a common. ill-fitting gown. and
white sunbonnet covered her head.
She had the face and air Of woman
who had known much sorrow and
suffering.
A man rode up and checked his horse
at the garden gate.
ooh, Mr.. Hicks" said the woman,
have you seen my Sally? l sent her
away an hour ago to bring in the cows,
and she hasn't come back"
! mo. Mrs. Wilkins, l haven't set
eyes on her. I've come from away
yOnder, near Picton. My word, the
roads are just awful, up to the girths
in water, and some of the bridges are
carried away. Going to have more
rain, too Good afternoon!'
He plunged the spurs into his horses
tanks and galloped away toward the
town.
The tramp had fingered irresolutely.
gazing with a wistful look toward the
cottage.
well, didn't / tell you to clear?"
said the woman. eve nothing for you
here. It's as much as 1 can do to get
enough to eat for myself. Vamoose,
or I'll set the dogs on yer"
He turned aside without a word.
gazed for a moment across the long
reeless valley, covered with patches
of coarse tussocks, noted the gray
watery mist creeping down the distant
hills, and with an audible sigh went on
his way.
He was a pitiable looking picture.
His tall figure was bent his face wan
and pale, his eyes bleared, his beard
matted and grizzled and his long hair,
almost hidden beneath the dropping
brim of a greasy ''billycock" hat. I'M
kempt. A blue Jumper" a pair of
moleskin trousers, and rusty Butchers,
through which his stockingless toes
protruded. made up the attire of a
colonial tramp. He carried all his
lordly belongings in a "swag'' Or rolled
blanket, in the form of a huge horse
collar, worn over his left shoulder and
across his chest and back. after the
fashion Of rifieman's cartridge belt
AS he shambled away from the cot
tage, dragging his feet painfully as
though they were lead, the woman con-
tinued to watch him with a look of sus-
picion.
Another of those drunken, loafing
tramps." she muttered. 81 fancy I've
seen him hanging around here before
I She had shaded her eyes with her
hands, and scanned the brown tus-
socked plain. Feeling the patter of a
few drops Of rain, she shifted her
hands to her mouth, funnel-wise, and
uttered a long and prolonged "Coo-eer'
! The man paused for an instant and
J glanced back, but he knew the call was
not for him. There was no answering
cry. The woman repeated the signal
and only the dull roar and wrangle of
the flooded river was heard.
"Won't I give it to her, that's all.
when I get hold of the little hussy."
growled the woman. as she went in
Mrs. Wilkins was one of the numer-
Gus class of "grass Widows" who
abound among the nomadic population
of the colonies. Her husband. a con-
irmed drunkard after dissipating
their little property, had gone away
years ago. and had never since been
heard of. The wife lived on the pro-
ceeds of the milk and butter derived
from a few COWS and the sale of eggs
She was a sturdy. industrious woman.
and though her domestic troubles and
her constant struggle with poverty had
spoiled her temper Mother Wilkins
was generally respected by her neigh
bors
Down in the little town of Blen-
helm the people were stricken with the
dread Of impending disaster. There |
had been heavy rain for several days. |
and now. after a few hours Of /!
treacherouS sunshine, the sky had !
again become dark and threatening. |
The unpaved streets and footpafhs !
were covered with a thick layer of |
gluey mud. The last storm had over /
flowed the cutters and cast mp banks (
of yellow sludge at the very doors of /
the stores and dwelling houses. The /
general aspect of the town was dreary