The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-21
A TRAMP'S ROMANCE.

"Was you ever disappointed In lovee''
| inquired the chronic Ioafer jocaIarly of the
traveller, at which sally the rest of the par
ty laughed heartily.
The tramp brought the butt of his heavy
hickory stick down upon the floor with
such vigor as to raise small cloud of dust
from the cracks and replied: 'sWulIl Have
1? Jest sayl Eff youse gentlemen keeps
quiet an don't asst so many questions, -
said the tramp, & tell yer all bout ct.
Yer see. ct come like this. Bout three
years ago l was workin through this val
ley toward Snyder county, an one fine day
ct was one o them days when yer feels
like settin down an jest doin nothin-I
come through this here town an went up
tn main road about two mile tell come
ter tn Red hill I never knowed Jest why
l done ct. Eft must BEN fate, but L
switched of onter tn bye road, stead Nv
stickin ter tn pike. l went bout mile
an didn'J meet no one nor pass no houses,
tell at last l come ter a farm what has an
orchard on tn sout' side tn barn.
They was nice grassy place on tn
other side tn road under an apple tree, an
ez ct was one OF them warm, lazy summer
days 1 made up me min ter rest an lay
down IN tn grass. Yer kin laugh ct folks
who allus talks weather, but tell ye ct
does a powerful sight wit man. know
eff tibet he'd ben rainy day I'd never
bed tibet fairy core-ez tn French calls ct
tibet hit me then an played tn dickens
wit me fortunes.
81 was layin there watchin the clouds
overhead an listenin ter tn ployer whis-
tin out in the f1el, an ter tn tree frawg
bellerin up in tn locus, when all Nv q
sudden I seen blue CLEAN in apple
tree in tn orchard 'crosst tn way. 1
watched ct, an pretty soon made out tibet
ct was woman. She was settin there
quiet an still, like she was readin, an
down below I seen tn top NV a choking
coop an hear tn ole hen cluckin. couldn't
see much fer tn leaves an didn't git
sight uv her face, but made out tn out
lines in tibet blue caliker dress an jest
kinder drank 'em In.
- EFT was tn day done ct all Fore I
knowed ct 1 begen ter imagine tn face
tibet must hey fit tibet form. I pictured
her like tn girls tibet rides tn mowin ma
chine in tn agricultural advertisement
chromos, yel1er hair an all. / wanted ter
try see her face, but didn't dare ter,
for she'd a seen me, and het 'ud "a
spoiled my chanoet. But lay there jest
dreamin like, an fore l knowed ct could
think NV nothin but tibet there girl in tn
tree, who l figured must hev been a heap
sight better lookin than a circus lady.
EFT come shutdown, an ez l he'd ter hus-
tie ter git supper l dragged meself ter
gether an moved on. l went up Gh valley
three days an got bout 80 miles toward
Snyder county, but tn whole time l was
thinkin bout nothin but tn girl in tn
blue caliker dress. I never felt SO queer
before didn t know jest what ter do
Last l decided I'd hey. ter go back an hev
another look ct her, SO turned round an
kivered me tracks.
II reached tn orchard bout one day
later, in tn afternoon, an hanged eff she
wasn't there, but a-settin in a tree closer
ter tn road. l didn't dast go near her,
fer knows how 'fraid tn weemen is nv
us men. But l slid enter me ole place an
Jest lay there &atchin her blue dress
wavin in tn breeze, and then, when l
seen as how shed changed trees, begin
ter think maybe she'd seen me an moved
| up one tree nearer tn road, kinder SO as
we'd be closer. -
The tramp's voice broke. He placed
one hand upon his ragged breast and gazed
over the valley through tear filed eyes.
Now quit yer blubberin, tTampy,"
cried the loafer, IAN git ter tn en- Nv this
ERE yarn
The traveller wiped his eyes upon his
coat sleeve and continued:
t'Wull as I lay there watchin her so
still an quiet I begin ter think. won
dered what her name must hev been an
lowed ct orter been a pretty one Then 1
name, might give her one, tn prettiest
could git up. l racked me brain an final
sot on Emily Kate; tibet sounded high
toned. Then l begin ter wonder who'd be
! so fort nit as ter git Emily an cussed me-
self fer bein SIGH bum. kinder thought
! might reform, but final lowed eff She
take me without me hevin ter reform ct
'ud be sight pleasanter all round. see
how she'd moved up a tree an kinder
! eff ha'
| thought On ct tn worse got. l begin ter
| think mebbe eff cleaned up wouldn't be
| so bad--in fact, a heap better than lots NV
folks l knows. By tn time ct come sun
set 1 conceded ter resk ct an begin ter
| think Nv crawlin tn fence an interducin
meself, but then me heart failed me.
put ct off tell tn mex day an slid over tn
feel ter a barn spent tn night
~ didn It eat no breakfas'. / copldn t.
But when ct come sunup l went down ter
/ tn spring an washed up. Then 1 cut fer
| th' orchard, 'tendin ter wait tel she come.
Expected she wouldn't be there SO airly,
sence she'd likely do up tn breakfas
dishes
81 Skinned tn fence inter tn road, an
then what a sight l scent I near yelled.
They was a great big Teller he'd his arm
| round her wais'. She was a-layin all
| limplike, wit her head pitched forward so
couldn't see it, an her feet was draggin
| through tn timothy, fer the feller was
| pullin her along down tn orchard. Et
! first l was fer runnin to her resky, but I
/ thought mebbe ia better wait tell ! see
/ what come Nv ct.
"Th big Teller, he pulled her all limp,
down ter tn other side an then leaned her
! up agin a tree an hit her punch wit his
| fs' 1 seen tn blue caliker sunbonnet
droop. Then he jumped tn fence an start
/ ed down over tn lneddy.
Ne heart was a thumpin awful. 1
waited tell he was outer sight, an then
clumb tn fence an slipped down through
/ tn long grass ter where Emily Kate lay,
half dead, agfn tn tree. l seen a choking
coop there an hear tn ole hen cluckin, an
l stepped up and raised tn girls droopin
1 head. She he'd a straw face an was keepin
] tn hawks off them chickings Ny Emily