The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-26
A TRAMP'S ROMANCE.

inquired the chronic loafer jocularIy Of the
traveller, at which sally the rest of the par
~ laughed heartily.
The tramp brought the butt of his heavy
hickory stick down upon the floor with
tuch vigor as to raise q small cloud OF dust
from the cracks and replied: ''Wull! Have
[? jest say! Ef youse gentlemen keeps
auiet an don't asst SO many questions, !"
laid the tramp, Il tell yer all bout ct.
Yer see. ct come like this. Bout three
fears ago 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. l never knowed jest why
] done ct. Et must a ben fate, but
switched of onter tn bye road, stead Nv
stickin ter tn pike. went bout mi g
an didn't meet DO one Hor pass no houses,
tell at last come ter 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 made up me min ter rest an lay
down in TIL grass. Yer kin laugh ct folks
who allus talks weather, but l tell We ct
does powerful sight wit man. know
ef tibet he'd a ben a rainy day I'd never
he'd thet fairy coFe-ez tn French calls ct
tibet hit me then an played tn dickens
wit me fortunes.
II was layin there watchin the clouds
overhead an listeDin ter tn ployer whis-
tin out in the fel, an ter TIL tree frawg
bellerin up in tn locus, when all Nv
sudden 1 seen a blue CLEAN in an apple
tree in tn orchard 'crosst tn way. l
watched ct, an pretty soon made out thet
ct was q woman. She was settin there
quiet an still, like she was readin, an
down below 1 seen tn top Nv choking
coop an hear tn ole hen cluckin. couldn't
see much fer tn leaves an didn't sit
sight Nv her face, but / made out tn out
lines in thet blue caliker dress an Jest
kinder drank 'em in.
EFT was tn day done ct all. Fore I
knowed ct begen ter imagine tn face
thet must hev fit tibet form. 1 pictured
her like tn girls tibet rides tn mowin ma
chine in tn agricultural advertisement
chronos, yeller hair an all. wanted ter
try an see her face, but didn't dare ter,
for she'd "a seen NE, and het 'ud "a
spoiled my chancet. But lay there Jest
dreamin like, an fore knowed ct could
think Nv nothin hut tibet there girl in tn
tree, who figured must hev been a heap
sight better lookin than circus lady.
EFT come shutdown, an ez he'd ter hus-
tie ter git supper / dragged meself ter
gether IN moved On. / went up th' valley
three days an got bout 80 miles toward
Snyder county, but tn whole time / was
thinkin bout nothin but tn girl in tn
blue caliker dress. l never felt 60 queer
before an didn't know Jest what ter do.
Last decided I'd hey ter go back an hev
another look ct her, so turned round an
kiycred me tracks.
Il reached tn orchard bout one day
later, in tn afternoon. an hanged ef she
wasn't there, but a-settin in a tree closer
ter tn road. ] didn't dast 60 near her,
fer / knows how 'fraid tn weemen is Nv
Us men. But slid enter me ole place an
jest lay there watcbin her blue dress
wavin in tn breeze, and then, when
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 filled eyes.
Now quit yer biubberin, trampy,"
cried the loafer, ''an git ter tn en- Nv this
ERE yarn
The traveller wiped bis eyes upon his
coat sleeve AID continued:
"Wull, as ! lay there watchin her SO
still an quiet / begin ter think. won
dered what her name must hev been an
lowed CT orter been a pretty one. Then
kinder thought, bein ez j didn't know her |
name, l might give her one, tn prettiest |
could git up. ] racked me brain an final !
bot on Emily Kate; tibet sounded high !
toned. Then / begin ter wonder who'd DO /
60 fort nit as ter git Emily an cussed me- |
self fer bein SIGH bum. kinder thought
/ might reform, but final lowed eff she'd
take me without me heyin ter reform ct
'ud be sight pIeasanter all round. see
how she'd moved up tree All kinder
wondered eff she'd seen me. TIL more
thought on ct tn worse l got. begin ter
think mehbe eff 1 cleaned up wouldn't be /
20 bad-in fact. heap better than lots Nv /
folks knows. By tn time ct come sun |
set / conceded ter resk ct an begin ter |
think Nv craw,in TIL fence an interduoin |
meself, but then me heart failed me.
put ct OF tell tn mex day an slid over til
feel ter barn al spent tn night.
Il didn't eat DO breakfas'. / couldn't.
L
tn spring aD washed up. Then l cut fer
tn 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 sight i scent ! near yelled.
They was great big feller he'd his arm
,ound her waiS'. She was a-layin all
,,s -, g. /
couldn't see il, an her feet was dra9gin
through TIL timothy, fer the Teller was
)ul in her along down tn orchard. TT
lrst / was fer runDin TO her resky, but
hoEght mebbe I'd better wait tell sec
what come NV ct
'''rh' big feller, he pu, led her all limp,
low ter tn other side az then leaned her
~ sgin tree an hiJ her "a punch wit his |
is. / seen tn blue caliker sunbopnet
roGp. Then he jumped tn fence an start
d down over tn meddy.
Me heart was a-thumpin awful
waited tell he was outer sight, an then
lumb tn fence an slipped down through
b. long grass ter where Emily Kate lay,
alf dead, osln tn tree. / seen a choking
Oop there an hear tn ole hen cluckin, an
stepped up and raised tn girls droopin
cad. She he'd straw face an was keepin
b. hawks of them chickings. My Emily
.ate was scare
The tramp's voice grew husky, and be
altered.
See here, you ole fool," cried the
1ronic loafer, tits quit rain this ten
inutes. an you've KEEP me from splittin
S wood wit your bioomin lies
The tramp cleared his throat, and gath
ing up his bandanna and stick he arose