The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-18
THE TRAMP'S ROMANCE,

L "
the traveller, at which sally the rest of
the party laughed heartily.
The tramp brought the butt Of his heavy
hickory stick down upon the floor with
Such vlgOr as to raise a small cloud of
dust from the cracks, and replied: "Wull!
Have l.? Jest say"
Come tell us about it. ole feller," cried
the Tinstnith and the Chronic Loafer.
Not muchy, wull IT,
I'VE amt surprised at yer havin' ben
disappointed" said the &. A. X. Man.
But cts yer presumption ketches me.
WHAT'S her name?' ~.
Il called her emily Kate" replied the
ner Of one Of his eyes with his finger.
She'll ailus be Emily Kate to me, though
ter other folks she amt nothin'.'
Where does she live?" interrogated the
Miller. skeptically.
"Ef youse gentlemen keeps quiet an
don't asst SO many questions: said the
Tramp, "Ill tell yer all bout ct. Yer
see, ct come like this. Bout three years
ago l was workin through this valley
ct was one o them days when Yer
feels like settin' down an jest dom moth
in'-1 come through this here town an
went up tn main road about two mile
tell l come ter tn Red Hill. l never
knowed jest why l done et-et must a
ben fate. but switched off onter tn bye
road. stead Nv stickin' ter tn pike I
nor pass no houses, tell at las 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 cz ct was one of them warm, lazy
summer days, l made up me- min ter rest.
an lay down in tn grass. Yer kin laugh
q nj ES oil tn11-
tell yer ct does Il powerful sight wit a
man. know eff tibet he'd a. ben a rainy
day I'd never he'd tibet fairy-core- tn
French calls et-thet hit me then an
played tn dickens wit me fortunes.
II was layin' there watchin' the clouds
overhead an istin,, ter tn. Power whistlin'
lerin' up in tn locus, when all Nv a sud-
den =! seen.a..blue CLEAN in an apple tree
in TIL orchard 'crosst tn way. l watched
ct, an pretty soon l made out tibet ct
was a woman. She was sittin' there
quiet an still. like she was readin'; an
down below seen tn top Nv a CHECKING
coop, an hear tn ole hen cluckin'. !
couldn't see much fer tn leaves, an didn' t
git sight Nv her face, but made out tn
outlines Nv tibet blue caliker dress, an
jes' kinder drank 'em in. -
"Et was tn day done ct all. Fore l
knowd ct begen ter imagine tn face tibet
must bev fit tibet form. pictured her like
tn girls tibet rides tn mowin' machines
weller hair an all. wanted ter try an
seeher face, but I didn't dare ter, for
she'd a-seen me. an tibet nd "a spoiled
my chancet. But lay there jest dream
Unlike, an fore XII ovid ct could think
NV nothin' but tibet there girl in tn tree.
who figured must hev ben a heap sight
better lookn' than circus lady,
"Et como S,,n1nxrn boI FOR
hustle, ter git supper l dragged oneself
tergether an moved Oil. I WENT up tn
valley three days an got bout thirty miles
toward Snyder county, but tn whole time
was thinkin' bout nothin' but tn girl
in tn blue caliker dress. l. never felt SO
queer before, an didn't know jest what
ter do. Last l decided I'd hev ter 20
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. didn't dast 90 near
her, fer l knows how 'fraid tn weemen
is Nv us men. But l slid inter me ole
place, an jest lay there watchin' her
when l seen as how she'd changed trees.
l. begin ter think maybe she'd seen me
an moved up one tree nearer tn road,
kinder so as we'd he Closer 80,
The Tramp's voice broke. He placed
one hand upon his ragged breast and
gazed over the valley through tear-flletl
eyes.
"Ntw quit yer blubberin', Trampy,''
this ere yarn
The traveller wiped his eyes upon his
coatsleeve and continues:
"Wull, as l lay there watchin' her so
still an quiet, l began ter think. I Won
dered what her name must hev ben an
lowed ct orter ben a pretty one: Then
her name ! might give her one-th' pref
an final' sot on Emily Kate-thet sounded
heightened. Then 1 began ter wonder
who'd be so fort'nit as ter git Emily, an
cussed meself fer bein' sich bum l
kinder thought I might reform, but final
lowed eff she'd take me without me hevin'
all round. I see how she'd moved up a
tree, an kinder wondered eff she'd seen
me. Tn more / thought on ct, tn worse
| got. I begin ter think mebbe eff
cleaned up l wouldn't be 50 bad-in fact,
q heap better than lots NV folks knows.
BY tn time ct come sunset I conceded ter
resk ct, an begin ter think Nv crawlin'
me heart failed me. put, ct off tell tn
an spent tn night
Il didn't eat no breakfas' 1 couldn't
But when ct come sun-up I went down ter
tn spring an washed up Then l cut fer
| Expected she wouldn't be there so airly.
seDce she'd likely. do up tn breakfast
dishes.
Il Skinned tn fence inter tn road, an
then what a sight I seen. I nearly yelled.
They was a great big Teller he'd his arm
right round her wais'. She was a-layin'
ward 50 couldn't s see ct; an ''' her feet feet
was draggin' through tn timothy, fer
the Teller was pulling her along down
tn orchard. At first / was fer runnin'
ter her resky. but / thought mebbe Id
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' tree an hit her a punch wit
net droop. Then he jumped tn fence an
started down over tn meddy.
Me heart was a-thumpin' awful.
waited tell he was outer sight, an then
clumb tn fence an slipped down through
TIL long grass ter where Emily Kate lay,
choking coop there an hear tn ole hen
girls droopin' head. She led straw face.
an was keepin' tn hawks off them chick
;ngs. My Emily Kate was SCARE
The Tramp's voice grew husky, and he
faltered.
"See here you ole fool" cried the
Chronic Loafer. its quit rainin' this
ten minutes, an you've KEEP me from
splttin' ter morrers wood wit your
bloomin' lies.''
The Tramp cleared his throat. and gath
ering up his bandana and stick, he arose
and replied
"Youse gentlemen sisted I mus tell yer
bout it. l tole yer-but mus be NOV
in" t~
And moment later he disappeared
around the bend in the road just. below the
mill.-New York Sun.