Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-09-19
lg fRAHP's l1IlItE,

ussaNVAs
A huge pile Of lsns hickory sticks, a
~ little hcnp u bawet WOOD, 4 long,
lasy hoy lying ~ the tsass beside the
Sdle saw and bs1tk--that was what the
tramp saw rs lie looked over the high
board fence Into the barn yard.
''Oh. how do wish pad let me go
fishin' after dinner. and then I'd finish
this wood pile tomorrow! hut he
won'tr--tfat, was what the tramp
heard ~ nj list the big lazy 10y got
up and went to work again.
Say. sonny, don't you want some.
body 10 saw that wood for youY asked
the trump.
You betr' responded John, turning
around.
'l''n.ths man will do II, II you'll give
me q bite 10 eat"
"All right" .,assented John. eagerly.
Why .pot. give n poor tramp his dinner,
besldes securing for himself the prom.
lssk dime With which to buy fish hooks
aud such?
Over the fence came the tramp with
bound, and ut once began work. lie
lad the appearance Of being a happy
:ell0w--and not one bit sad. nor bud,
aor hungry looking. such as n tramp
generally In. He was smiling all the
time he worked, or else was whistling,
and millionaire could not have
seemed jollicr or better contcnted with
his lot In life. He had curly, black
hair. a clean shaver face, dark blue
eyes, ana his clothes were Tar above
the average for tramp. Johnnie
lnid down In the grnss again and
stared at his employee-not that q
tramp was by any means a rarity In
Dubdalc, but this one was such queer
tramp.
"Guess you can get me my grub
now, sonny" he remarked after bit.
I'm most through with this Job, and
AZ ] ate remarkably carly breakfast,
and have trampcd twelve or fifteen
miles, I'm about ready to dine"
Chance favored Johnnie as she does
mant a worse rogue, 10 that Just az Ills
mOt1ber returned from u neighbours,
whctc she had gone to borrow some
little thing for dinner, her scheming
son disappeared through the barn yard
gate.
"l.a--that boy couldn't wait till din.
nerw exclaimed the good Indy as she
brushed up the crumbs Johnnie, In hia
haste, had left behind. Poor child! he
must be hungry" 30 she poked up the
IN, and made everything burn for an
early dinner.
Johnnie brought his tramp a cup Of
hot coffee. and good substantial lunch
"ll0w long have you been trampingr
he inquired, rs the tramp began his
meal.
"Ab0ut six years, ! reckon"
Gee wills! don't you get awful
tiredrs
'Stop and rest when I get tired. No
like tramping first rate-alwayi
something new going on, and, besides
I'm always free to do Just al please
"Ain't It pretty tough In winters
was JOhnnie's next question.
II generally steer southwark wher
winter In coming on. I've been In q
good many places In these United
States, yOungster. and bet get more
fun out Of life-mOrc real, honest fun
that don't hurt nobody. than a doxer
Of these fellows all put together. tina,
stay ut home"
"Ye-es." asscnted Johnnie, "but dom
you want to see your folks, nor nothin
like thatY
mo. Amt got any folks. That dom,
need to worry me any,"
Eyes, but Id think you would wan,
to stay In one place ana get rich and
have nice clothes, ana all that" per
sisted Johnnie. who was almost con
WINGED Of the glOries Of tramp life.
"See here, sonny, I've had mort
money than you ever seen." retOrted
the tramp, looking toward the house
by which he could form some estimate
OF Its financial standing. '.ren years
ago ! was worth forty thousand dol
lars" And the tramp looked impress
sive.
"My-y stars.' calculated Johnnie
catching his breath. "Well, you aim
got 1t now-what's gone with itY
"Oh-nO need to talk about that,
replied the tramp airily. HAD a Jolly
good time with II, and amt one hi
sorry it's gone. Dress nice? Their,
wasn't bigger swell In town than me
and l drove fine horses, ana all tina
sort OF thing, you know. But wher
the cash was gone, and you bet mad,
II fly after ! was 81, my aunt. wht
raised me, didn't have any more us'
for such as me. SO l skipped out, ant
I've been skipping ever since"
Quite little pause, then he contln
ued: "SOme Of these days when ! &c
rheumatlcs or something of the sort. $,
tramplng won't be so jolly, I'm goln:
TO settle down and write a book abou
where all I've been, ana all I've seen
Once In while l run over some ole