Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1897-10-09
TWO TRAMPS.

A young fellow was swinging along
up the dusty road whistling in way
that made the robins cock their heads
to listen. He was good looking young
fellow, with dark curly hair and a fine
bronzed complexion. His clothes were
coarse and stout, he wore a slouch hat
turned down all around, and from hat
to shoes he was gray with dust. He
bore stout stick in his hand and walk
ed with light, springy step, whistling
gayly as he advanced.
He had just reached the brow of the
hill when peculiar sight drew his at
tentlon. To the right at some distance
stood pretty white cottage with bud
ding naples all about it. 1t was SO neat
and cozy that the young man would
have paused to look at it if there had
been no other attraction. Something
else did attract him, however, some
thing which quickened his pace to a
run.
Standing on the steps of the porch
was a gray haired lady, and facing her
from the walk below stood deti&At
specimen Of the genus tramp. Behind
the old lady in the doorway was a
young woman with fire shovel in her
hand. AS the young man opened the
gate he heard volley of oaths from the
tramp, coupled with an emphatic de-
mand for food. From this the gray
haired lady shrank back, and the ruff
fan sprang up the steps, and, pushing
her aside, attempted to enter the door.
"Hold on, there!" cried the young
man from the graveled pathway. The
tramp turned and saw him coming.
"Wot's that?" he snarled.
With one more bound the young man
was on the porch, painting slightly, but
ready for action.
''Has he annoyed you, ma 'am?" he
cried, and his hat came off as he spoke.
eyes," said the gray haired lady in
a trembling voice. "He said we must
get him some breakfast and give him
some money.
The tramp stood in defiant attitude,
his sullen eyes regarding the young man
with an ugly stare. AS the youth turned
from the lady, the ruffian glared at him
from head to toe.
"Say," he growled, "you ain t
a-workin this side O. the street, too, be
you?''
"Come, now," said the young man
quietly, you climb off the porch and
chase yourself down the road. Vamoosel
Gitr'
He made sudden move toward the
fellow, who backed quickly down the
steps. There he paused and delivered
another volley of profanity.
"Come down here," he shouted, can
Well fight to see who runs this ranch. "
"I'm coming" said the youth, and
he flung his hat on the porch and fol-
lowed it with his coat. Then he turned
to the women and said, "Ladies, have
the kindness to retire within the house
until this job is over"
Then he leaped from the porch and
the battle royal began. 1t was not a
fight for poets to sing. 1t was a strug-
gle between blind force on one side and
skilled agility on the other. 1t didn t
last long, but the young man was dimly
conscious that one time i'll the fight,
when the big fellow was crowding him
pretty hard. the young girl stood close
at hand with the fire shovel poised in a
decidedly threatening way. Finally an
adroit blow sent the ruffian to grass,
and when he got up he limped down
the pathway and through the gate, es-
corted by the young man, and so disap-
peared.
When the deliverer came back for his
hat and coat, the old lady met him
with profuse thanks, and the young la
dy smiled at him in most charming
way. Was there anything he wanted
breakfast, a glass of milk? He said he
would like "a glass of water, and the
young lady swiftly brought it. AS the
young man took it from her hands he
permitted himself to be instantly con-
vinced that she was decidedly pretty-a
Alender young woman i'll il cheap dress
of dark material, with a big blue apron
over it, and white cap concealing her
dark hair. But her face was bright and
rosy, and when she said, will you
have another" the youth was quite
sure he had never heard more music
al voice. AS he picked up his hat the
gray haired lady said:
sWould you like to earn a little
money, my good young man?"
"Why, yes, 1 would" the young
man admitted.
"Thtn.S said the older lady. "Der-