The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-11-04
THE TRAMP'S STORY
BY Kenneth Herford.
THERE sat at the doctors front

Il
porch last Thursday evening a
little group of congenial spirits COM
posed of the doctor himself, Adams,
of the varnish company. Cleaver, en-
ployed at the gas house; Hethering-
ton, secretary of the Marine company;
Evans, and myself.
Fresh cigars had been lighted and
the doctor had said: Nov, Cleaver,
it's your turn for story" when
around the side of the house came A
Man. We called the stranger The Man
after he had gone and we probably al
ways shall so long as memory of him
lives in our minds.
He stood on the gravel walk at the
foot of the porch steps and removed
his hat, battered felt affair with half
the rim gone and hole in the crown
through which protruded wisp of
hair. The Mans clothes corresponded
well with his hat. They were ragged
and threadbare. The bottoms of the
trousers were frayed in fringe where
they fell over The Mans shoes, worn
out shoes with the toes turned up and
the heels run down.
When The Man removed his hat we
had a better view Of his face. 1t was
long and deeply lined. There was a
light of cieverness. or rather smart
ness. in the sunken eyes, and the fore
head was high and to a degree bulging.
The eyebrows were bushy and the
mouth. though weak in its droop, was
finely cut, evidently the mouth of
man capable of appreciating the more
refined things of life.
The stranger looked up at us. "Gen-
tiemen." he said, II was around at the
back door a moment ago and the lady
of the house said her husband was on
the porch with few friends. l merely
want to ask if there is some work that
] might be allowed to do around the
place in exchange for a supper and a
few cents with which to secure me a
bed for the night?"
Before the doctor could ansker,
Cleaver had whispered to him: ASK
the fellow to come up and sit down.
I'll bet almost anything the story of
his life would be more interesting
than anything could tell"
"Yes, do" put in Adams.
The doctor did not argue the point.
"Well, my man." he said, addressing
the woe-begone appearing fellow-be-
ing who stood before him on the gravel,
". don't think there is anything to be
done around the house. But guess we
can fix up the supper and the bed.
Come up and sit down awhile; you
appear tired"
The Man hesitated moment sheep
ishly and then mounted the steps with
difficulty, either from laziness or ia
tigue. There was sort of far-away
look in his eyes as he sank into the
rocking chair on the doctors left.
Thank you." he said. as he took
the cigar Cleaver offered him. ITS a
long time since I've smoked one of
these"
He applied a match. extracted from
the right hand pocket OF his tattered
green-brown waistcoat, and when he
had gotten the cigar fairly under way,
he said, without removing it from his
lips: "It's mighty kind Of you gentle
men to ask me to smoke with you. l
haven't smoked with gentlemen for
some time"
The dry humor of The Man struck
us all. Cieaver was becoming impa-
tient to hear his story, so he asked !:
"What is your business?"
ramping-now," was the reply.
'But you haven't always been a
tramp" put in the doctor.
NO. sir. not always. / was an in
vcntor once"
Tell me about it. won't you ?" urged
Cieaver.
Fifteen years ago" he continued, 'T
was well-to-do man. With no attach
ments in the way of wife or family. my
hours were spent in my workshop in
Huntsville. My first great invention
was an automatic car coupler. The
idea of it was stolen by the blacksmith
l got to make the model for me. He
took cut patent. He's worth two
millions now. Three weeks ago his
wife gave me seventy-hve cents for
cutting the grass in his front yard. /
didn't sigh away the minutes, gentle
men. No. sir, not minute, not
sigh. Then and there, upon the foun-
dation of my blasted hopes and shat
tered fortunes, set to work to invent
a machine that would revolutionize So
ciety, and the world. l finally decided
that my machine should be mixer"
What kind of milker?" Evans
asAed, lfauing forward in his chair.