The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-10

IT HE tramp was different from the
accepted type, inasmuch as his
clothes were fairly respectable and
whole, although they had been in
tended for large man, and he was
undersized and slightly built He had
evidently been shaved within the last
three. days. Not only had he been
shaved, but his hair had been cut
very closely, indeed, and his face was
lean and pale.
But with ali this he was not much
more pleasant to look at than any
bearded, tattered and bulky member
Of the wandering fraternity would
have been. His face had hard lines
in it,, and he was thin-lipped and
snaly-eyed, down-looking man, with
the true trampish shamble in his gait
and sneaking shoulders. Apparently
he had been passing the night in the
lee of a hay stack, for there were
spears of timothy clinging to his coat
and in the rolled fold of his trousers,
and the sun was not yet high, Yet
he already limped, and presently went
over to the ditch in the shade of the
Usage hedge and sat down with his
back to the road.
First he pulled fat bottle from
his pocket and swore, seeing that it
was empty. Then he, slowly took OF
his shoes and examined blister that
one Of them had chafed On his heel.
KS condition vas eTi7entl unsafie-
1aotoryl Tor he sWore again.. and theh,
feeling ia his pocket, drew forth
dirty rag, which he tore into stripa
end bound on the afflicted foot At
last he rose slowly and reluctantly
and slouehed on. There was hill to
climb, and as he reached its crest he
saw a short distance away a little
farmhouse. with the smoke curling
from the Kitchen chimney in graceful
Wreaths.
The wanderer stopped and made a
careful reconnaissance. He saw two
or three fields away man plowing
corn, and stin farther away another
man hoeing a row of something. He
reasoned that two men were about
all that were necessary to run farm
of that size, and the smoke seemed to
promise a meal, so he cut a stick from
the hedge and advanced to the gate.
Here he stopped moment and ex-
amined the gate posts, and something
he saw there induced him TO turn
back for few steps, but hunger was
gnawing at his inwards, and he NUT
tered: "I'n risk it,"
Mrs. Sim Leacox was known
throughout that neighborhood as a
real good manager and a terror. she
could get up such a thrasbing good
dinner that her fame as a cook had
spread through three counties. Her
pies, cakes, doughnuts and preserves
were the envy of all the housewives
far and neari her energy, was super.
natural and her tongue was sharp
and bitter. as Sam Leacox knew to
his cost. and as the hired man knew
almost as well Mrs. Leacox was
nearly six feet tail, muscular and long
around. If Sim had ever shown any
signs Of insubordination she would
have been perfectly capable Of spank
ing him-and quite likely to have
done SO. It was Sims thorough re-
alization Of this that kept his home
peaceful to q certain extent. There
was another thing about Mrs. Lea
,c0x-she hated tramps.
The most masculine-minded and
museled women have their little fem
tnine weaknesses, however, and Mrs.
Leacox was a firm believer in ghosts
and signs and omens and dreams
more particularly dreams because
she usually slept too soundIy and her
digestion was too good for her to be
bothered in that way very often. She
generally went to bed at nine o'clock,
and snored generously until four in
the summer or six in the winter,
and, as she expressed it. she "never
knowed nothin from the time her
head hit the pillar" But good diees-
ton win not prevent the falling OF
dishrags or the thousand and one
other little wagnings vouchsafed BIZ
the powers Of the middle air to ap-
prise initiated mortals Of coming good
OF evil fortune. On the same morn-
ing that the tramp crawled out Of
his nest by the timothy haystdck
s7asathing uneanny happened To MRS.
LeacoE lid litter.
For tile interpr of signs Mrs.
tsacox relied upon the "aipsF Queen g