The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-14


region when all the other tramps
where South or in the big cities. But
he wouldn't tell.
of anyone comes here making in
quiries,' he said; don't tell them a
tramp was here. 1t might get me into
trouble"
When the snow melted off in the
spring they found a mans body in the
direction he had come from. l always
thought Jim knew something about it,
particularly as he would never tell me
what he was doing up there, though l
asked him plenty of times after we
We're married.
He stayed around talking to me for
a couple of hours, till he felt strong
enough to go on. Then he thanked me
and took a plain gold ring from his
little finger.
This belonged to my mother. he
said. 1t was her wedding ring. Many
times as l have been without a cent ]
have never let it out of my hands. You
can judge how value it. / want you
to know because 1 want you to take
the ring
"No. l said. I don't want to be
paid for helping you.
Z" 1t isn't as pay that l offer it. It's
because l want you to have it.
He put it in my hand, bent forward
and kissed me and was out on the road
before l had recovered from my sur
prise. OF course / had to stand a lot
of jollying and joking from the boys
about my tramp, but / didn't mind it.
and | kept the ring sewed in my dress.
That is the true story of my first meet
ing with jim. Afterward. when he be-
came famous as the Millionaire Tramp,
the newspapers printed a story-book
romance about our courtship. Jim told
the reporters the yarn. He didn't tell
the true story because he didn't want
1t known, as I said, that he was in
the Michigan woods at that time"
1t was six years before the girl heard
again of her tramp visitor, and, then
she did not identify him with the pic
lures of the Millionaire Tramp with
which the newspapers of the Middle
West teemed Column after column was
printed telling how Berry, a college
man and the son of wealthy parents,
had left home when he was % years
old and become a tramp, only to come
into his fathers fortune of a million
dollars, more than thirty years after.
Then followed a period when Berry's
movements were part of the days cur
rent news. The telegraph wires thrilled
with accounts of his picturesque and
spendthrift generosity; here giving a
champagne dinner in a tramp's resort
to all corners; there. scattering gold
pieces for street urchns to battle over;
again, buying fast horses or engaging
whole first floor of some expensive
hotel. His exploits were not greatly
exaggerated, because that would have
been impossible. His fortune was. 1t
was little over $50 900.
In the town of Mount Vernon. ILL.,,
where Lucille Miller lived, and whittier
bo l11l Of
perience, there was a liveryman,
George Carter, who once sold Berry
some horses. Thereafter Berry, who
had mania for sending kilograms,
used to wire Carter from every city he
visited. Usually the messages were es-
oteric, not to say cryptic. Put me
off at Buffalo" Berry would cheerily
| telegraph, and follow up with, "All lost
but honor" or VILLAIN, spare the
child" or perhaps, Have one on me"
or Here's luck" One day in the
spring of '97 Carter received this mis-
sive: Meet me on the shining shore
Berry" The next day Berry appeared.
and after greeting Carter went out to
! look the town over. Miss Miller was
marketing that morning, and as she
stood contemplating a measure of po-
/ tatoes a voice behind her said:
Young lady, could you give me
something to eat? l need it bad"
Wheeling about she faced large and
glittering diamond in the shirt front of
a man in very new and sporty" ap-
parel.
Are you speaking to me?" she de-
manded Indignantly, though something
within her recognized words and tone.
! Il am. I'm Jim Berry, the Millionaire
Tramp. I'm your tramp that you pull
ed out of the snow drift. Remember"
Yes" said the girl holding out her
hand. You weren't really tramp at
all, then"
"Oh, yes 1 was-was and still am.
But I'm rich now. Where is my
ring?'
AT home. Do you want it back?"
"Yes. Shall 1 tell you what for?'
ut isn't necessary. The ring Is
yours"
"I want it to marry you with
But I'm not going to marry you"
gasped the girl.
Yes, you are" he replied Think
He was right She did, on the promise
that he should stop drinking and
straighten up. She told him frankly
that she did not love him, and here she
made a mistake that is still embitter-
ering her life, for afterward when she
had grown to love him. he never be-
| neVGO tnat ner nedIL WAS Hlo, anu iSN'
er entirely gave her his confidence.
! They were married and went on a we'd
| ding tour that was simply splurge
| of nnagnificence. Three months later
they separated. 1t was drink that did
it, Berry became reckless. got into
trouble with the police in st. Louis
and was locked up. His wife hurried
to him, begged him off and took him
home with her. For a time they lived
quietly: then he went on another spree
that was his last.
On the last day of the year 1897 Liv-
eryman Carter got one Of the familiar
! kilograms. "Wait till the clouds roll
! by Jim Berry" 1t was dated Padu-
cab, Ky. On the following morning
Berry was found there with his skull
! fractured and his watch and jewelry
gone. Nineteen days later he died.
| Not a. cent was left of the fortune he
had inherited. Since then his widow
has worked to support herself. They
| have no children.
In spite of her endeavors to keep her
! identity hidden, Mrs. Berry is known
to hundreds of notoriety seekers who
send her offers of marriage on an av-
erage of one a week. She says that
she will not marry again.
Il never yet have seen the man who
was Jims equal when he was sober"
saws she; 1T never expect to, and II l
should It would make no difference. I
shall always be true to Jim's mem
ory."
|