The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-04
HETTY'S TRAMP
BY JAMES VERNON.

yond. Then a thunderstorm came up ano
drove her to seek shelter in farmers barn.
but before she got under cover she was thor.
oughly drenched and had torn the skirt OF
her dress half off in getting over rail fence.
She found door of the barn open and creps
inside with chattef;ng teeth and was wonder
ing if Sam Beecher wouldn't shed tears OF
grief if he knew her situation when the odor
OF tobacco smoke came to her nostrils. Be.
fore she could make move, however, man
with pipe in his mt uth stood between her
and the door, and grun voice said:
well, old dusty, l bids We come in out
OF the wet and make yerself at home. Got
any cold yittles with yer
"Whe-who is it," screamed the girl al
she started back.
"Thump me if it faint female!" growled
the man. WHO is it yerself?"
'It's-it's me-a girl!''
And it's me-a tramp. BY lingo. but this
is rum go! Did yer father send ye out
here to disturb my rneditations and turn me
out in the midst of a thunderstorm
"No IL don't belong here. l was going
somewhere, and the storm drove me in here.
I guess II go now
4 guess no. Havin' invaded the sacred
precincts of my domiciIe, as Shakspere has it
L want to know the whichness of it, Besides,
| no lady should travel about at midnight in q
thunderstorm without a beau. Are ye big
tho trouble.
Il want to go!'' exclaimed Hetty, who'd
have given all the Sam Beeehers on earth to
be safe at home in her bed just then.
But ye can't, ye know" protested the
tramp. Its what the perlice calls suspi-
cious case and I've got to investigate. Whose
gal are We? Whar do ye live? What ye
doin' out here this time of night? I amt a
bad man, and if we've got any sorrers pour
EN- into my listenin' ears
| Chattering with the cold and trembling with
fear and having only the idea Of appealing to
| the tramp's sympathy, Hetty stated her case
1t wasn't much Of case, as she had to admit
to herself when she had stated it, and the
reply OF the man was prompt and to the point.
Say, gal,' he observed she finished, .'ye
are silly kid. Yer dad and marin was dead
right, and ye ought ter be locked up. Whar
was We runnin' away to-"
| IL don't know
there?''
| IL don't know"
Course ye don't 1t is jest a girls whirn,
and a mighty silly one. Gals has got to be
bossed, and ye ought to know it. The old
folks has got to keep an eye on EN- till they
is married off. kid Of a gal is as apt to
marry rascal as an honest Teller. and I
don't reckon your beau Sam is anything to
frag of. The storm is passin' over, and
when it stops rainin' We are goin' back
home - 49,
but can't sobbed Hetty.
"But We must. Yes, marin, m goin right
along with ye Mebbe ye kin get into the
house and up to yer room without anybody
bein' the wiser At any rate, ye've got to
try it"
Miss Hetty wept and objected, though all
the time hoping the tramp would carry out
his program. When the rain had ceased and
the stars shone out again, he said:
Now, gal, we'll jog along. Purity wet and
: Muddy but yell remember it the longer.
Very little was said they splashed
! through the mud left by the shower and
brushed against the wet weeds Of the high
: way The tramp smoked and Hetty shivered,
and she was ready to sink down from exhaus-
ton and emotion as the pair finally arrived
at the farmhouse gate. 1t was nearly 2
O'Clock in the morning, and all within the
house was quiet. 80.
"Did. ye leave the door on the latch, kid?''
asked the tramp -s' --.s .--
Yes
Then sneak In and up to yer room. and
to-morrer mornin' ye set out to git yer COM
mon sense back. Yell 'scuse me, won
ye?" .. z5E-se - = :.
| "Y-yes.''.c- ,--- -. o.. t. , --'.rs -
! -"And not bear any grudge?" .----.
mo" -.-.. -..-. -s--
| Then here's my paw, and I'll stand here
till We are safe inside. Don't never do II
again. Goodnight" -
And the only thing said next morning was
by the mother, who observed:
1.-The cat must have got sopping wet last
night, fro found trails of water all over the
kitchen floor when I got up this morning.