The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-03-07
Jim BlosS,..the TRAMP.
-! -
(Contiued from last week

a name in the struggle that shall burst
the bonds Of wealth and position and
social class: a name in the.fghtefor HUI
man right which is above divine right
II And@only think Of it, the ;cowardly
devils had not simple manhood enough
to turn an honest nickel had an op-
portunity been urgently and repeated
~ presented to them. And they talk
of principles! This" is the folly *of
crown1ng the kettle with !. crown
merely because it is black; is the folly
Of trying to make a sewer bright,
babbllng, country brook; is the folly Of
making hemp a thing of wool; is the
folly of believing brass to be gold.
There are differences, and God de-
signed them.
Something like this passed vaguely
through Jim's mind as he listened to
these desperate, slum- sanctifed ideas,
perfumed with the odor of the gutter,
destined to live but day since they
were. born in rot, and shortlived be-
cause they are not in harmony with
universal Truth, which is itself divin-
ity.
Jim was not unacquainted with this
type of men. He had met them and
heard them before. He knew pretty
we'll how these two 1Ehelps looked, and
khow they dressed, and how they lived.
He had heard them violently proclaim,
over the twentieth glass of beer, that
"the world owed them a living without
work and they were going to have it,"
Jim had always regarded such men as
Tight in the upper story-fellers with
rooms to let under their hats-philoso-
nh rxyS+1 h
wonder what they're doing here at
this hour?" unused Jim. mo good, I'll
bet my old hat on it-stake my reputa-
ton as a tramp"
The theory Jim had for their pres
ence there then was that sleep had de-
serted the red-eyed, restless headed
groundhogs Of the body polite and
they had simply strolled there because
the place had a connecting link with
their horrible plot. And this was the
| real fact in the case. There was where
the President and his family would
| enter upon their journey to a speedy
and shocking, CHASTITY death-their boz
dies be mashed and torn all out of
shape and their blood spilled over the
earth!
! Now Jim wondered how he could find
| out who they were, and how they could
| be arrested. AS he listened, he evolved
scheme that would perhaps work, and
it was this: To shadow them when
they left.
| After a time these night-vermin
moved away softly. Jim stopped down
| and peeping beneath the car saw four
black dim legs moving. If these devils
| should discover Jim, he we'll knew
| they would endeavor to "silence'' him
These kinds Of social reformers are
put up on that narrow gauge principle
And Jim had not even penknife about
him with which to defend himself ir
case Of must"
There was no sacrifice of dignity fol
Jim then and there to stoop down low
and creep on hands and knees beneath
the car. Then he was on the same
side, as were the vanishing dogs. HI
could still see their shadowy form.
Edod ging. aivng: Jim stole softly after
keeping himself in. the shadow of OBJ.
jects as we'll as he could. When the,
paused he paused.
i By accident his foot touched some
thing. He picked it up. It was
friendly brickbat and he clutched it a.
if he had just met an old, long absen
friend. This is providence!" though
Jim as he showed it in his sack Goa
pocket, or the place where the poke
ought to have been.
In some crude mysterious way thes
devils stole out and in lodging an,
} still lodging, like men who have un
justly hit somebody and are expecting
to be hit in return, and at last cam
upon a street that centered toward tn
capital. Stealing close along walls
lodging into the blackness beneatl
trees, now closer now farther off, jim
} kept them fairly well in view for som
time. But all at once the ''fellers'-
they were nothing more than that,
even that-disappeared, apparently
stepped out of life by single step, ha,
reached the Jumping off place. an
had jumped.
Jim was not fool, if he was a.
amateur, impromptu, detective. So h
passed, listened, held his breath, too
a deep breath, heard the riotous re-
stream of life rushing in his ears, IN
wondered.
'"This is funny he unused. "Some
thing in this. Look out, JIM"
The darkness was hideous, the cit
was pu1seless, the stiffness was oppres
sive.~ For moment Jim was all nerve
every fiber of his flesh was awake
his mind unusually quick and expand
ing.
Not a breath could he hear of tn
would-be murderers. He held one foo
up like listening dog.
"Nothing!" he muttered. 'Tll see"
81 Cautiously he moved on, looking be
fore and behind and everyway H
perhaps expected something and per
haps he did not. At all events he ha
the brickbat now in his hand with
dead grip. Step by step, softly an
watchfully, he went on.
"But here somewhere they dis
q He never finished. Swish, bif, zip
{ something flew from the corner of tn
building on the narrow black alley.
{ came like smashing presence out 9
} the uncomfortable, thick blackness, an
I seemed to have the crushing spirit of
) demon in it. Jim could not see it, bu
I he felt it very plainly.
81 All at once this enemy crashing on
| of the blackness carried, off his III