The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-15

'.0pe veping, in the outskirts of an
Ohio village" began the Dilapidated
Gentleman, as he was asked for a rem
inisce1ce of the road. II Knocked at a
S9QTlfoFtables looking house to ask for a
bite to eat and leave to make, my bed
unqer' the cqErantl bush es.s The door
was opened by a woman weighing
about two hundred pounds and having
motherlynI look all over her Just let
me tell you something right here. II it
WASH for, the fat women of America
the tramp Mould soon be an unknown
quantity. They are as big hearted as
wei, as big bodied Not once in hum
dred times have I appealed to them in
vain. On this occasion I hadn't got my
mouth open before the good woman
saluted me With: Hf
You. poor fellow; but come right in
and get something TO. eat. I don't be-
lieve. YOU. hays, had full meal in a
week et1ele elp. me to set out the
cold vietuais
7'aeieh was her niece. She was an
old maid. She had a ttirn-up nose and
as dirt beneath her feet. She assisted
her aunt but very. reluctantly ard I
overheard her talking against me. II
1t had been left to her L should. have
got the bounce instead of a good sup
per- Il knew that some sort of q story.
would be expected of me when 1 had
eaten, and it occurred to me to heap
Goals of fire on the old maids head in
back from the table, the fat woman
settled herself in a rocking chair and
said zzeal aas77 .Ee
4 'z'You must have ahad some adven-
lures whileGtraTnping over the coun-
try? vgoa . 39 aD.o tas.-
es.yEhat- started you. on the tramp p
,s Now auntie,.7what do. we care ?
put in the old maid. se'H He's a tramp, and
that's enough. He is proba bly, anxious
to be on his way.
. And I'm anxious to hear him talk.
Why did you take UP tramping?
TT is a story that I seldom tell
replied. with a choke in my throat,
but you have been so kind to me that
it would be selfish in me to withhold
1t You may at some time have read
or heard. of Chief Justice Rathskaller,
OF Washington. We'll he is my fathcr!'
"'You don't say!' gasped the widow.
while the old maid ppicked up her ears
and grew interested at once.
=" Ten years ago, when + left college,
my father wanted me to follow in his
footsteps. or at least to become a law
yer That was also my ambition, and
perhaps should have been -on the
bench today but for a trihing incident.
one day my mother sent me to the
laundry to say that the towels sent
home were short by one
Yes, I've heard how tae5n city
larn6ries keep back things, replied the
IN. At the laundry I could get. no sat
isfactio about the missing towel put
the girl who was running the mangle
Instantly attracted my attention. She
was as handsome, and had about such
figure as this young lady here. Her
bearing was proud and aristocratlc, as
Miss Helen's is.
.. Thank YOU simpered the old maid
as she hitcled her chair a foot nearer
and began to smile.
THAT mangle girl captured my ad-
rnfration in a moment, and my heart
within five. Twice again during the
day I returned to the laundry to speak
with her, ard within two days had
told her that 1 could not live without
her I loved as the strong man loves.
Had oceans rolled between. us would
have drunk, them dry to kneeI at her
feet. tr il
:. Gracious. but you must have it
hardy exclaimed the widow.
Il have always wanted to be loved
that way added Miss Helen. as she
gave me a tender look.
's Within a week 1 had proposed and
been accepted. Then I found that
Maude was the daughter of a million