The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-12-25
EXPERIMENTING
ON A TRAMP.

farm for the village to do some trad
ing" At 4 o'clock, when she returned
and drove into the yard, II strang,
spectacle greeted her. What might bt
called the north end of ii man was pro
trudins from Il Kitchen window. Thu
case was plain. His trousers and shoe.
showed him to belong to the genu:
tramp. He had called and. finding thu
house alone. had forced up the sash
of tile window and started to climb in
At the halfway point the sash had
come down on the small OF his back
and he was held as securely as if he
had been handcuffed and shackled.
The widows face beaned with sat
%tsfaction as she entered the house t.
take a look ut his phiz. Yes, it was
tramp, and u hnlking big fellow al
that. She went outdoors with a look
of anticipation in her eyes and hunted
up a bit Of board of just the right
shape. and for the next half hour she
was Il busy woman. She stood off at
just the right distance from the win
dow. n the board rose and fell with
amazing regularity and vigor. The
tramp Kicked his legs about and in
dulged in remarks, but the walloping
did not end until the m had tired
herself out. Then She took down the
c%iothcsline and wrapped it around the
tla3p's legs about forty times, EN-.
tered the house and tied his wrists
securely. AMI then raised the sash and
let him fall back ward on the grass.
As be lay there she came out to bend
over him ana ask:
We'll. how do you feel now?"
IL don't exactly know was the
reply.
This is an experiment on my part.
1 ant 10 bring you to Il state Of hum
bleness. do YOU think l have accom-.
plished ity'
YES: | feel humber than l did. It's
a new feelin', and you must take the
risks of It,"
"Oh, III look out for the risks. just
make yourself as comfortable and us
humble as you can. and when the hired
man I'M up I'll see to your case fur.
ther.' a35
Two hours later the tramp's hands
We're unbound and food set before him.
The food consisted Of bread and water.
There was q consistency in a humble
a eating humble fare. When he had
finished eating he was again made Sc.
cur and dragged to the barn and lock
ed up in the granary for the night.
"The next step is to arouse your am
bition," said the widow as she left
him, land III tell you my programme
in the morning. | hope to find your
humbleness greatly increased by then.
Do you still feel humility bubbling up
In your soul?"
II do. marm, and | am sorter afraid
Of 1t. It's Il new %feelin'. and l don't
know what it's going to lead to. Its
an experiment, is ity'
lit Is"
Then you must take the risks, as n
said before. l understands myself as u
cheeky tramp. but when you come to
make a humble tramp of me that's diff
ferent."
Next morning the fellow was hauled
II OF the barn and asked if any add
tionai feeling had come to him during
the night. and he replied:
Il think there has. marin. | think
I'm feeling what you call ambitious
this morning. | find myself .thinkin' Of
work without the usual feelin's of
dread accompanying it. That's ambi.
ton, l take ity
Yes 4-.S
But don't blame me, marin, If any.
thin happens. When you SO for to i'm
plane new feclin's in the breast Of u
tramp you can't tell what he's goin' to
do"
Will you take a hoe and go to work
in the field If l give you a good break.
fast?'H
II Will. marin. I'm sorter Gurus my
self to see what's goin' to result from
this new feelin'."
The first result was Il breakfast that
honld have done for three hired men
1t kept the widow OH the jump TO keeL
the table supplied. He wasn't eating
on his humility appetite. but on his
N When he had finished
last he was asked to cut some wood
beTore going to the field. In the course
Of ten minutes he shivered two az
handles and gave u cherry tree Il NOR
tai blow. Started for the field to as.
sist the hired man. he ira mped over
The tomato and cucumber patches. tore
Town u panel Of rail fence getting ovcl
It and in the curse of another half
had welded his hoe so vigorous.
y among the turnips that he had dug
up two bushels with the weeds aud
broken the blade. The hired man
TO curb him, He was a I,lsty
hired man that had licked over II score
II tramps. but they had been tranlps
ambition. When lie tackled
his one he was laid on his back forth
With.
Then rhe tramp headed for the barn.
md with a club he smashed the spokes
'ut Of three wheels OF the family car
He pulled the harness down
dragged it about. kicked the horse
nut Of the stable. broke up the wheel
narrow and pounded the tanning mill.
md he was shoveling oats out OF the
window on to the ground
vhen tue widow came out and said:
"This was an experiment on my