The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-09-10
A Tramap's Dream


One summers day when Farmer
Bingham was washing his hands at
the kitchen door preparatory to tta
monday meal tramp turned IN from
the highway and asked for bite to
eat He was asked II he would work
| for 1t, and after a look In the direc-
ton of the cornfeld and shake OF the
head he replied:
I'm just out OF the hospital with
three broken ribs and am not strong
enough but I'll do heap better than
| to handle hoe. I turned IN here be-
| cause dreamed OF this place last,
night while was sleepin' in barn
FIVE miles away. Yes, it's the same
| place-house. barn, orchard, blue pump
in the well and everything else. It's
| just as If my dream had been photo
| graphed."
What sort OF a dream" asked the
farmer. but without much curiosity.
II thought 1 stood right there uncer
that pear tree and saw you come up
from the barn. You had an iron bound
box on your shoulder. and you could
hardly stagger under it. You threw
1t down just where that old hen is
scratchin' and got the Ak and broke
it open. Gee whiz!
Ard what?"
We'll, the $50 gold pieces went dy.
In all around here like snowfakes in
winter. 1t was the beautifulest sight
my eyes ever beheld-great big yaller
coins. and how they did chink togeth.
err! 1t was their chinkin' that woke
me up"
But there's nothing in Dreams" said
the farmer. although he was beginning
to turn pale around the mouth.
"Mebbe not mebbe not, but never
had one yet that didn't come true. Are
you willin' to let me search your barn
and gimme half what fnd?'
You sit down here and I'll bring
you out some dinner. and then wen
talk further about it."
Farmer Bingham was no fool. He
was n young man Of twenty-five and
was accounted above the average In
sharpness. but the dream hit him. He
had scarcely related it to his wife
when she exclaimed:
You carry that tramp out the big.
gest dinner he ever had and then pump
him dry and get rid Of him. :,
After the tramp had eaten his fill ha
offered to help them about the box.
They made excuses.
Ladies' and gentlemen" he said. 'p
underestimate perfectly understand.
You don't want me around when tho
DoA 10 iouHu una opened. 4Ou dOQ'0
want me to hear the chink-a -chink OF
them yaller boys. You think I'd claim
sheer for dreamin'. Waal, I'll move
on and let you have all the fun to your
Selves
The tramp was watched out of sight.
and then the couple went to the barn
and began their search. They had put
In two hours and were still at it when
Mrs. Bingham's mother arrived. The
idea was not to give her the slightest
hint about the treasure, but in the
course of half an hour she had picked
the information from her daughter.
Then she said:
Amelia. you want to see that Won
get your rights in this thing. Half that
money belongs to you. and you wanr
| to stand up for It,"
"But George will do what's rfehN
about 1T. of course"
There's no Of course about it, The
minute he gets that box in his hands bfs
greed will be aroused. He won't wanb
to give you enough to buy an apron ono
of it,
That old barn was almost turned boti
TOM size up, but no box was found
The farmers brother came around
next morning on an GRAND, and when
he found George crawling out from IN,
der the hoGpen he wanted an explana.
ton and had to have it. AS soon as he
| got it he said: /
You look out for Amelia. If ever %
i saw avarice In woman's eyes it's in
hers. She'll want at least half of the
money to buy gimcracks with" =
Before noon the wife's father and two,
| brothers and sisters We're on hand ana
| after them came the husbands fathers
ana other brother. There were wran.
cling and quarreling from the start.
When the dirt floor Of the smokebouse
was spaded up and the spade struck
an old tomato can. there were pushing
and showing and swearing When the
FARMER prepared to drain Off the wa
ters or the goose pond and refused to
piedse himself to an equal division.
there was fight. out. of which grew
bloody noses and black eyes. or
course the affair attracted the atten.
tion OF the neighbors. and they came
by the dozen to mix in and help along
thlnSs. The barn was pulled almost
to pieces. the ground dug up in hftv
different places and an old well on the
premises cleaned out. The house and
cellar were searched. straw stacks
| tipped over. and there was fever in
the veins of the searchers. The farmer
ana his wife had reached the point
"nere they no longer spoke to each
| other. their kin were ouerreIIno a.