The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-04
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A Tramp's S Dream


One summers day when Farmer
Bingham was washing his hands at
the kitchen door preparatory to the
MONDAY meal tramp turned In from
the highway and asked for bite to
eat. He was asked IL he would work
for 1t, and after look IN the direc.
lion of the corniield and a shake of the
head he replied:
I'm Just out of the hospital with
three broken ribs and am not strong
enough. but Ill do heap better thnn
to handle a hoe. | turned In here be-
cause l dreamed of this place last
night while 1 was sleepln 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 II my dream had been photo
| graphed."
What sort OF dream?" asked the
! farmer. but without much curiosity.
81 thought 1 stood right there under
| 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 1t. You threw
1t down just where that old hen is
scrntchin' and got the ax aud broke
1t open. Gee whlz"
"And whatT"
"Well, the 500 gold pieces went fly.
In all around here like snowfnkes in
winter. 1t was the beautifulest sight
my eyes ever beheld-grcat big yaller
coins, aud how they did chlnk togeth-
er! 1t was their chlnkin' 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 willln' to let me search your barn
and gimme half what hndT
"You sit down here and III bring
you out some dinner, and then wen
talk further about It,"
Farmer Bingham was no fool. He
was a young man OF twenty-five and
was accounted Dbove The average In
sharpness. but the dream hit him. He
had scarcely related 1t to his wife
NItu sue
"Iou 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 Gll he
offered to help them about the box.
They made excuses.
Ladies and gentlemen" he said. 81
underestimate perfectly understand.
box is found and opened. You don't
want me 10 hear the chink-a-chlnk OF
them yaller boys. You think I'd claim
sheer for dreamln'. Waal, I'll move
on and let yon have all the fun to your
selves"
The tramp was watched out OF sight.
aud then the couple went 10 the barn
and began their search. They had put
In two hours and were still at Il when
Mrs. Blngham'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 you
get your rights IN this thing. Half that
money belongs to you. and you want
20 stand up for It,"
"But George Will do what's right
about 1t, OF course"
There's no of course about II. The
minute lie gets that box In his hands his
greed will he aroused. lie won't want
to give you enough to buy an apron out
of It,"
That old barn was almost turned bot.
tom side up, but no box was found.
The farmers brother came around
next morning on an errand and when
he found George crawling out from un-
der the hogpen he wanted an explana-
tion 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 glmcracks with"
Before noon the wifG's father and two
brothers and sisters were on hand, and
after them came the husbands father
and other brother. There were wran-
Cling and quarreling from the start
When the dirt floor OF the smokehouse
was spaded up aud the spade struck
an old tomato can. there were pushing
and showing and swearing. When the
farmer prepared to drain Off the wa.
ters Of the goose pond and refused to
pledge himself TO IN equal division.
there was fight, out of which grew
bloody noses and black eyes. OF
course the affair attracted the atten.
ton Of the nelghbors and they came
by the dozen TO mix in and help along
things. The barn was pulled almost |
to pieces, the ground dug up In fifty |
different places ana 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 |
and his wife bad reached the point |
where they no longer spoke TO each |
other, their kin We're quarrellng ut |
every possible excuse. and the county !
sheriff had about concluded TO take q |
hand In II when the old tramp who had |
dreamed was seen turning into the |
gate again. A rush was made for him. |
aud ns soon MS he could get hl3 breath |
he explained:
"phav pnu mo VTruthfuI NyuIto, 10 |