The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-07-07
that's no sign Of vi~ciOusnesS. It's just

that's no sign Of viciOusness. It's just
his careless way CT speaking.
ATE and drank all that IA ser" be-
fOrr him and then called for more.
Asked why | didn't set on six bottles
OF the fOamy at once. I find him
Jovlal, and a jovial man can always be
reformed.
calls me old man and pard, but
there is no crime in that.
q to borrow what he calls a
PUNK OF me, but men who were not
tramps have wanted to do the same
thing.
Has eaten all there was to give
him and drunk the last bottle of beer.
but is a healthy appetite a misde.
meanOr In law?
MY tramp has given me his conf
dence. That should be the first step.
Get the confidence Of your tramp. He
lost his family and his all in the Cali
fornia earthquake, became respondent
and turned tramp. II anybody had Of
fered him a second family and $4,000
to make a new start he would never
have become a tramp.
"A0S AZ SOOA was OUL 10 get d
loaf OF bread and a box Of sardines
my tramp called No his baldheaded
angel.
Have closely scanned his features.
but find nothing Of the villainous. His
general attitude Is that Of dependency.
Seems more respondent since the beer
gave out. but should a policeman boot
him for that?
MY tramp has confded to me that
his ambition could be aroused If any
body would board and clothe him for
three months and take a brotherly in
terest in him.
Bread finished, sardines finished. Is
1t a crime for a tramp to eat like a
horse? Perhaps the index to his char
acter lies in his stomach.
Confession For Weary One.
"Cook has gone to repeat the bread
and sardine order. Two bottles of
beer are to be added. l suggested a
bottle Of milk, but such a lonesome
look came over the mans face that I
did not insist. 1t may be that a tramp
Is first made a tramp by driving him
to drink milk.
"The heavy eyebrows Of my tramp
denote concentration Of thought. 1t
may be that he can be induced to
think Of flying machines. Has a very
firm jaw. l think If he called at a
house to ask for a cold bite he'd stay
right there until he got it.
Tramp has given me- more Of his
confidence. I didn't expect he would
give ME all in a minute. He says he's
the tramp that was trying to steal our
garbage pail. He begged my pardon,
and I have told him that such things
can be forgiven.
Tramp suggests that l wear a por-
Gus plaster on my bare poll to coax a
new growth Of hair. l would have
knocked any other man down for max
ing such a suggestion, but the more
familiar you let a tramp become the
better you a study him.
Bread, sardines and beer finished,
and cook says she'll be hanged if she
goes for any more. Tramp looks at
me r~eproachfully, but l have suggest
ed that I may be induced to buy him
a delicatessen store within a few days.
He says It isn't right to raise a tramp's
hopes and then freeze him out, and !
agree with him.
II conclude from my observations
that the fellow was ono Industrious,
sober and took more or less interest in
politics. If the right chord be touched
he can be brought back to this again.
Tramp has just poked me in the
ribs and suggested that we go out and
whoop 'er up and make a night of it.
l have declined, but tenderly and gen.
tly, so as not to hurt his feelings.
Tramp suggests that l make a
search Of the pantry for more eatables.
Begin your study Of the tramp by
obliging him. l go to search"
At this juncture Mrs. Bowser, who
had passed the last half hour on the
basement stairs to listen, made her
appearance in the dining room.
The tramp had just locked Mr.. Bowser
into the pantry and was gathering
things from the sideboard. He made
for the basement door as he saw her,
and Mr.. Bowser came bounding out
as soon as she could turn the key. He
made after the tramp and ran him out
of the yard and down the street, but
he was too fat and the tramp too lean.
"Well, have you concluded your
tramp observations and Deductions"
asked Mrs. Bowser as he returned
and blowing.
But Mr.. Rowser passed her without
a word and went upstairs to bed.
Several of Them.
IF your son asked for bread would
Won Civ him n StOne?'