The Cairo bulletin., 1910-11-21
The Tramp's
Thanksgiving
By MARJORIE CLOUCH
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

time to cook the dinner. The cold
was increasing, the wind was blowing,
and the clouds were splitting snow.
Miss Holt, seeing few pieces Of the
weeks washing still on the clothesline
in the yard, fearing they would be
torn by the wind. went out to bring
them in. While doing so tramp put
his hand on the gate to open 1t. Paus-
ing, he looked at Evelyn, then, open
ing the gate, entered the yard. Lift
ing his hat, he respectfully said:
I'm sorry, miss, on this Thanksgiv-
ing day to thEow anything unpleasant
in the way OF any one, but I'm
tramp, with a tramp's home, which is
and there's something I'm
longing for. I'd like to enter some
family for the day where ! can see
others happy about me. I've been
working occasionally lately and earned
some money; therefore ! can contrib
ute to the expense of the dinner. III
you'll just take me in, miss, for the
few hours that remain before the day
is ended you will confer an everlasting
favor t
There was something in the manner,
the voice, the expression, OF the man
that touched chord in Eyelyn's heart.
She did not reply for few moments.
she was thinking that she would like
to give this pleasure to the poor wan
derer, who spoke too sincerely to be
imposing upon her Presently she
said.
"Come in and I'll give you some
thing to eat, anyway. We're not
much better off than you in this house,
but we've got good dinner We al
ways have that on Thanksgiving, even
IL we have to pinch in some other
way"
"You needn't pinch this year. I've
got enough to pay for 1t all. And
money doesn't do tramp any good.
Money is only fit for those who
haven't the wandering fever"
He entered the house with Evelyn
who offered him something to eat, but
he declined. saying that he could buy
what he needed. He longed to be one
of family Thanksgiving party, and
IL he couldn't be admitted to their cir
Gle he would 60 away. AS the different
members came In Evelyn communi-
Gated to them what he wished, and
since no one seriously objected and he
asked to be permitted to leave with
them an amount to pay for the whole
dinner he was suffered to remain.
Shortly before the dinner hour he
went away, saying that he would re-
turn. He did return, and much i'm
proved in appearance. His stubble
beard had been shaved. his hair cut,
and he had evidently bought and put
on a clean shirt. Besides, he had had
a bath. When the family were seated
at dinner he asked permission to say
grace and when suffered to do so gave
thanks not only for the bountiful pro-
vision, but also that 1t had pleased
God to bestow upon this deserving
family every comfort. No one under
stood what he meant by every COM
fort" since they were all very much
cramped for their daily expenses.
Grace had hardly been said when n
grocer's wagon drove up and left a
bottle of wine. Evelyn went to the
door, received 1t and returned with a
blank expression on her face.
"It's one of the comforts, said the
tramp.
"Oh, see," said Evelyn. "You sent
it."
ayes. / told you I had enough to
give us all a good time"
Under the influence of the dinner and
the wine the company waxed genial,
the tramp took on a mood far more
pleasing than one who was homeless
wanderer, and all were glad they had
taken him in.
Finally, when the dinner was ended
and they were all eating nuts and
raisins, the tramp took little book
out of his pocket, wrote something,
tore it out and handed it to Evelyn.
rs that enough?' he said. IF not
there's plenty more"
Evelyn saw before her check for
$4,000"
II don't know what it MEANS" she
said
ut means, Evelyn, that I'm Jim
Scarborough. went away fifteen
years ago and have been wanderer
and a Spectator ever since. You
called me a dreamer. and so was.
finally struck some luck and came
back to let my story tell itself. If
had come as myself you wouldn't have
believed me. That's check fol
$4,000, payable to You for you to dis
tribute among this family. I've got O
lot more for You In case you're willing
to redeem your promise, IL I would
settle down and make money enough
to support wife"
Every one at the table save Evelyr
looked at the man, wondering IL HI
was mad. She simply gazed on him
wondering If all this were true or Il
she were dreaming,
"This isn't the place for private af
/ fairs" he continued, but I prefer Il
(. have it all out at once. I'm rict
man, but in one sense tramp. have
no home unless this is TO be my home
In the future