The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-07-21
TN MINUTES
WIN THE
Short Story
Writers
Fifteen Miles a Day
fBy CIaudlne slssonl

I =
( use Mr., Harry Tillman, young
I nlan ih mis- last year III college, coulc
not be called eccentric for having
one.
Physical culture. as whole, i;
far from being fad. but dozen
fads can develop in the pursuit Of
III Mr Tillman didn't care tr
strengthen his arms, his shoulders
or his chest He ran his training
alto his legs lie wanted To be the
champion walker OF the world He
didn't care for the money that might
be Ia It, as he was the son Of d rich
man but he wanted the honor The
! honor part OF II was a fad within a
fad. hut few young men OF - have
Gu a wisdom tooth.
tx man has a fad he can always
find a doctor to help him along with
it-bi'ls 10 be presented quarterly.
Mr. Tillman founo one. He advised
Walking ten miles a day, no matter
what the weather After the young
! man had become accustomed to the
I ten,mile business he was advised TO
/ 90 on straight-away tramp Of long
distance and make his steady fifteen
| miles day It would be v eli for
him to 80 un hiil and down hill as
! much as possible. If one keeps at
| il long enough the UP hill and down
Hill business will give him The right
| kind Of wobble to his knees
The doctor and the ambitious
young nan drew a straight line
| across the hills and mountains of al
New England state It began at the
Tillman estate and ended $50 miles
away MIR Tillman. Mrs Tillman
and their daughter, Nettie, looked
the route over Mr.. Tillman, said
that Harry was a fool: Mrs. Tillman
said she wished he'd take taxi in
stead OF walking and Miss Nettie |
gushed forth with:
Why. you are going right |
through Sanford. and that is where
my chnm, Bessie Erlanger lives
she is the sweetest ever. She'll be
awfully glad to see brother OF mine
III give you a little note to her and
and you'll fall In love at once. I'd
give anything II she were my sister
inaw."
Harry promised to stop for a few
hours at least. He had never been
in love in al his long 22 years. and
hiAANA1 llG f0NAh AAttu a ELL " NhfiNA
for the female championship Of the
world as pedestrian he never would
love. She must have ambition be-
sides looking pretty. lie didn't OK
pect TO find such a girl in Miss Bes-
sic Erlanger, but he would call.
oblige her
With a knapsack on his back, he
went forih over the mountain roads
TO conquer. lie must limit MIS- days
Journey to fifteen miles day to get
the best results, and he struck the
average pretty fairly lie aiso struck
soft corns aud callouses and abras-
ons. He had done his ten miles a
lay mostly on sidewalks and on level
ground. The country highways
we're different proposition.
The man with the walking fad is
IA object Of curiosity to the farmers
fhe} invited young Mr.. Tillman TO
10 his walking behind plow or drag,
hey invited him to saw wood to help
lis back; they offered 10 let their
,ulls run him across the fields to
1--WE him knee action A tramp
walked because he had to, but how
anybody else In his sense young or
I'D should be hoofing it over the
tony roads was a puzzle TO them
{ looks queer; IL was even suspi- =
ious Human nature will stick to y
fad harder than to a common
anse proposition Mr. TiImau
tuck Every step Jared him after e
he fourth day, but every step u
rought him SO much nearer tne
'orlds championship, In body par
cularly IN his legs, he was a weary .
oung man as ne drew near Sanford y
at IN spirit he was as detern med @
j Napoleon
The day WIS hot, and a little lake
alf hidden from The highWaybeck- y
ned the walkist to rest and a y
attn. He was Cajoled At the end -
halt an hour he emerged from the ~
ater 20 find that some one had re-
owed bis knapsack and suit OF
othipg. Not "a trace of garment %
'maincd A tramp had come along W
I'D noticed the good thing and had "
lped himself 90 it The only thing
n the young man To do was 10
air back through the woods for on
M mile TO where he had noticed tt
rmer In a field aud beg Tor some "H
.nnehls. Before he could get a Or
sted o'd hickory shirt and pair OF
tched trousers be had to give his y
me and an that and promise 10 pay O
: them within thirty days O
80 calling on The ErIaneers nowi .
, clothes no cash no little note o.
Miss Bcssiel he must strike for
e nearest town and telegraph homo
+ money he entered the village
Sanford 20 have the heavy hand \
The constable laid on him as An
liessional tramp. and to be locked To
Jail Ec made explanations but Al
: more a tramp explains the longer
lteuce they give him. Five davs Fo
IS what ho would have got had he WI
li still; ten aays was what he real An
did SET for saying that walking AT
S his fad, HIS honor said that he
nd 10 that stunt for fifteen miles @
iaf n the jail corridor II
diss Bessie Erlanger sat in "a rock Co
on the yeranda reading book
en- man drove up in buggy and Al
ue along mp the path with a bun.
under his arm When he had
reduced himself as Constable
an he said II /
= Thought You nigh help me 10 vol
-avel this Sherlock Holmes nvs- CIR
B. First ! arrest q tramp i'm town TO
young fellow who gives the bit
me Of Tillman and song and bit
nee about being educated and rlch dis