The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-04-05
Four Acres of ThiStleS

By CARL JENKINS

title Of Gentleman jim They hadn't
charged MIN win carrying a tooth
brush. but they had found out that he
cymbed HIS hair a. least once In TWO
days. and 10 one had offered 10 ~cnym
u" with him
Forty rods beyond the residence Of
Judge Horton for this the big house
was and II was MS daughter Edith IL
the hammock, the tramp sat c0wL
again. There vas no hurry. On MS
left was Z foUr-scre lot grown up 10
thistles, and It was z BIT Of scenery
tor The wswsrer. His eyes nac
roamed over the fed when they were
brought back 70 the highway 10 rest
on big masti1 coming towards ain
On the jump.
Mad dog" whispered the tramp
after watching for q moment.
Head held high-eyes z hendish
green-slavering ~ the mouth. Those
we're the true signs The tramp stood
Up and grasped the stout STICK By
which he carried MS old satchel over
his shoulder The dog came straight
a. hin. but a. the last moment
sweryed aside ana passed OF. he
was haE-bl1d in his agony. and he
. may have taken the uau tor
shadow.
Cate open and gin IN the ham
mock" whispered the tramp. VIII
be turn 10? Il be does she Will scream.
and VITA, them mustn't take
chances"
The dog had forty rods TO 90 b.
the road, and the man, by leaping the
fence and making short cut had
only about twenty-five. One jump and
he was over the fence. and then he
struck 2 cindeI-,rack gait
The dog stopped for few seconds
a. the gate and then turned il. Just
then the girl sat up II the hammock.
and seeing both tramp and cog she
! screamed. The tramp let ont another
I link. and he was a. the foot Of the
steps when the mad beast came racing
up with growls Of agony Or anger.
: With Z full swing Of his stick the
| tramp bowled the dog over. and three
! or four more blows finished him.
"Whst-wha. Is IL" demanded the
girl
Just q mad dog. miss" was the re-
J ply as the dusty outing cap was lifted.
He's dead and there's nothing TO
fear"
But want TO know"
Just q mad dog"
-1-rNI- s-a yafa
when Judge Horton and his wife came
4 driving Up. and the judge IeaDet out
and seized the man BY the collar and
1 exclaimed:
Hold On. here, l want 70 know
what's been going on
Don't let him get away, father"
cried Edith as she came running.
What's he done
Why, he killed big mad dog that
was after me, I want 10 know his
name and make MIN accept thanks"
Just q mad dog" replied the tramp
with a deprecating smile
The Judge handed him $50 bill,
and when il was refused ne cast
around TO give q reward il some other
way.
Look here" he said after bit,
there's four solid acres Of thistles
over there belonging 70 me. want
EN- cut down and rooted out. III give
you $40 an acre 10 do II. and you can
get board with the farmer Just below"
The next day the tramp went 10
work with scythe and spade. and j;
was q twenty-days' job he had. Three
or four times IN that stretch Judge
Homer visited the field and tried 10
draw the worker out, but be did not
I succeed very well On two occasions
Miss Edith called him 70 the roadside
! fence 10 praise and pump, but all the
information she got made a briet re-
port to her father,
Say papa you know 1 studied
Creek"
1T was some folderol Ike that, /
believe"
And ! can understand II quite well,
I and what do you think
u think you can't"
And yesterday when was passing
the thistle-feld / heard cur tramp
swearing in Greek"
Did. eh2 Then l must warn him
that all swearing around here must be
done in English"
It was the tramps last day on his
lob when q strange auto rolled up to
Judge Horizons mansion, and an hour
later his honor and his visitor en-
tered the field and walked up 10 the
weary and sunburned toiler.
"AInes. ! didn't think It was in you''
said the visitor as be held out MS
hand.
Father"
"We'Y. kept a little track OF you.
you see"
And Miss Edith? Well man has
only 10 save a girl from mad dog
and hydrophobia, and then excite her
curiosity and romance. and what's the
result? Not over a years courtship
before marriage. and ii is eminently
proper al that.