The Wahpeton times., 1913-08-21
Their COSTLY MEAL
What Happened to Two TraInps
Who Ate Exhibits for
County Fair.
By GEORGE ApE.

County Far.
BY GEORGE ApE.
"Gondola" Wilson was not q tramp
because he knew trade and had been
known to work. He was tramp II
this. however. that he consistently re
fused to pay railroad fares. Hence
his name. "Gondola" is submerged
tenth for . fiat car.
He was journeyman Of the rest,
less kind. When he had been three
weeks In Milwaukee, thsn st. Paul
seemed more desirable place Of res
idence. When in st. Paul, he had
tired hankering to see the Narcissus
lodging house in Chicago. After he
had arrived at the Narcissus, he began
to watch the trains starting for Gin.
cinnati and longed to curl himself on
Q truck and Jolt away to where the
muddy stream fronts the sloping ware.
houses.
Once he vas away from tho MAJ.
cissus for . whole year. On the day Of
his return TO the Narcissus tire prison
pallof on his faoe ana his head
cropped 70 show white scars) six in
mates wsre sitting, near the windows
reading morning newspapsr. They
had torn the paper into sheets and
divided t. The man who had drawn
the small "ads" was discontented.
He could nnd nothing on his sheet
except Help Wanted" He lowered
his paper and before him cat Con
dola" Wilson, seemingly yellow In the
filtered light.
Where's the committee!" asked
''Gondola." where's the triumphal
arch, Welcome Homer"
"You're alive, then?"
"Alive and kicking" !
'If you're alive. It follows that
you're kicking. How long has 1t been?"
"A year, next month"
you had to 60 crooked at last, did
your"
"Well. that's what they called It.
I'm lucky they didn't hang me. Some
Of 'em wanted to-"
"Tell me what you done. amt the
court"
Say. listen. an see II you ever
heard the likes before. It was In Oc.
tober. year ago last October. I'd
walked from Loueyville to Terry Hut
with niger that played the mouth
harp. We hid in the yards at Terry
Hut an got into IN empty stock car
that We thot We thought was bound
for Danville. Some time In the night
brakeman seen 40 an fred 40 out.
I'd bsen asleep an the Arst thing 70.
member was fallin' out O. the car en-
lishtin' hard. with the coon comm
after me. We didn't know where ~
was, but We could make out Q side
track and . chute for loadin' hogs.
About mile OF We could see some
lights an We judged % We was near
. purity good.sised town. Ne an the.
coon started to walk toward town an
then stopped him an ses:
Here, II we 60 to drillin' around
town at this time Of night an one Of
them country coppers catches q peep
Ut US, he'll shoot us first and then ask
us our names after. Let's crawl in
somewheres an sleep till mornin' an
then we'll go in town an try to round
up a handout.'
well. Just as I was sayin' this. We
happened to be walkin' along past tail
fence. looked through the cracks
an could see one or two lights quite
distance OF an right near US was q
long buildin' that looked something
like q barn. It was gettin' chilly an
ses to this pardner of mine:
"Coon, gimme q boost over the fence
an ! think we can find warm place
here
80 we skinned over the fence an
come to the building. It was long
one. I still thought it was barn. We
walked around, lookin' for a door or
window, 80 we could crawl in. At
last this pardner Of mine-his name 10
JET an I'll kill him II ever l lay eyes
on him again-Jeff found a little door
that wasn't locked an we went in,
feelin' our way along, thinkin', you
know, that we might find some hay
or straw to sleep on. Purity soon Jeff
fell over somethin' an landed on top
OF him. We felt around 10 an dis
covered that we'd run into q lot Of
watermelons layin' on the floor. I
s'pose the coon was sorry to meet
them melons. huh3 The nrst thing I
knew he'd split one Of 'em open an I
could hear him chompin' in the dark.
We'll. Il got mp an felt my way along
an purity soon reached out, an
what do You suppose I took hold Of
there in the pitch dark? This amt no,
dream I'm tellin' you. What do you
think took holt Oft A plate with
about dozen biscuits on 1t. Now, I
amt no crook an I never broke into
Q house to steal anything, but I'll
leave this to you. II you hadn't had
anything to eat for eighteen hours an
should happen to crawl into barn at
night an reach out into the dark an
6nd . dozen light biscuit would you
eat 'em or throw 'em away?"
"Td prob'ly eat en-" was the re.
ply.
That's what ! done, except what /
give to JET. He found match in his
L n0naA an ctruob u oua .,,o .o.,, &.