News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-04-02

him. But after all, he was BfTly'S IA.
Their, he loved the girl and had some
right to object to her marriage with
| a tramp.
"Who are your people?" asked Bart
| lett to gain time. He must make
plan to separate Billy from the impe-
| cunious sutton. Authority was use.
less. He must use tact, finesse.
MY father was minister" re-
turned the Watermelon. yours was
grocer. Billy told me. Families
| don't count in America"
Bartlett nodded agreement "Wny
did you become a tramp"
Through inclination, not the whis-
ky bottle Not that am above get
| ting full once in a while, cause |
amt. Just, I'm not a drunkard. See?
took to trampirg because | hate
to work. 1t takes too much of your
time. An office is like a prison to
me. A man loses his soul when he
stays all day bent over a desk. Be.
sides, don't like work"
Lazy"
Yes" snapped the Watermelon,
''but man. l love your Billy-my
Billy, and l can work for her"
Bartlett nodded indifferently, hardly
hearing what the other said. He
frowned thoughtfully at the floor as
he pondered the situation If he OBJ.
jected to the youth in BilIy's pres.
ence, she would stand up for him, all
her love would be aroused to arms
and she would see no wrong in her
hero. If the fellow snapped his fin.
gers, she would run away with him.
What did Billy, tender, gently guard.
ed Billy, know Of tramps, of the
rough, unhappy side Of existence?
Nothing. But if she caught glimpse
of it with her own eyes, saw this low.
err of hers in his true light, dirty,
drunk, disreputable, the shock would
kill her love utterly and Bartlett
would not have to use that authority
of his which was no authority, which
Billy would refuse to obey She had
been free too long for any one to gov.
ern her now. The only person who
could effectually break the unfortu
nate tangle was the Watermelon him
self. Bartlett glanced at the gloomy
face beside him and read it as he had
grown used to reading men and
events.
The Watermelon was young, hardly
older than Billy; he was desperately
in love, with a love that was pure
and true and generous. He was think.
ing of Billy and not of himself. His
opposition to Bartlett was merely the
anger aroused by Bartlett's sneers
He was in reality filed with humility
and repentance to a degree that he
would do anything to kill the love
Billy bore for him, knowing with his
mans knowledge that he was not
worthy of her, and longing with his
youth and love to sacrifice himse,f
for her best good, seeing through
young, unhappy eyes, only the past
his own shame and profession. Bart.
lett looked at him keenly and decided
that his plan would work, that he
would not have to take a last desper.
, ate and Intellectual stand against Billv
See here. August we are going To
our place 'Westahaven. It's a small
town in this state, up the coast awav
north of Portland. Come to her there
at the end of August, come as Won
are, tramp, dirty, shabby, drunk"
81 don't drink, not as the others
do"
Come drunk. Let her understand
what being tramp means. what your
| life has been. If she still wants Won
/ hardly see how 1 can stop her,
That's only fair, for what does she
know about you and your life? You
/ know all about her. what she has done
and been and is going to do. Leave
her now, this evening. Go on being
a tramp and then come to her, at the
! last of August. Come as a tramp.
mind. Don't let her think that It is
a test she Il being put to or she will
only laugh at it and US and 20 on
wanting you just the same, scornfng
| to be tested, to think that her love
could fail Give her some other ex.
cuse for your going. You must see
that it is only fair to the little girl
to let her see what she is up against. I"