The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-08-27
THE
COURTnY
TRAMP

"Ah. YOU don't ,lnow Babe, and he
evoked the dog, who locked very happy
and very proud. Now for some tricks
sPabeI Show the young folks what
Won can dol" a moment later the dog
was balanced delicately on his hindlegs
and walking forward or backward az
signals from his master. Another slgn9I
and he jumped through inc noop ln@ or
BY his masters arms, then lmpeo sor
rowfullv on three legs, and at maj
signal dropped limp and as II dead al
his masters feet and lay there till
snap of the fingers told him his task was
over. when he frisked about the road
barking gleefully. II.
81 guess Babe and l can get enough
farmhouse" he said. 1T always tetehes
them rL
| nv mind on the theatre, | added, /
don't see why you don't show him on
the stage. He's fner'
That's an idea said the man. Bue
what theatre d take me in these
"Thev'd take you with Babe" He
| laughed when | sid that-it made the
dog seem of so much more account than
| he man-and then, with Babe" follow"
ing. he went toward farmhouse little
The milk was good, but we didn't get
it till late in the afternoon, for, while
Babe" and his master were gone, our
fatigue got the better of as and we tell
/ last asleep on the bank by the roadside.
! That evening we came to a little hamlet
raIIed Mountain View, only about ten
nile from San Jose (And we had ex-
oected TO reach San Francisco The
man took us TO the little hotel there,
and after some conversation with tne
, landlady which we didn't hear, SHOOK
. hands with us Babe IuIhps pc, up I;+tIs
. lick on our faces. linen ndSlei al"
, dog went their way.
Things happened very quickly after
: that. At the supper table a San Fran
: cisco drummer looked up from his paper
: cave a start when he saw US, and WINS
t pered to the landlady as he looked from
,, US TO the paper. while she nodded her
:. head in assent. Next morning we %eL I
: weakened by sobs of JOY at our bed
y side-our dear mothers weeping as each
{ held her respective offspring in her arms,
= orr fathers trying to look severe but
n unable 10 keep back their own tears
e | That noon we reached home, not famous
: as we had expected, but chastened IN
e spirit; exiles from the theatres tor a
IS long. long time and separated from eaen
cI other for nearly as long.
vi OF course our parents were immense
y w. Interested when they heard about the
ri man. the tramp, who had given us his
a protection. They advertised for him
g and the papers printed the story with
d | sensational headlines, but he never ap-
e peared to claim a reward.
d Ten years later was on the stage and
ii acting with, Augustin Days company in
d New York. One afternoon on my way
from rehearsal, l stopped in at one of
d the continuous" houses. A dog act
d was just going on. The man was on
d the stage. There was something oddly
r heard his voice before. Yet ! could not
c place him. But when, looking into the
e wings, he called, Now for some tricks,
t Babel Show the young folks what
e you can dol" and an Irish terrier deli
c >ately balanced on his hindlegs came
0 out from the wings-probably, alas, not
t, the original Babe" but his successor
don't see why You don't show him on
! the stage" had said; and That's an
! idea" had been his comment
> My first impulse was to ask at the
= stage door if ! could see the trainer,
t and recall myself to my old friend of
the Santa Clara highway. But on re-
E Election I thought better of it. He
i looked prosperous, was dressed in an
5 immaculate Tuxedo suit, and was billed
G house would he care to be reminded
e of the days when he was a tramp
Probably not But when ! reached
home, I dropped him a note, unsigned,
telling him that The two girls whom
i he had safely guided to Mountain View
; ten years before never would forget
: his kindness. I think my not signing
the letter was guarantee to him that
e | never would disclose his identity 7