Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-06-07
Harboring A Tramp.

don't you tell him that. if he doesn't do
better, you'll be harboring tramp some
day, Just the same as his mother did once?
He'll know what you mean.
"l was all out OF patience that morn
ing" Mother Dill continued. There
were things in the garden and about the
house 10 be done. and begged ia 10
give me a few hours. But he had so
many irons in the fire that he simply
couldn't stop TO potter at home.
"He had scarcely got out ofsight when
tramp appeared al the door. He had
the usual story-out OF money and out Of
work; and could give him something
to eat
Well says |, there's one thing |
am not out Of, and that is work. can
give you some of that first, and afterwards
a breakfast
81 expected him 10 mu,ter something
and march off. But he didn't. He said
All right, mum = And when came 10
get second look at him, thought he
had much better face than most OF his
kind. SO trusted him for his breakfast
and after he had eaten good meal and
he had hearty appetite, can tell you,-
we went at the garden.
81 don't know when had so enjoyed
myself. The man knew how TO take
orders, and he was real sociable, too, and
told me the story OF his life, not sparing
himself in the least. He said that he was
brought up well, and that he was tired OF
the life he had been leading and wanted
TO 60 back 10 his home.
at was noon before knew il, and OF
course wouldn't send him off without
his dinner. Then while | was talking
with him at dinner found that he was
handy with tools; so had him make
over the grapevine trellis and mend the
back steps and putty up some otthe win
dows and put up some shelves in one OF
the closets
"Along toward night he said he guess
ed he would have to be moving so put
him up lunch and paid him fifty cents,
and told him always 10 think OF me as a
friend.
"He hadn't much more than got out oil
the yard when Pa drove in. | couldn't
wait for him 10 unharness before showing
him how much man could accomplish
when he was willing TO listen TO reason.
Pa shifted little, but he couldn't find a
word OF fault to say until took him up
to the clothes closet to see the new
shelves. Then he made a dive for the
pocket OF a vest OF his that hung there and
roared out
"'Did you leave that fellow here
alone p
"'Only for a minute, says |, kind OF
scared.
Il" That's what comes from harboring a
tramp says Pa. My wallet is gone, and
your days work has cost me about forty
dollars
"My heart was ri hit in my mouth, but
| kept stiff upper lip. We'll, says |,
perhaps if you'd spend little time fixing
things up in the beginning it would save
you money in the end
"He made no answer, but said he'd
start right off after the fellow, and maybe
catch him and jail him. Among Pas
irons in the fire was being deputy sheriff.
| went along TO identity. The man hadn't
much OF start, and we soon caught sight
OF him hunying along through piece OF
woods.
" Hi, there = Pa yelled, and the tramp
stopped right in his tracks, waiting for US
10 come up. As Pa jumped out of the
wagon he cIapped his hand into his inside
pocket, and the look on his face fairly
scared me. Then he walked right up 10
the poor fellow and laid his hand on his
shoulder.
"'You the chap that worked for my
wife touay p says Pa.
Yes, sir, says the tramp. taking off
his cap 10 me as polite as you please.
Paid you fifty cents, did she p says
Pa.
'Yes, sir, says he.
We'll, says Pa, that was a ndIcu-
lous price for what you did here's two
dollar bill. And see here, says Pa, If
you are in earnest about wanting to work,
come back 10 my house in the morning
and I'll try to find you job
Then, after few more words, he got
into the wagon and We turned round.
why didn't you arrest that man for
stealing ? says when we were out Of
earshot
"'Well, says he, I know thief when
see him, and he isn't one.'
"But wasn't going TO be put off by
any such palaver as that.
Where did you get that two dollars
you paid him p says |. Out Of the wal
let that you missed 2
"Then Pa Tned up, although he hated
to. He had felt that wallet in his vest
pocket just as he jumped out OF the wsg-
on. He'd been carrying it all day, sup
posing he had left il at home.
"Well, the nian-Duggan, his name
was-did come round the next mo, ming,
and got his JOB. He kept at il, steady as
a mill, too. until he had saved up money
enough 10 20 back home. So my harbor-
ing tramp turned out pretty well that
time, although ! never have tried II since.
For one thing. | have never seen another
tramp that resembled Duggan and then,
Pa is a grain better than he used to be
about io6oing round home"
81 understand your husband is can
didste for Office" said a suffragette out
West to her sister in the cause. "Are