Catoctin clarion., 1918-07-04


find out after have landed him In
jail. / believe that have got a
straight case against him."
"And I don't"
And as the officer walked down to
the gate, the girl walked with him.
The tramp smiled as she approach
d Ell, and his smile broadened as she
asked:
Did you steal horse last night?"
Lord, miss, you might as well ask
me If | stole the bridge over the river
back here"
The farmer and the constable
laughed as they drove off and May
returned to the vcranda. There she
passed up and down for an hour until
her father and mother came home.
When they asked the cause of her
perturbation she told them about her
tramp.
"Well," said her father, ITS quite
likely the charge Is true"
81 don't believe it," protested the
girl. "He didn't look like horse
thief"
How many horse thieves have you
seen in your life?"
"Father, see here moment. If he
stole a horse last night would not he
ride him away to some distant point
to dispose of him?'
every likely he would" the father
replied.
"But he didn't. He is right here,
within two miles of where the horse
was stolen, and he wasn't in hiding,
either. Does that look as If he were
horse thief?"
"Well, what is 1t to us?' asked the
father.
ut is this much," replied the girl,
with flashing eyes. Constable Clark
has sent men to Jail who were inno-
cent Of crime, but he isn't going to
send this one, If can help it,
"Oh, he isn't, Ell? What are you
going to do about it?'
"YOu are going with me to learn all
about the case and help me 70 show
that he didn't steal horse, or any
thing else"
May had her way. and ten minutes
later they drove over to Farmer John
sons first To hear his story. 1t wasn't
long story.
Last evening, Just as it was getting
dark, I caught sight Of the fellow
sneaking into my barn. AS he was
not smoking I did not hunt him out.
My barn is used as a lodging house
by scores of tramps, and they seldom
commit any damage. | know for
surety that this was the only tramp
that slept there last night. This morn
ing when I went out to feed the horse
the tlnlnp was gone. So was the horse.
Don't that show that some time in the
night the tramp took the horse, and
rode away on his back"
81 should hardly say 1t did" replied
Mr.. Barry. 'IIe would have only
stolen the horse to sell to someone,
He would have taken the horse miles
away before he tried to sell him. Did
he do so? The fact that he did not,
Is shown that the tramp was only
three miles away, and on foot when
arrested
"Mebbe have been a little too fast"
said the farmer, as he lifted his hat to
scratch the back of his head. "Ihe
constable said had good case, but 1t
don't look like 1t so much as it did.
Hello. there's the telephone ringing.
Let's see what It's about?"
And minute later ne turned from
the instrument and said to his callers:
"By GEORGE But they have found
nv horse two miles up the road wan
dering about. He must have slipped
his halter in the barn and either | or
the tramp left the stable door open
behind US. Whew guess l have
come near making fool Of myself"
Mr.. Barry and his daughter drove on
TO the village and saw and told the
constable what they had heard.
There was smile on the t.anp's
face as the trio invaded his quarters
and he laughed heartily as May cried
out:
"You never stole the horse. He has
been found and you are to be set Mt
liberty. I am so glad"
Mr.. Barry was disposed to like the
young man on first sight, and went so
far as to offer him supper lodgings
and breakfast at his own house. and
when the supper was kindly refused,
would have pressed a sum Of money
unon the wayfarer, who also declined
II saving that all he needed was his
liberty. He even forgave the farmer
and the constable and passed out into
the night after three hearty hand
shakes.
For weeks and weeks later there
was talk around the house of mays
Tramp" and at least one person wun-
dered If she would ever see him again.
She had decided that she would MT,
when dressed, gOod-looklng
voung man rang the bell one day and
asked Mrs Berry who answered it. If
he could speak to her daughter for
moment May was called, and rs the
girl stood before him looking at him
in puzzled way, he smiled and
said:
81 have not come back for another
sandwich nor to cut any more fire.
wood, but l have come to render my
thanks for the services you rendered
the tramp month ago. have kept
out of jail ever since"
Who did he turn out to be? Why,
James Condor, an enterprislng news
paper reporter of a Chicago daily who
was writing series of tramp sketches
from actual experience.
II &c now the duty of the reader TO