The Meeker herald., 1922-11-18
The Two Hungry
Tramps
By JOHN PALMER

~ JOhW kAA4EN
cspyngAt. 1881 wssssrn Newspaper unioa.
II dunno a. understand you. BILL"
complained his friend and fellow-hobo.
Larry. "We've been good pals this sig
months. and we've tramped or ridden
cur way half acrost the continent. But
we've had q tough time. there's no
denying 1t.
"Folks amt what they used ter be.
sence prohibition come In. In the good
old days most any farmhouse was
good for a hand-out of bread and
meat, but nowadays q honest tramp
has his work cut out II he's going to
earn q decent living.
sWe've slept out In the rain, BE-
cause Of them hard-hearted dogs they
keeps chained up against the barn
doors. We've been shown the broom
this side Of the Pacific. It's all right
for me. Bill. but ] don't understand
about you.
"You tell me you got a good home
back East and earned a good living
before you took this crazy Idea in
your head to become q hobo. You've
got a grocery business. and you've
turned 1t over to your wife. And here
you are. bumming it along the pike
with me.
II don't say nothing about your
queer ways. Bill. It's always me that
goes up to the farm. and gets hit
across the head and bit by the dog.
and when do git q hand-out It's
been share and share alike from the
beginning. I've stood fer that. but
is 1t reasopable. Bill7"
swell, I'll talk straight to you. Lar
ry," answered his friend. II left home
because my wife's got the worst
tonxue between the Atlantic and the
Rockies, and that's q fact. Gosh. how
that woman can talk! I've timed her
four solid hours without stopping to
take breath. Larry. l got SO sick Of
. 1t that Jest had to 60. No mortal
man could stand fer It.
Larry shook his head. THAT'S
tough, Bill. old pal" he said.
"It surely is, Larry. and that's why
I can't 70 up to the farm-houses and
ask fer a hand-out. The very thought
Of a woman's tongue makes me feel
faint. Larry. / believe I'd die II q
woman ever spoke cross to me again"
THAT'S all right. BILL" said Larry.
"but you got to take your share Of
what's coming. It's my belief It's all
Imagination. You Jest got that idea
into your head and can't get 1t out
What you got to do is to get &C.
climated by degrees.
"Now we got to eat, and there's a
peach Of a nice little woman at that
farmhouse over yonder. and there
amt no dog neither. Go up like man
and ask fer handout. and I'll walt
in the road fer you. You got to play
fair. old man."
Larry, II she speaks harsh It'll kill
me-" pleaded BIZ.
"She won't speak harsh." said Lar
~. THAT sort Of woman can't make
eyes at a goose. Git along. old pal.
and good luck to you"
Bill hesitated, but his friend was
insistent, and. as he was becoming
conscious of a gnawing sensation In
the epigastrIc region. he nerved him
self at last to approach the farm
house.
It was quite true that there was NO
dog. and when his difiident tap was
followed by the opening of the door
he took courage as he looked at the
sweet-faced. motherly woman who
stood in the entrance.
She had blue eyes and fair hair and
dimpled cheeks, and looked little like
his wife, too, 80 that for a moment he
felt a strange longing for the home
he had left.
BEG pardon. main. but could you
sive q bite Of bread and meat to two
honest working-men what's working
their way west7" he asked.
"You one Of them7' demanded the
lady at the door.
ayes, MAN," said Bill expectnnty.
The little lady drew in long
breath, .sThen I'll tell you what I'll do
to you," she said. "We don't feed
hobos here, and II you don't beat II
quicker than spot of creased light
ming I'll take the fryingpan to you
you idle, worthless. lazy. loafAR
hound. Oh. 1 know your kind. pre-
tending to be on the way to find wo'k
when you've never done days honest
work in your life and wouldn't know
It II you saw 1t, You mean. miserable
skunk, not to speak Of"
But Bill was already flying to the
road, and the little lady. with pleased
expression, closed the door.
.Whasermarrer, Billr cried Larry
catching at his friends arm Hoy
stopi Where d'you think you're going
She amt coming after. You. That was
tough luck, but"
"Lemme goi" shouted Bill.
2 'Gof Where d'you think you'rs
/, Hoing1"