Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-12-07
Took the Open
Road
Bv JUSTIN WENTWOOD
Observation-Disclosures ''s''s"s''s''s"s''s's's'
ia. 1929. Waatern NeWspaper Union.)

ssT GUESS it's in the blood, Jim,"
said Tom to his friend. Some
times l kind of wish I'd settled down
when / was a young man, but rowing
was in my blood, and l just had to
tramp"
Same here, Tom," answered his
friend. "We've been hitting the pike
twelve years now, and l guess we'll
keep on hitting it till we die in Gods
free air. And what / say is, tramp
printers like us amt buns nor hoboes'
We're educated men with taste for
walking"
"Say, old man, what life could be
better than ours. here today, gone to-
morrow? And the sights we see. Thats
an education in itself. We're Arabs
that's what we are, only we haven't
got no tents. What towns this any
way?'
"Exton, you old boob answered
Tom. where are your eyesT
"Exton? My God!'
"Why, what's the matter with your
"Why, 1 was born and raised here,
answered Jim. cts years since ! was
in this old burg, and kinda forgot
Say, let's go look at the town."
They tramped the streets. Few peo
pie turned to look at the two dusty
tramps inspecting the buildings, the
fire station; only the policeman OF
duty at the corner Of Main street
turned a suspicious eye on them.
1T sure has changed" said Jim
"Say, Tom, let's go look at the house
I was born in. You wouldn't believe
it, maybe, but my dad owned thu
newspaper here"
Might be a job" suggested Tom.
Nothing doing" said Jim. "W'
sure had q nice house, though. There
was q girl next door was kinda swee
On.
He said no more. Tom understood
Jim had left Exton when pretty Moll.
Davis married his rival, steady youni
Larrabee from the bank.
They left the business quarter be
hind them and proceeded along
flower-bordered road into the suburbs
Fine houses stood on either side. A
length Jim halted at an oldish hous'
about the middle Of block.
THAT was my house, Tom," he said
Lord, wouldn't the people stare If
was to tell them we owned that hous
once. And that house, next door"
He broke off. Tom understood agail
and said nothing. But terrible fea
was growing in his heart. Suppose tn
girl still lived there and Jim made him
self known to her. Suppose he mar
ried her and settled down, and lef
him, Tom, to tramp the roads alone Il
his old age.
That's the old maple tree" sal
Jim. "She used to come out in tn
evening, and we'd kind Of stand an
gossip here. They've taken down tn
picket fence, though. There's som
one living there sure"
There was. Two children came Ou
and stared at the intruders who wer
looking the house over. A dog barket
A shade went up In the living room.
Them sure were the days. Tom,
muttered Jim. "Pretty she was, an
lively, and she strung me along til
the end and all the while that son-o1
a-gun was courting her, and l neve
guessed it. Fell for her, I did, like
| blame fool. All womens that way
Tom. They amt no use meddlin
with them. Still, them were tn
Tom watched his friend anxiously
For all his words 1t was evident tina
the spell Of the past was on him. HOY
he hoped Molly didn't live there now
But Of course that was unlikely.
The door opened and a hard-fee
tured woman of middle age came GU
and down the path.
what are you two men doin
there?' she shrilled. 1--WE don't wan
tramps around here. You take youl
selves off or I'll telephone the polio
and have you run out Of town"
"Why, we wasn't doing nothing
mum, only admiring your flowers,
said Tom
you take yourselves off, you pal
Of tramps," shrilled the woman.
saw, come on, Jim !" mumbled ToI
In disgust
She watched them from the path a
they bumped their way along the roat
Shame filled Jim's heart, but it wa
not for himself or Tom. 1t was fo
what the years had done with Molly.
He turned to Tom. "Come on, OLE
timer" he said. 81 guess the rovin
life brings out the best In folks afte