The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-03-13
That Good Ham
Sandwich
By I. WRIGHT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(Copyright.l

II tell you, Dave" he said with a
sigh, I'm going up to that house and
ask for drink OF water. need
little something after three hours of
this work"
The man lying in the road under
the car snorted: "G'wan, then. We're
not going to call garage man in for
mo, that's all right with me-but
I'm going to have a drink of water.
And say-if | saw a ham sandwich
right now"
For civil engineer with a nice
new diploma from college and pretty
fraternity pin that no girl ever yet
succeeded in getting away-well, you
sound like a hungry tramp" And the
man in the road turned over on his
side and stretched two fingers up into
the motor and said something softly
under his breath.
Up at the house on the hill girl
with soft golden hair and violet eyes
stood on the porch, watching the prog
ress of the man coming up. His fig
ure is like Merwin's," she whispered to
herself. But Merwin-" she sighed a
little and sat down at the white kitch-
en- table, which was spread with two
large loaves of bread, butter, mus
tard and pretty pink ham.
"May-may I have drink OF wa
ter?" asked Merwin Palmer moment
later.
The girl with the violet eyes did
not look up from her bread cutting
1.-THE pump is there and the dipper
is hanging in the apple tree directly
above. Help yourself" Her voice was
cordial.
to the pump she looked after him.
Afraid of tramps, she was somehow
fascinated by his figure. His shoulders
dropped as he pumped, and he looked
very tired. When he called out
'Thanks" she was again looking at her
bread.
If he stared at her queerly she did
not know it, for she was not even
glancing his way.
MAYBE tramps are lazy lot and
don't deserve anything" she said half
aloud, 'but I'll bet a sandwich would
taste good to him. Say!" she called
out. She did not know how to address
him, and SAY" seemed to be adequate.
He turned.
"Would you-care for ham sand
! wich?"
He hurried toward her.
For a moment she was startled. She
had heard dreadful tales of tramps
knocking girls senseless and going
through the house to take everything
of value. She almost regretted her
impulse.
81 don't know that you're hungry"
she said timidly.
"Why," he said cordially in BOOM
ing voice, "I'd commit murder right
now for ham sandwich. was just
telling my pal down the road that
ham sandwich"
She paled: he had pal down the
roadside did not dare look at him.
"May help MYSELF" he asked as
she made no effort to hand him the
plate.
She nodded; her throat felt dry and
hot and she wished that some of the
family were home. "You-you might
take one along to your-pal-" she
said in very little voice.
"Fine-" he said, eating the
sandwich with a great relish. cal
though a fellow who swears as he
does doesn't deserve anything as good
as" he said and then stopped short.
Her face famed; why had she called
him back when he was on his way
out of the yard! She dared not look
at him. Panic overwhelmed her.
"Arent you Faith Darrow?" he
asked.
She looked at him now in surprise:
"Yes."
PIN"
"You're never Merwin Palmer?"
He nodded placidly. "Fm glad you
remembered. l thought you didn't
and"
She laughed nervously: "Well. why
why didn't you say so at the start?
l -you-thought you were
tramp"
He stared at his tan Overalls. "The
car broke Town and Dave and l
thought we'd fix it ourselves"
There was a strained silence as each
followed thoughts concerning an eve
ming where there was dancing, bal
cony, certain words-and then the in
terruption of a crowd of dancers.
"Y'know-" it was Merwin Palmer
who broke the silence. "Y'know, l
always had notion, Faith, that my
fraternity pin would look better on
you than on anyone else in the world !;
suppose We" he was holding out the
/ pin which had never before been out
of his hands.
A snort made them turn around.
$50 this is what you call getting a
drink of later while lie under that
car and sweat?' 1t was Dave.
"Heres a sandwich and there's the
dipper far down the yard there by the
pump. G'wan and get drink urged
Merwin Palmer, with more cordially
than he had ever before shown.
"Gwan, we're busy here"
Not Always