for thirty days at
the city jail in exchange for a fair amount of labor, he would, in
consideration of the apparent fact that he was of better metal than the
average tramp, make an exception in his case, and would, even at the
risk of being censured for it by his constituents, hand over to him five
dollars from the municipal funds if he would agree to leave the city
early next morning. The tramp gladly accepted the proposition,
replenished his empty purse with the proffered bounty and withdrew from
the City Hall, to take a stroll through Main Street. The city seemed to
him as prosperous as the Mayor had shown himself liberal. It occurred to
the itinerant typographer that its treasury would not have been the
worse off for a ten-dollar levy, and he hastily returned to the Mayor's
office to plead for a larger donation. The Mayor, not disposed to argue
the question, handed him another five-dollar bill and improved the
opportunity to remind him of his previous promise and to give expression
to the hope that as a gentleman of honor he would now discharge his
obligation. The tramp fairly overwhelmed His Honor with assurances of
good faith and bade him an affectionate good-by. The next rising sun
found him on his onward journey. His route led through Alton on the
Hill, a portion of the city which he had not seen before. He viewed with
surprise the many fine residences and other evidences of opulence which
this part of the city contained. He passed on in a pensive mood until he
reached the summit of the hill, which commanded a fine view of the
entire city. Here he turned to cast a farewell glance over the town
ruled over by the most generous mayor that it had ever been his
privilege to meet. As he beheld before him the fine homes and beautiful
yards, and below in the valley the lofty church-steeples, the many
school-houses, the massive business blocks, the long and well-paved
streets and the spacious and shady parks, an expression of mingled
surprise and disappointment stole over his face. He thrice slapped his
wrinkled brow and then hurriedly retraced his steps down the hill. When
the chief magistrate of Alton came to his office that morning, he met
the irrepressible tramp anxiously waiting for him at the door. "Mr.
Mayor," said the wily extortioner, "I acted very hastily yesterday when
I accepted your second proposition. You have here a much larger town
than I ever supposed. I have been constrained to take our last agreement
in