“Yes, I have,” said Hogan. “Once I was prosperous, but ill health and misfortune came, and swept away all my money, and now I have to travel around and ask a few pennies of kind strangers.”
“Why don’t you go to work? You look strong enough,” said Herbert.
And in this he was perfectly right.
“Why don’t I work? I ain’t able,” answered the tramp.
“You look strong enough.”
“You shouldn’t judge by looks, young gentleman. I have fever ’n’ ager awful, and the rheumatism is in all my joints. You look rich and generous. Can’t you spare a few pennies for a poor man?”
“You mustn’t judge by looks,” said Herbert, laughing at his own repartee. “My father’s rich, but he don’t give anything to tramps.”
Now the professional tramp, although quite aware of his own character, objects to being called a tramp. He does not care to see himself as others see him.
Mike Hogan answered shortly, and without his customary whine: