"I don't know anything about lumber," he said. "I can't work at much, and
I'm hungry. I'm too sick to work very hard. All I want is something to
eat. And I haven't any papers that belong to your father. Is he at
home--or your mother?"

"I'll call them," said Rose, for she knew that was the right thing to do
when tramps came to the house.

But there was no need to go in after Mr. and Mrs. Bunker. They had heard
the children talking out on the side porch, and a strange man's voice was
also noticed, so they went out to see what it was.

"Oh, Daddy!" cried Russ. "Here's the tramp lumberman you gave the old coat
to, but he says he hasn't any papers!"

"Excuse me!" exclaimed the tramp, "but I don't know what the little boy is
talking of. I just stopped in to ask for a bite to eat, and he and the
other children started talking about a lumberman and some papers in a
ragged coat. Land knows my coat is ragged enough, but I haven't anything
belonging to you."

Mr. Bunker looked sharply at the ragged man, and then said:

"No, you aren't the one. A tramp lumberman did call at my real estate
office the other day, and I told one of my clerks to give him an old coat.
In the pocket were some valuable papers. But you aren't the man."

"I know it, sir!" answered the tramp. "This is the first time I've been
here. I'm hungry and----"