THE PEDDLERS' PACK.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3016, 29 November 1898, Page 4

THE PEDDLERS' PACK.

, "It ain't,.s." very pleasant sto.ry," said tho landlord of the Long Peek, " but I like to tell, it sometime* joat to remind myself' thafe the worst thinK * man can 1 have in this world is a übt; obstinate tamper, 7"' „; , " s ""You see, I came to this coast soon after the gold fever broke out and settled down in the -Santa Barbara valley, below here, rauobing, 1 ins a widower even then, and had brought with me from the States my only child, a daughter j past 17. She was a pretty girl, if Ido say it, j and being as good as pretty y«u can - imaginb.' [I was quite wrapped uj> in her. Of oour%oj I &&h. , anxious to kfcp her with me. and if not U>at eS least 1 looked for her to do eomotbioi bttlcr than fall in love with a peddler." ■ " And did sho." • ' "7m. Yon see, in thoso d&ys the country was full of young fellows who had gliu< k out For themselves oni were trying tv got a si ait by currying kniokit racks around from ano njii>iiiy i-amp to anotiiw. Some of term wore lively ul-aps ecough and well educate<>,hut I wae frtfci. from the Sl»t^B,with all Ibo e&eteiti pwi'ud ces, , aud it alincwt drove mo ctild wbcu Nolbe tojd me ehe wanted to mairy a young fallow who brought bis pack through oar <Sialribt; a good desi of tenw tban the (rode s^mwl toie.-juue. [ was » hot tempered fool in tbore tiitys>, so 1 stormed, threatened, looked Nellie up for a trexk and sect ward (o her lover thnt 1 hud loaded my rub f«r wild eat« fend pcddifcW." " What did Nulie do ?" •• Y«n mJsrlit have guessed it One day when I came buck from » exttle ssle the was mining. I chDScd brr a couple of dayn, but tbt-y bfc<s .'ak«n to tbe woods, aud tt tf«*' of i:o use Afttr awlile I got a Jotter from Friico, and i wrotw b?ck f*ym« tlat I fcad- disowned her, ■ <nd that ho LbJ better keej) out of tho laogo of my nflc" ■'"''" ~" \* What did you do the a ?'' " Buffcrcid, Riif-tcir, just suffered. I knew 1 was wrong, but I'd L&vt> died tether tfcan give in. For Sve^cfcin I lived like » to*il in a rock, bating the chelo wrtltf. All the { -l ensure I had W«»8 in Katclueg for p(ddlers. U'ue uuraU,r I ohtaed off the rnneh during that (imc woul3 (Stoiiifcb yon, "-r ,„ v^- " One 6vsnir>g Efter a icvrihlc r»inst'»rin s. peddler c*«* to my Low a Mtd s.(tk«d f»r a saelter foe the eight. _ He ksk r tbiu, vrc»klo&lring ftr'low, with his fp.oc covered witt* a Lug*, roggrd b- a*d. He o<itiiud t»n bis back an enoimously locg ood 1 cavy pack and sec mid bo t-xhaukted witfa b\> tramp through ti<e mire tbut I badn't tba heart te do coie th»n order him off the pia«s." £ — ■**■ " Thut was prtity hard,'" said tho h'stenor. " I suppose it wu». The ptdtiter s:«<cßcd all broke up wb*n he found 1 .wouldn't oven givr him W bttuoh of atjaw in tno et&Me, and do ;iiher Lcuse «*iU,in tßulve Etilee, Itsu-acf cf ooujp'aii.'iofr, howevM, be merely bpgged that 1 would let liiw leavi.- bta pact, vrhich ho eaid eoiitatned goods of value, under eLelter fiom the rein. I fiually coNsetittl, to this. 80, hs I ba.«i sworn rote of his tic* Jc shaald ev< r cr^yj aiy tbresLold, I patried bis pac-k insi Ir, while its owner limped off to crawl under some bus'n or other." " Didn't yon fst>l mean ?" *• Ti g. mtae and biltor at tho same timr, for sorntthing it ho at the m--a n mii.dcHl rr,e of Xcili.'s tsUsftaiid a little. However, I locked and barred all the doors aDd wiodowei as usual, for some road Ggtnta had bieo aruuud those parts abiut tbat time and had stepped ao<l ribbed fever&l ranoLers, vud^ bs 1 lo!d sou, 1 sins all alone. Somehow 1 uocidn't go to t-lcep when alter that 1 went to bed. Alt-er tossmp arcunri for awbile 1 pot up autl s&t by tbe lire, broo.liEK over my tiouble and Iryii-g not to think ot tbe t>c>i chap »! ivoritig f-ut tbere in tbi ooM snd rain sotsewhere. 1 looted at bi6 pai-k sitting up in Lbo room and wondered what mado it so loug. " As 1 watched it, I fancied I saw it move.'" " Su»v it move 't'' " Exactly. 1 wouldn't b<lieve bit own eyes «.i fir^-t, but after wntohiug inteutly for &wbili I diotini'ily s>rw tbe fiODt of a Lund prf-ssed ngtiii.st the oaßvas froia tb(< inßido. Like a fliirtl; tbeu I understood tbe wUole thing, 'lhe peddler was ore of tbe road agrols' g&ng, sod, knowing I bod oousiderable wyvev about the bouse, they had adopted that plan for smuggling one ot their creit iDsidt: tLe L-ouao. Aiter [ had gone to sleep the fellow iiside ctuld let in tbe rrst end fiuisli tbe job. I walked quietly acrosa the TD-oni, took my guv from the antlers, knelt dowu a few fret Horn tho pack, aime^ squaie in tbo c< olre and pulled tLe triggf-r." *' Go on," murmured tuo listener, with b shudder. " But Ibfigun didn't go off," continued the ltiudlord, dealing his throi-.t. *' Tte nipple -wivrusly aud wouldn't work, so 1 laid dowu th<rifle and gut aa ase from tbo kilot tn. H hsti be«i Dewly ground that day, f.i.d when I liftet" it over my head I count e-J upon ch-*ving th»t pack, robber and ell, c!e«r to ?i:e ground. ,7 us! i as 1 r&isod tbe ax aud lii&cvd nivtetf (or the blow J saw a gbost." " A ghost ? " "Yes, bir. Tte pack openorl, nnd I saw stick ing out of its top the curly yellow ! air of my Nellie when sbe was a little tot ot 4. Thi shock staggered mo so that I *c.ok en my icuce-. 1 wiped my eye# end woudi red if 1 bad not gate cr^zy. I waa almont c i thin of ie wht-n the ghost stretched out a pair of ei.ubby whiii arms and said : " ' How do, grnndpa ? ' " " Ab," said the giiest, with q relieved sifff . , " 1 bogiu to see. And irhat did y<u ilo th«u V " 1 don't exactly know," raid the le.udlorl, softly, '' but if there ie auythii g tlist will beuc a stiff, stubborn neck quirk. r tban the arms oi a little cbild, I'd like to know what it ia. 1 put tte l ited little prisoner do»n by tL,e fire, opiced tbo Joor aud hi-ld out my arms." " An. l the mother ? '' " Ytß," aouded tLe landlord, " They vrfrc both thtre, and, mil, U-r, 1 guias (hat's the tud of v y story." Anct the old man niped iiis eyct. " You must excuse iae,':ut that \tas v wit eve; - ' ing, and somehow I Lavtu't gtjt quite diy since."