Smyrna times., 1858-07-09

where his place was no Poolbeach gossip could
discover.
| Now it so happened that Peter the pedlaI
and Beriah the farmer had never been very
good friends. Report went that the farmer had
once been enamoured of the pedar's wife, and
would have continued his addresses, had he not
been summary reclaimed from this wicked
course by that Gorgon of the Gorgons Madge
Nugget. Be that as it may, this at least is
certain that Peter was seized with severe at
tack of trembling when the farmer sapping
him on the back held out his hand, and with a
face on which reposed the slightest possible
relaxation of its deeply marked care lines
which could reasonably be termed smile, said,
Come old fellow, let bygones be bygones-
Will ye have social glass at the tavern? I'll
pay
The last two words were whispered into his
ear in a low sepuchral voice, which made Peter
start; but summoning up all his courage and
remembering one of the theatrical swaggers
be had once seen in Richard ILL.,, from the six
penny gallery of the theatre at /, he dash
ed his brown and sun. tanned fist into Beriah's
open hand with the exclamation, NV hand
ont!-and so arm-in-arm, they entered the
tavern amidst the admiring plaudts Of the ma
rine population of Poolbeach.
Isabella Modiey's house was held in no very
high estimation by the neghborhood 1t was
not very safe, they said, TO remain in it after
night-fal. If it was not haunted BY spirits, vet
1t was by those who retaled spirits without
paying the Kings taxes; and yet whenever
the officers came TO inspect it, that bold brazen
faced Isabella had always cowed aud abashed
them, aud sent them away like dogs with their
tails between their legs, by that unanswcrable,
impciuous tonge of hers. know her house i.
full Of secret doors and secret closets, and |
could show where the rude stair is that leads
down these dizzy cliffs to the sea below; and
yet such u shell OF house it looked one would
expect to see it flying over the cliffs and ia.
away on the slightest provocation from sum
ner wind; and yet there il has stood nohod,
knows how fong.
Into this howell, then, Peter and Beriah e. :
cred, and sat drinking deep into the night
The wind roarea and whistlcd, and leapt with |
| howl down the crags ; and at every gust the !
little mans heart grew more open, and hi, |
words. stiff and restrained az first, became gra
lually freer as they hObnobJed over their glasses
IceP into the night. In the midst of their rev.
Try the door opened aud Madge Nugget en-
cred on some frivolous message to her master
n half an hour afterwards She came running
nut screaming that Beriah was murdered was
and that Peter the pcdIur had done
he deed. The tavern was soon filed with a
Fortified crowd. There indeed lay Beriah,
Hood Oozng from his arm, 'and yelling into q
here; but Isabella sat by at u small table
fierce eyes glowing like Goals of
ire, and her look that of the tiger after tasting
Hood. Berah was borne home in process OF
ime he recovered. His wound had been
light one, and he was soon able to go about
nd attend as formerly to his farm occupations
ut his demeanor was very much changed. He
I'D not seem to care about money half SO much
s he had done; and profound melancholy
ettlcd upon him. To divert this he took to
rinking. He had often people with him in the
venings; and once lie even went so far as to
i've a dinner party and assembled large mum.
er OF guests round his mahogany Up to this
lme he had been left pretty quiet by his friends
n the subject of that memorable Tuesday
light, as they not only thought he was not SUI
clently recovered to converse Oh the subject,
ut had found him invariably cross and queru-
ous whenever it was preached. Moreover, did
ot Madge give them all the informationt they re.
ured! They were sitting, she said, all three
f them hobnobbing over the table, when Peter,
With face flushed and excited with liquor,
uddenly rose, and advancing to Beriah with a
nenaclng air, demanded satisfaction for sup
osed insult committed many years before
'erlah quietly answered, he was sorry he had
ifended him, and held out his hand.
NO. said Peter, L. won't have your hand.
Iou've nsulted me, sir-.I must have your life;'
nd without another word, he seized a knife
rom the table and advanced towards Beriah.-
lie, quick as thought, held up his arm to guard
lis head, and receiving the wound there fell
rom loss of blood. The pedlar seeing his adj
'ersary fallen aud the blood yelling from him,
instantly took to fight. Madge tried to hold
lin, but he slipped through her fingers like al
eel, and she seeing that pursuit was useless,
rave the alarm; and the rest of the story has
,een related already.
Such was the story that had contented all
til! Berah gave his dinner party
The subject was broached when pipes and whs-
Key were upon the table, and when the thaw OF
had gone of the company. Be-
-iah at first grew very angry; but his guests
being seized with sudden fit of devilry, would
not let the subject 90 till they had hunted the
Did fox into corner, and obliged him to an
swer the very question he had wished to avoid |