The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-12-26


{ themselves to some cave, where, by the help {
s flint and steel they CAD make fire dry leaves
4 and then lie down with their knapsacks for
S pillow. His experiences in these mountains Of
5 ten form materials of rich stories, which he re
lates at the fresides of future entertainers
Thus, in many ways, the peddler, without an,
: liked abode, becomes part and parcel of man
! houses, welcomed BY old men, young bride
, and little children who are all consumers OF hi
wares.
!, He was in the midst of one of his thrilling ad
ventures, when Louis, whose curiosity was thor
oughy aroused, took his seat near him, and lis
tened with such undisguised interest as to cause
the peddler to remark him closely. He frankly
answered all the questions of Louis, as to his in
tended route and the period of his return, and
apparently well pleased with each other, they
separated with an express desire to meet again,
Louis went home that night with feeling Of
desperation Through the open door of the
kitchen where he had sat, he had seen unequiv-
ocal demonstrations of love on the part of young
Lanny towards Leona; and as unequivocal en-
couragement on the part of her father, who was
present portion of the evening Something
| must be done Leona should be his, if he risked
| lite itself to win her.
But no use in that he said bitterly 'for cour-
age and intellect, and all that she or prize, is
nothing without money. BY heaven ALDER
thinks more of that stupid fellow with his purse,
than he would of the angel Gabriel. / would
that my fathers profession were open to me now.
| would carry Leona off tonight, and people
would admire it in soldier-but were to do
it now Didn't envy the peddler tonight, when
he opened his well-flled purse, and showed the
gold and silver? wish he would lend it to me,
TO dazzle Alber's eyes with.
! While Louis spoke, a thought came into his
head, which he in vain endeavored to repel.-
Every time he looked at the image which it
brought up, it grew less frightful than at first,
and its accompanying sentiment dwinded from
crime to mere business transaction. which,
though out of the common course, could be rec
| titled at future time In short, the good and
exemplary Louis, whose whole life before this,
had been free from any thought of doing evil,
was now planning to get the peddler's money
peacefully if he could, forcibly if re must. 1t
is said that Satan, when he makes his first tr-
umph over the good, leaves but little space be-
tween the planning and executing the deed to
which he tempts. In Louiss case, he made no
exemption to the general rule, for the next morn
ing he was upon the track of the peddler, as he
had described his intended route. He soon be-
| came sensible, however, that the peddler had
changed his purpose of coming this way, or that
he had not set out so early as he proposed, for
there were no traces of him in the damp forest
through which he must have passed, his orIgi-
nal design. Retracing his steps, he came back
to cavern which he had accidentally noticed as
he passed. 1t was now the dusk ofthe evening,
but not too dark for him to perceive that around
the mouth of the cave, there were marks of
mans boot. Louis crept cautiously in, and
there sat the peddIer, his whole figure lighted up
strongly by blazing fire, comfortable supper
on a rock by his side, and his happy face beam
ing as it had done by the farmers Preside -
LOUIS advanced toward him and babe him good
evening
'Ah, my friend Of the hostelrie, said the ped
dler. What chance brings you to this wild
place, that seems only fit for owls and ped
ders :?
4 came purposely to see you, answered
Louis.
Very good am to have party then, in
this castle, and you see the board is laid for
supper. Sit down, and partake with me-
Not until l know whether l shall kill you or
not
The peddler's face expressed surprise, but no
alarm. He evidently trusted to the good face
of the young man more than to his threatening
words
Listen said Louis, and he stated his whole
story precisely rs it was, i'll connection with
LeonR, and the impossibility of his raising the
sum when the cupidity OF Alber demanded
Now he continued it is at your option, to lend
repaying you, or run the risk of my taking It
fOrcibly by despatching you. l have no time for
hesitation, tor already they may be forcing her
to marry Lanny. Here-I swear to you that |
will repay you, but yeu may have to wait same
time for me to accumulate it,.
Ofcourse, the pedder chose to loan the money
and after exacttng promise of secresy from
him, Louis sat down to supper with him in the
most friendly manner. He stayed through the
night, and they parted in the morning, each pur
suing their own way. Before parting Louis
gave him silver button from his sleeve. 1t
was his fnther's, and ne valued it highly.
Whenever can repay YOU he said, 4 will
advertise this button as lost, and offer two hun
dred crowns for its restoration. You will receive
what l owe you, apparently as the reward. Do
you understand There is to be no talk what
ever of the loan
With the money so strangely obtained. Louis
renewed his application to Alder who was sur
prised at finding that he was now rich enough
to claim his BRIDE They were married in the
course of the following week, and the house, so
long desolate, seemed once more the abode of
peace and cheerfulness. l say seemed-for in
the breast of Louis there was canker that de
stroyed half his happiness. True, ne had not
actually intended to commit crime, and he had
done no harm that he did not mean to remedy.
But conscience is not satisfied with these quib-
bles and he longed to make the actual restitution
ne had promised.
Next year the peddler came again; and Louis
happening to meet him, insisted on his going
directly to his house, where Leona. who remem-
bered him, made him welcome. Two or three
years passed away, each marked by the annual
visit of the pedar, aud the earnest invitation of
the Rayners to take up his abode at their house.
The fourth year Leona's father had paid the debt
of nature, and Louis anxiously awaited the ar.
rival of bis creditor He had removed from his
own cottage to the farm house and was now
comparatively rich man. From motives of
pride, he had never taken the offered portion of
Alber's estate, and the farmer was too avari
cious to press it upon him. But now he came
into possession of more than he could have been
made to believe that Alder owned,
1t was just at the cleaning of a snowy win
ter day, when Louis, who was abroad on some
errand, saw the pedlar cross the road below him.
He shouted to him to come up the hill They en-
tered together, and sat down to the cheerful
evening meal with Leona and her oldest child.
The othet two were safe in bed. After supper,
Louis said to his visitor
IS | have lost u button like this on my sleeve |
would give two hundred pounds to find it."
And l. - said the pedlar, have one exactly
like it. But / will not take your money, for it
gives me pleasure to restore the button
Leona looked up surprised.
Send little Sophia to bed said Louis to his
wife wish to speak to you.
After the child was gone, Louis said to her
Darling, there is but one thing in which ever
deceived you, from the first hour our ofacquaint-
ance until now; and that regards the debt which
owe to our friend here. 1t is to him alone that
we are indebted for being together. Had it not
been for him you would have been the wife of
Auguste Lanny.'
Heaven forbid i
Most assuredly; your father had it all plan
ned when 1 appeared before him so unexpect-
edly, with the two hundred pounds he demand
ed
Yes, yes, love; that was a mystery.
Well had it of our good friend
Who thinks your generous hospitality is
enough to cancel the debt
may answered Louis; you are to take the
money also.'
Certainly said Leona that would be but