St. Cloud Democrat., 1864-04-07

uior' anu tho 0ry goo0e peddler, the tinman
1hscarried hardware mostly too, and 9TH
ers besides, just as they do now, cnly a
deal oftener, and their stocks was twiste
as good. They WAS always familiar sort
O. men, and they brought the news of the
town they came from, 50 people was gener-
ally glad to see them. They used 10 stop
for the night At the last house they got to
after dark, and paid for their board IN
some article Of their trade when they was
going away. r..
IL recollect one Of them, by the name of
Jephthah Murney. He came from Will
iiamsburg, and dealt in jewelry and such
like trash. 4 didn't think it trash in those
days though; and l believe the girls
thought more Of Jeph,hah's visits than any
one else's, and spent most Of their savings
with him. He was foolish kind O. man :;
if he had little money about him, lie was
sure to let you know just how much, and
what he was going 10 do with it, and so on,
as If he WANT quite wise. You'd, better
quit that habit yo4've got Of talking of your
money, Jephthsh, ,ssys ny mother to him
one day, 'or you'll chance on some one
who'll save you the trouble of carrying it.
But Jephthah only lau ghed, and went on
just the same. ,:.>
''He came round the last time in January
thirty-tw years ago. I mind it well, for
there'd been an awful snow-storn,, that had
kept me two days and nights over at old
Uncle Jake Fitcher's. When I came home
on the third evening mother told me Jepll<
thah had been there. Well, was real sor.
ry to have missed him, for Id been reckon
in on pair Of gold ear rings he'd got, ever
since his last visit, when hadn't money
enough to stuy them; but mother comfort.
ed me. 'Ycu can get 'em in the morning,
says she, for Jephthah calculated he
wouldn't get further than Kitty Clsrk'e to
night, count Of the drifts being so bad.
Well, she kept talking of Jer hthah. He'll
be robbed some day, as sure as life,' says
she. i never heard man talk so foolish
as he does, to be in his right mind He told
me to: day, he had two hundred dollars on
HIM, besides his stock, and he was going to
buy some land, and leave peddling. But
he'll be robbed first, if there's q ha'porth
of roguery left in the WORLD
early, weht shf oyef 9f1t & morning. Morn bright and
real cold, and l ran most Of the way, a.
fast as could, fer the deep snow. wher
l knocked at the door, heard q. scuttery
kind O. noise inside, and Il had to knock
rgain before Kitty said, Come in When
l opened the door. she was throwing some.
thing into cupboard she had an ever.
lasting fire on the hearth, and big 20,
over it, and there was an awful smotherin'
smell hke burned feathers or scorched wool.
len rags
Here Mrs. Jones paused to stir the cruel
Something in the last words had made, a1ts
Blake clasp her baby closer, and glance
fearfully a, ound.
| 49, ' .;.:;s
"Well, looked round,' continued Mrs.
Jones, but didn't see i,o sign Of Jerhthah.
Where's. ,Jephsh.h Murney, Mrs. Clark,
says l. *fhat's more'n can tell you,' says
she; he quit here this morning at day.
Light Twas disappointed, but that would
not bring him any nearer; So l said I'd
have to wait till he came round next time.
When Jephthah Murney> comes round
again. you'll get earrings for nothing,
says Kitty {; 'he's going to quit peddling.
and buy a farm yes says, l, he told
mother he had two hundred dollars yester-
day. Well says she, he didn't say here
how tnuch he had, only just what 1 tell
you didn't stay long, for she seemed to
think me ia the way; she kept fussing
round but somehow she managed to be oil
the time between me and the cupboard
door. Early as it was, the floor was fresh
filed off, and the place red up as if it was
afternoon.
81 guess it was four or Eve days after
there was an. alarm raised, where was
Jephthah Murney His horse and cutter
was found loose on the road between this
and Havgleyburg; but he was never seen
or heard of again. Of course, there was a
great inquiry made, and Sam and Kitty
Clark, being the last people that had seen
him, were examined very close; but the y
stuck TO their story; and though the shan
y was searched all over, and up and down,
nothing was found that could show they
had made away with HIM but yet the mo-
ton got abroad, and for long time they
were suspected. A tore in WILLIAMSBURG
was robbed Of about two hundred dollars a
few days before Jephthah's last "trip. And
some thought he done It, and absconded to
the States. Maybe he did; but it's allays
been my opinion, and . good many others
too, that if he did hook the money. he new
er carried it further than Kitty Clark's. Il
don't know why, but il always rested on
my miad the look Of the .shanty on that
morning; the :sopttery noise, the fresh
washed door, aud liz .'1sfui .atoe.tin'
smell. !, .a...,., .s.4 ,..,, :,t~.& -. ~.
"1t turned i outtb.t liz, jep;b'ii.h had 1T. oh.
child. Z girl &bodttnslve years old. All he
had WIS on him, and the child WAS destl-
tqte, She boarded With . woman who used
her very bad, and one day that old Andrew
Foyle went to Williamsburg, he took pity
on her, and brought her back with him az