Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-12-22
Mousely. "I was sort o calcula-

Mousely. 81 was sort o calcula-
tin on trade"
Gall the, same," said Mr.. Tate
smoothly. ~ don't ginerally do
business that way, but l always like
to oblege an old friend"
Mrs. Mousely smothered sort Of
contemptuous derision into a cough,
and went up garret after the two
condemned pillows which had be-
longed to her husbands mother.
"Real nice feather pillars" said
she, with a lap on the ticking.
"Only my bed is all supplied, and /
ha'nt no need for any more"
"What'll yc take for 'em?' de-
manded Jethro, scenting profit from
afar.
"Well, / don't fairly know what
they're wuth, only I wanted a dish
pan and a cullender, and a new
steamer-Mousely he aoiU have the
vegetables all steamed. 9.and door
mat"
Mr.. TAFT listened to The enumera-
ton with his head medhtativcly on
one side.
The feathers amt worth that"
said he. "Feathers is dreadful
low, just now, in the market"
"Just as you choose" said Mrs.
Mousely, beginning to bundle up
her pillows again. "Therc's three
good pound on 'cm, and"
"Now, now!'' interposed Jethro,
with an oily persuasiveness of tone
and manner. "You always was so
quick, Mis- Mousely. You didn't
wait to hear me out. ! was goin'
to say, secin' twas you, l wouldn't
let door mat stand in the way of
our bargain. Pm clear out o cul-
lenders, but I've a nice article O.
wire sieve"
SWELL" said Mrs. Mousely, ,tremb-
ling all over in the inward delight
Of having overreached the peddlcr.
''But you'll hev to be quick, Jethro,
for it's gettin' on toward noon, and
my men folks is dreadful sharp set
when they come in from the huskin'
field"
The bargain was consummated
with promptitude accordingly, and
when Elan Mousely made his APP
pcarancc at the MONDAY meal, he
found his shrewd better half re-
joicing in soul.
81 see him grin when he druv
away" said Mrs. Mousely. "Guess
he'll grin out O. t'other side of his
mouth when he finds what's in them
feathers"
"What feathers?" said Mr..
Mouscly, suddenly starting from a
sort Of brown study.
"If that amt just like you, Elam,"
said Mrs. Mouscly, in an aggrieved
tone of voice. "You ha'n't paid no
attention to a word I've been say
ing"
And she repeated the tale of how
she had outwitted Jethro TAFT in
the mornings bargain.
"You sold them pillars to ped
dlcr!" thundcred Elan, his sun
burnt face glowing into a dull ma
hogany color.
"They was full of MOTH" began
Mrs. Mousley, sand"
"Mothw echoed Elan. "And
what else was they fall of? Wo-
man, what hoce you done? All my
ten years. savin's was sewed up i'll
them pillars"
Mrs. Mousely's countenance fell.
Lands sake alive, Elan! why
didn't you tell me?"
Elam M6usely's face fell heavily
into his hands.
81 thought I'd found one place in
the world where you wouldn't come
pryin' and pcepin'," he moaned;
"and now it's gone-all gone"
Mrs. Mousely burst into tears of
mingled modification and anger.
"And it serves you right for not
tellin' your wife you had money
laid up!' she sobbed.
! Was she altogether in the wrong?
Elam started up, choking down
hoarse cxecration.
"I'll find the scoundrel" he ex-
claimcd-''I'll find him before
night, if have to tramp over half
the country!"
Vain boast! Look at the outgo-
ing and incoming of the wind
trace the hiding-place of cronies
among the rocks, or eagles in the
mountain heights, but seek not to
follow the sinuous footsteps OF
Yankee pcddler! Jcthro TAFT had
not ascended into the heavens,
neither was it likely that he had
sunk into a crcvicc of the earth, but
sure it was that he had disappear
ed, and with him the moth eaten
feather pillow which embamcd the
leather case containing Elan
Mousely's two hundred dollars.
The snow lay on the ground that
winter when Rachel Dorrance, Mr..
Mousely's younger sister, drove
across country, with the reins in
one hand and baby supported in
the hollow Of the other arm. Mrs.
Mousely received 'hcr rather
ungraciously, for Rachel had not
suited the family ideas when she
married Mark Dorrancc, the miller,
instead of Harrison Grey the law
yer's clerk. But Rachel came in,
fresh faced and blooming as rose.
"Seems to me-" said Mrs. Mouse
ly, "you've got new cutter"
EYES," said Mrs. Dorrance, un-
tieing her haby's hood ribbons,
and smoothing his flossy hair, 'it
is new"
"And fine gray horse," said
Mrs. Mousely, still cyeing the dash
ing little equipage out Of the win
dow. "Mark must be doin' well.'
"Oh," said Mrs. Dorrance, dimP-
ling and smiling, "that was my
Christmas present to Mark"