Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-10-06
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The shower was ended. A brisk west
er Y breeze was rapidly tearing away tn
gray thunder-clouus from the face of tn
June sky, and the sun shone down will
renewed fcrvor.
As hot as twas before the rain p ex
claimed Mrs. Curtis, as she opened he
parasol and leisurely stepped from til,
Haywood drygoods store in which sh'
had, half an hour before, taken shelte
from the storm.
Eyes, it is ma'am, ," said Nh. Brown
the proprietor, handing her the bundles
she had bought from him, and he added
"You'n have a hot walk under the
brilin sun. Better run into on,
house an stay to tea. You hain't seer
the twins yet Slnartest little critters
ever was. Mrs. Browns gettin' Oh fine.
~ and will be glad to see YOU
Thanks; I'd like to, but I must
hurry home and can my clrrants. Be.
sides, I wouldn't undertake that long
walk through the pine wood after DARK
for anything in the world. It's gloomy
enough in the daytime. Give my re.
spects to your wife; tell her I'll drop il
soor anu see her and the babies. Good
day"
Good-day," said Brown, and he
added, as he saw Mrs. Curtis hurryiine
down the street, "Queer critter!''
Yes, by all the inhabitants of Hay
wood, Mrs. Curtis, was called peculiar.
She was upwards Of fifty years, tall and
erect, with iron-grey hair, ruddy cheeks
and keen, dark eyes. And decidedly she
WAS person that minded her own bust
ness. She had lived in Haywood over
five years, yet III all that time not sin
gle person had been able to CLEAN any
information concerning her past life.
All that could be ascertained was that
she was widow, chil1less, and with a
little property, consisting of comforta-
bic cottage, surrounded by few acres
Of land, ami with few hundred dollars
in tue Haywood bank.
Meanwhile Mr. Brown returned to his
counter to wait on a customer, and Mrs.
Curtis pursued her journey homeward.
For some distance her road lay along the
dusty highway, then she turned into a
little footpath through the daisy-dotted
meadow, then across the creek bridge,
until suddenly she came to the dense
pine woods whose shade was very pleas
ing to her.
When about halfway through the
woods she came to small patch Of late
strawberries. She stopped to pick them.
Her brown, Woodworking hands were
nearly full of the luscious red berries,
when rustling and footstep startled
her. She looked up. In an instant an
iron-ike hand was clutching her throat,
and only the frightened wildwood birds
could tell the rest!
= x = + y
About two miles from the village of
Haywood, and on the banks of Brian
Creek dwelt Peter Groat. He was a
German, who, with his family, had late
~ come to America, and in the previous
autumn had bought a few acres of land
bordering the creek. Here he had erect
ed small but comfortable house. and
was, to all appearances, an honest, hard
working man. The onl " thing thatcould
be said against him by few grumblers
was that he was too "close," clinging
tightly to his hard-earned pennies. and
ever on the lookout for more. But this
was certainly excusable when it was
known that he had a mortgage on his
farm, which together with the wants of
a rapidly increasing family, was enough
to make any man greedy Of gain.
1t was the evening of the day on which
our story began. Peter, surrounded by
his wife and children, sat placidly smok-
ing his pipe on the little grass plot in
front OF the house.
The supper had been eaten, the COWS
MIXED, the pigs fed, the chickens housed
from thievish rats, and all the family,
young and old, felt entitled to a season
of rest. Hans and Fritz were turning
somersaults on the soft grass; Gretchen,
the faxen-haired lassie, was feeding a
pet robin; Franz the six months baby.
was cuddled up to his mothers breast,
contentedly smackng his lips over his
evening meal.
The sun went down; the shadows
deepened. The clock in the distant vii
lage struck the hour of eight. Peter
Groat rose, shook the ashes from his
pipe, and said:
"Come, kinder, it is late. The dew is
falling, and lets to bed.'
"Vater! vater" suddenly cried Hans
and Fritz, running up from the gate,
"there 1sa man coming In our yard-a
stranger!"
Peter slowly sauntered down to meet
the new conner. ::
He was an elderly man, with tanned
and rugged face, sandy hair sprinkled
with gray, and dark, deep set eyes,
somewhat infamed. His Clothes were
OF good material, although worn and
dusty With travel. In his hand he car
ried large satchel.
Good:evening," y he said, courteously.
" Evening to you, sir, replied Peter
"I'm q peddler, said the man, speak
ing in German. ~ have sold nearly all
my goods, and am on my way back to
New York. I got left by the train and
undertook to walk to the next station. I
lost my way and find that will have to
get lodgings fort the night Can you
help me?''
'tThe good book commands us to show
hospitality, said Peter. "And al
though we are not rich, we never vet
turned away benighted traveller. SO,
coue IN and my frau shall get you
something to eat.'' :: =.
The table was soon spread with a neat,
white cloth, upon which was PLACED a
platter of: cold boiled meat, garnished
withs4egetables, then plate of white
bread, q roll of butter, a dish of shining
black, raspberries and plate of spicy
ginger cookies. az
II feel too dirty to sit down to. de-
cent table, u said the traveller, with a
Of water?" - .e = -, -.
lt-was brought As he took off his
coat preparatory to washing his face and
hands, Gretchen, who stood beside him
with;a fresh towel in her hands, uttered
a slight scream. ;, - ~. ss1>,-;s,,.. sasH
"Blood neshe cried. "Thefe's blood
on your sleeyes!" 49,. - r. -. - 80
The basin OF water fell from the stran-.
gers hands; His face siens' w,shito
through the listening drops of water.la
had dashed upon it. Then with an ef-
fcrt, he said, carelessly;; esd. VII q seas
'fAh. yes; those rocks by the creek
~" :. 49, "a