River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-09-03
THE LONG PACK.

One afternoon, as Alice was spinning
some yarn for pair of stockings, a
peddler entered the hail with a comical
pack on his back Alice had seen as
long a pack and as broad a pack but
pack equally long. thick, and broad
she declared she had never seen 1t
was the middle Of winter, when the
nights were long, cold, and wearisome.
The peddler was a handsome, we'll
dressed man; yet Alice declared that
from the first She did not like him great
ly; and, though he introduced himself
with great deal of ilattery. yet when
he came 10 ask for a nights lodging,
he met with peremptory refusal.
He iested on the subject, saying he
believed she was in the right, for it
would scarcely be safe to trust him
under the same roof with such sweet
and beautiful creature Alice was an
old maid, and anything but beautiful,
but it would not DO. Consent She
yould not to his staying there. but
are YOU really going to turn me away
tonight" yes. "Indced my dear
girl, YOU are unreasonable; have been
purchasing fresh stock of goods
which are 50 heavy that | cannot travel
far with them, and a. the people around
here are Of the poorer sort, would
rather make You present of the HH est
shawl in the pack than 90 further.
At the mention Of the shawl delibera-
ton was portrayed in lively coiors on
Alice 5 face, but prudence overcame.
No, she Was but servant, and had
orders to harbor no person about the
house, but such as came on business.
nor these either unless she was well
acquainted with them.
What the worse can Won or your
master be Of suffering me 10 taTry until
! the morning. urged the peddIer.
The conversation went on thus, Alice
proving obdurate, and at length the
peddler agreed to 90 elsewhere and
seek for lodgings if She would let him
leave the pack whore it was for the
night since. fatigued rs he was, he
could not possibly carry il away. TO
this Alice consented. although with
much reluctance, as she wanted nothing
to do with his goods. THE pack
will be better out of Your way, said he,
land safer if you viii be so kind as to
LDNh - W ~ ooiHc iooIh ~ tIoNSt'
SIle theh Ieu Nun INTO q low pafiof,
where he placed 1t carefully on two
chalrs' ana went away wishing Ailee a
goo1ai hght,
When old Alice and the pack were
left in the large house by themselves
she felt kind Of indefinite terrorc came
over her mind about it. "What can be
~ IL tla1 makes IL 50 heaVlF surely
Wheh the man carries Il 50 lar ne mlght
nave carried further. IL confound-
edIy queer pack i go look at IT
once again. suppose should handle
IT al around? may thus have good
guess what IS ia lt
ALlce went cautiously ana tearfulIy
INTO the parlor' ana opened wall press.
one wanted holhlng IN the press,
indeed she never looked INTO IT, Tor her
eyes were 4Aed on The pack, and the
longer she looked al il the worse she
liked 1t; as to handling 1t, she would
never have touched it for all it con
tanned. She came again into the
kitchen ana reasoned with herself. She
thought Of the man $ earnedness to
leave it-of its monstrous shape, and
every circumstance connected with IT;
they We're all mysterious, ana she was
convinced that there was something
uHcanHy u not lheafthly IN the pack.
she 1ghted nodded candle ana Went
again mo lhe pailor, closed lhe
#lhaoW-shuttefS ana barred then T,
put before sne came our she SCI hefseiI
upIl9ht' heia "a AeF pfeatu' ana Iooh
"notheI sle"oy ana sefi'ilIi"liig looA
a. INC PaeN' you 81 mercy one -"
II ny, ili?' a. ' i.e a. SLo T,Er "a"
az ~ - l''i NJ ii'lI %
~ = ii'1'''t s'o5o I'i"ISH.' 1N q liIoH -
H'eil ~ III Doo5 0IoP 'Ae l"9'SnS"
ihIo me Al'cheh as last ~ snC could'
Dut hef Knees tremoled under me terror
Ihal ofef"helihea hef ueatl' one pew
out the candle lighted II AGAIN ana
NOT beng abe TO 1nd candiestick'
though dozen stood on the she'll she
set u IA water Jug, ana ran 70 me
barn Tor old hichard. " hen she had
toid her story, endlnS VITA me
iuIof'n Id! tlaI Ile pack WAS HNiu2
PACK hichaTd cropped ms pan upon
inc moor ana stared at ana WIN an
ms y e..
- iigiHg PACK, he ctiV1, WHY lhs
"olh"h hiau "IlHoul a"u3 VI az
I =, i"olish I"Ta9 'ii'7 - 'li0 "9is''
now eaH PACK iut'ie tlp ~ HaPhIb9
ana HluSlihs ana coIouF95 DfeecheS
ever become awe Ho"e'eI, ne
1ollo"ti her INTO me mouse, and iIiLlb9
tne candle ont OF me Jug, never stopped
llli ne Iald ms mana on lhe pack. lie
feltthe boards that surrounded It's cages
10 prevent the goods from beng
rumpied, the cords that bound 1t, and
the canvas in which it was wrapped.
The pack is well enough, he said
finally. 1t is just like other packs. |
see naught that ails it. and a good
large pack it is. 1t will have cost the
honest man $500, if the goods are fine.
Bu he viii makeIt UP, Alice, by cheat
ing fools ike YOU with gewgaWs.
Alice felt some disappointment at see
ing Richard unconyinced, and persist
ed that She was sure all was not right
about the pack She believed there
were stolen goods IN 1T, at any rate, and
she had no wish TO sleep IN the house
with it. Next came in Edward. the
lad Of I6, who aided Richard in his
work about the place. lie was 40 this
time often engaged ia shooting crows
and other birds and had bought huge
old military gun, with which be thun-
dered away at them. At this very
moment he had seen q flock Of birds
feeding at his corn-rick. and had come
in to get mis- gun. When Edward heard
the talk about the pack, lie pricked up
his ears atttntiVely. "FaJh. Alice,