Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-05-26
dred dollars TO this hard working man,
who could only save and scrape by


Titles. 81,
To him this coupon bond represented
the hard labor of months may, of
years. There is little margin of abso-
Lutte profit to your New England farmer.
Sometimes a lifetime will ebb by, and
and the time for ''beginning to save"
| will never come.
But he looked at Louisa's pale, woe
be-gone face, and his great tender heart
rose up within him like the pillows of
the sea.
*Don't fret, Loisy, my gal,' he said,
cheerfully. lit was only an accident.
'Taint with frettin' about And he
bent down and kissed her forehead-a
rare occurrence in their undemonstra-
tive household. s'We'l 20 to work,
and make it up as fast as possible, NV
dear"
"Oh, 'Liakim,'' sobbed the good
wife, II don't deserve you should be so
good to me, I'm cross, scoldin' cree
tur, and
Tut, tut, tut!'' good-humoredly in
terrupted her husband. "Guess ain t
goin' to hev my wife abused this a.
way.'
''And I'm sorry I spoke so short
about them pumpkins" added Louisa,
dolefully.
Mr.. Ellis whistled under his breath.
He was almost disposed, now. to re-
greet that he had paid out that dollar
for the Widow Hepsey' s pumpkins
However, it's done, he said to him
self, land it can't be undone. Loisy'd
best be left in the dark, l guess about
it,"
He was alertly kindling the fire,
while Mrs. Ellis moved sadly about,
making preparations for the evening
meal, when there was a lively tattoo,
played by very energetic pair OF
knuckles, on the door outside.
"Come I'M" shouted he.
And who should make his appearance
but tho tin peddler himself!
''Hello, squire!'' said he. "Guess
there's been mistake somewhere. /
amt buyin' up government coupon
bonds. I'm in the tin trade. 1 found
this ere in your old pockets. So 1
allowed it was best to bring it back
right away
He held out the folded slip of parch-
ment. Eiakim looked oddly at it.
''Fetch on Diogenes and his
lantern!' said he. Il Gale late here s
the honest man at last!'
"Get Quit" said the tin-peddler. 81
don't want none O. your four
syllabled fun poked at me. But I'll
tell you what I dew want. Them
there pumpkins that you were eartin'
in when I exchanged saucepan and
two dippers for them gray pants with
your good lady: I'll give you five cents
apiece for'em.''
"Done!" cried Farmer Ellis, joyfully.
There's to be big New England
dinner up to Staples Hill" went on the
tin-peddler. And they're goin' to
bake two hundred pumpkin-pies, and
all the pork and beans that's to be had.
And I've got my wagon out here; so
guess We'll load up right away"
And thus the hundred dollar coupon
bond was returned all safe and sound.
by the tin peddler, who being a genuine
Yankee at heart, was as honest as he
was shrewd. and the Widow Hepsy
Halls pumpkins were satisfactorily
marketed. So much so, indeed, that
Eliakim even purchased out of the
profits a snuff colored merino gown,
which he left at the widows door the
very next time he drove past.
''It's pity she can't share more O.
the good luck" said he.
Mrs. Hall found the gown, neatly
wrapped in paper, at her door when
she came home from cranberryiDg in
the swamp, and she never knew where
it came from: But she made it up, and
wore it TO her daughter Belinda's in
the city.
But honest Eliakim has not yet told
Louisa, his wife, that he bought Widow
Hepsy's pumpkins, and paid for them
in good hard cash,
sit amt best to tell women every
thing!' said he.