The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-08-19
TWO SHOTS IN THE NIGHT.

So. until its happy end,
Your life shall never lack friend.
TWO SHOTS IN THE NIGHT.
| have also been pack peddler for
years, said the man who had q decided
limp in his gait, and who seemed to be
about 45 years old. and / have had my
fair share of adventures with the rest
Of the fraternity. For years | have
travelled in Tennessee. the Carolinas.
and Georgia, and my lie Of goods has
been cutlery. | have sometimes car
ried pins. needles. and thread. but more
rs an accommodation than from any
hope of profit. My line includes ra-
zors. shears. scissors. pocket knives.
table knives. and forks. Sometimes
add few sheath knives. which are
bought by lawless characters, and some-
times / omit them according to the
route l have laid out.
On two or three occasions my life
has been put in peril by the cupidity of
others, but the closest shave l ever had
was in the mountains Of Tennessee,
about fifty miles from Knoxville. |
had sold my stock pretty well down.
and had about $500 with me, when,
one afternoon an hour before sunset,
the approach of terrific thunderstorm
drove me to seek the shelter of road
side cabin. 1t was a lonely place, on a
lonely mountain road. and the time
was in 1867. While the war had long
been over, as Of course you know.
there was q good deal of bitterness
among the mountaineers Of Tennessee.
and there were q great many men who
had not yet settled down to anything
like work. As was not in the war on
either side, and am English born. got
along very well with the fire-eaters;
but the fact was every day before me
that there were plenty of lawless char
acters. both Union and rebel, who
wouldn't hesitate to put me ont Of the
way for what my pack contained, no
matter what principles ! upheld.
But for the coming storm | should
have continued on for couple of
hours. did not like the looks Of
the place. 1t was q story-and-half
log house, situated several rods off the
road, and there was something in the
house and its surroundings which made
me. hesitate to ask for hospitality.
However, a July thunder storm was
creeping up, covering the whole west
with darkness and the thunder was
rolling and reverberating rom hill to
hill as l knocked on the casing of the
open door. The voice OF woman
babe me enter. She was q person at
least 40 years old, large and muscular.
and her countenance was anything but
prepossessing. II wore q sullen, sulky,
expression, and the gray eyes which
sized me up had no CLEAN of womanly
kindness in them. / explained that
was 3 traveller who craved shelter
from the storm, and she sullenly re-
piled:
You are welcome to sit down.
Five minutes later the rain was fall
ing in torrents. aud it grew SO dark
that the woman had to light candle.
The cabin had but one room below In
this was bed, bureau and other furni-
ture. and the cooking was done in a
fireplace. At one end of the fireplace
rough ladder led to the loft above.
The interior of the house was neither
inviting nor repeliing, but l certainly
did not like the woman. 1t was all OF
twenty minutes after sat down before
she spoke another word, and then il
was to ask what my pack contained
| opened it in explanation, and told
her was on my way to Knoxville to
replenish stock from goods ordered
shipped to that point. l presented her
with common pair of shears, and
there was sudden change in her de.
meauor. She became smiling and
laxative. and as the storm showed nc
sign of abating, she began to prepare
supper. and observed that must not
think Of continuing my journey before
morning. Where | asked one question
she asked five. She wanted to know
where was from. how much stock
Of goods cost, whom knew at Knox.
vile, and great many other things.
In return SIZE told me that she was .
widow. had son 20 years old, who
had gone to mill and they had hard
time to make living.
While the change in her demeanol
was agreeable in one sense, | could
not get rid of the idea that the change
was forced. While her lips uttered
pleasant words her eyes gave them the
lie. We had fair supper, during
which she bore the burden of CONVEX
sation, and it was then seen that
must remain through the night. While
the thunder had passed away, the
rain fell in steady pour, and the
night was as black as tar. She said
the storm would delay her son, but
that he was certain to be home before
midnight. She cleared away the table
sat down with some sewing. and asked
me SO many things about the outside
world that knew she had some time
lived in better circumstances and had
been fairly well educated. She grad.
ually led the conversation back to m,
vocation, and carelessly remarked, q,
she bent over her sewing:
One in you business should 60 wei
armed.
Perhaps some OF them do, ! re
piled. though ! have never seen occa
sion for wea pons of any sort.
II you-you wanted to part with
your revolver perhaps my son woulc
buy it. He is very anxious to secur,
such weapon.
She did not dare look nue. in the face
and her hands shook as she waited fo1
me to reply.
My revolver-ha ha! I'm afraid NJ
one would accept the walking stick il
the corner over there for shooting
iron.
But you have knife, she persisted
making great effort to raise her eyes
Yes. this, l answered, as l exhibite,
| pocket knife.
That ended the conversation in tina
direction. From that moment tn,