The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-09-12

month" enthusiastically answered the
young man. "And this cheese is like
solicited cream"
Little Ellie stood watching him.
''Are you The tin peddleri" she asked,
suddenly did you leave your pack
out in the roadl Because our old tin
dipper is rusted nearly through, and
there Is quite bag of rags and clippings
on the pegs back Of the door, if"
ooh, am not the tin peddler" said
he.
Ellie turned very red, feeling con-
scious Of having made faux pas in her
~ beg your pardon" said she. 81
didn't know"
81 am very much obliged for your
kindness" said he, rising from the door
sill, which had done Temporary duty for
II seat; and then he went on his way.
Ellie looked after him with solemn,
long lashed eyes.
"He is very handsome" said she to
herself. 81 think he must be like Don
Alonlo Mendoza, in the Fall of Castig.
liza, or like Guy Livingstone. Ihope he
wasn't offended at my asking him if he
was the tin peddler; but in place like
this one never knows who is who."
Ellie Tier was teacher of the primary
| department of a city school, and she had
come to spend two weeks of her vaca.
ton with her Aunt Bessie Parsons, who
was married to farmer. And this was
the first day that she had been left to
keep house" all alone by herself.
| OF course, it was an honor, but, all the
same, there was certain responsibility
attached to it, and Ellie secretly felt that
she would be very glad when Aunt Bessy
came back from town.
Just thensa footstep sounded on the
threshold of the back kitchen door, which
opened into the shady luxuriance of the
orchard. 1t was her Uncle Benjamin.
"Ellie,n said he, 81 wish you would
stir up pitcher of cold ginger and
water, with a little molasses in it, for
the lawmakers. just remembered that
l had left my coat hanging up here by
the window, with Eh-hallo! where
is it'll"
"Where is what, uncle2" said Ellie,
pausing with the can of ginger in her
hand.
"There was ten.dollar gold-piece in
q leather purse in the pocket of this ala
packy coat !" said Uncle Benjamin, look
ing aghast. 81 forgot to take it out
when / came from town yesterday, and
now it is gone!"
He turned every pocket of the thin
summer coat inside out; he shook it as
if expecting that the missing coin won d
drop out, like ripe nut. But all to no
avail; nothing was there.
ats the strangest thing in the world ~
l.. lynA I of
here. Has any one been in the house
since morning, EllieW
"N-no." faltered Ellie, salving her
conscience with the reflection that the
brown. n.compleXioncd stranger certainly
had come no nearer than the door-sill.
"Then what has become of my gold
piecel" said Uncle Benjamin.
''I am sure l cannot tell" fluttered
Ellie, her heart giving a sudden throb as
she recollected the two intervals of her
absence, once for the glass of milk, and
once for the piece of blackberry pie.
During those intervals what might not
have happened!
"rll 90 upstairs and look in the bureau
drawers" said Uncle Benjamin. 81 am
perfectly certain that the money was
here in my coat.pocket; but still"
lie hastened up the narrow, wooden
stairway, and Ellie, spurrcd on by new
insprat on. caught her muslin wreathed
hat from the table, and darted down a
lane that led across the brook, and
through patch of woods to the high
road beyond.
".f take the short cut over Denni-
sons Hill,' she thought, 81 can catch
him zen yet. The thief the migrate
full poltroonl To drink the milk and
eat the blackberry-pie, and then to serve
me So"
She coursed through the fragrant
masses OF sweetfern, across thickets Of
low growing huckleberry bushes, al
purpled over with fruit, under tht
shade of solemn, old pine trees, and past
herds of grazing cattle, who lifted thei
heads to look at her as she passed.
But when at last, breathless and pant
ing, she reached the low stone wall thai
separated Uncle Benjamin's farm from
the main road, she reaped her reward.
There, only few PAGES away, the tall
brown.skinned stranger sat on stone
tanning himself with the wide brim o
his straw hot, and reading from the
pages of a tiny duodecimo volume.
Like young deer, Ellie Tier slippe
over the wall and seized his arm.
"Oh, you wicked, wicked man !" she
cried, gasping for breath aren't yol
ashamed of yoursclf4 Give me back tn,
money that you sto this instant! Oh
don't stare at me as if you didn't under
stand what l say. You do understand
You are a thief You nave returned my
kindness with the basest ingrattudcw
The man looked at Ellie as if h
believed her to have gone sue denl.
mad.
Greatly" said he, call this is per
fectly incomprehensible to me-
Ellie uttered a soornful laugh.
"You will please be so good as tC
come back TO the house with me (" sale
} she, V gorously, retaining her hold 0
his sleeve, 'and Uncle Benjamin will
search you !"
"Search me! For what2'
GAS if you didn't knowm retortet
Ellie, curling her pretty upper lip.
The brown complexioned strange
was tall and broad -shouldered, witt
thews and sinews like those of
gladiator.
! Miss Tier was something under fv
feet in height, and resolute turkey
gobbler could have put her to flight a
ten seconds warning. But, neverthe
less he followed her as mepklV as if n