San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-01
THE PEDDLER,S STORY.
How His Hair Turned White in One Night
and What Restored Its Color.

As soon is she opened the door he came in,
sat down and told the following tale:
I'm the course of my rambles near the sea-
shore | was obliged one evening to ask a
wealthy farmer to put me up for the night.
"'Why, certainly said he, with a prompt
ness that surprised me- Only too glad to
help fellow creature along. Would you be
willing To sleep in that barn yonder' it is snug
and clean use it only to store hay, and my
cattle are housed in that other one, farther
away from the beach
IL thanked him for his kindness, and as it
was already growing dark he took a bunch
of keys, unlocked the door and ushered me
in. Now said he, you can make bed for
yourself in the hay. | shall lock you in, and
be around at 6 in the morning to let you out
Good night.
Making as good bed as possible in the
day, near the gable end, | lay down, expect
ing to be asleep in five minutes; but, although
was ready to drop with fatigue before en-
tered that barn, lay there for two hours
without closing my eyes, and l seemed to be
growing more wakeful as the night wore on
At last sat up with my back against the wall
What could the matter be with mel | was
never troubled with insomnia before Why
did keep thinking, thinking until my head
throbbed so that could hear iti Why was
that man so willing to accommodate mel
This eagerness to shelter me for the night
without first asking my religious and political
opinions, or telling me l was big and ugly
enough to work, was unnatural inhuman
and, come to think of it, there was ghoVlSh
look in his eyes when he babe me good night
"Pshawl this was all fancy-a delusiOn Of
the brain, arising from a piece Of mOldy
mince pie bestowed upon me that morning by
piously economical old lady, who wanted 10
lay up treasure in heaven. The idea of any
body expecting to ride to heaven ON a night
mare
Thus raved and reasoned alternately for
two more hours, with my eyes fixed upon a
bright ray of moonlight which streamed
through chink in the barn wall above my
head. | couldn't keep my eyes off it II
looked, to my excited fancy, like a long
bright finger pointing at something, and /
seemed to be waiting to see what it was
Gradually, as the moon mounted higher in
the heavens, that long bright ray descended
to the barn floor, until finally it rested upon
"a pair of heavy top boots with the toes
turned up, sticking out from under heap of
"a cold wave swept through me- and my
hair began to bristle like the tail of an indig-
nant cat Who could my fellow lodger bel
Surely there were feet in those boots, or the
toes would not be turned up. Why didn't he
speak to me during all this time2 My en-
trance must have awakened him, unless-I
hated to finish the sentence. How long that
ray of moonlight seemed to dwell upon those
bootsl | sat there glaring at them until !
could bear it no longer.
There was no escape for me. If that door
had been left unlocked l would have rushed
out into the worst kind of storm; but was
cornered, and could easily imagine the feel
ings of a wild beast at bay
with sudden resolve to know the worst
at once, | rushed forward, and, Selling one of
the boots, shook it savagely, at the same time
yelling, Wake up, herer Ny worst fears
were realized. Nothing but the last trumpet
could awaken that man.
"How passed the rest Of that long. terri
BILE night is a mystery to me. Morning came
at last, and when mine host opened the door,
he found me standing very close to it, with
my back turned carefully toward those awful
boots.
"'Well did you enjoy good nights restF
he asked cheerily told him did
"'Yo u don't look as though you did, said
he. You look rather haggard and pale. Did
you see anythingP
Il told him did not, feeling sure that if
told him the truth he'd murder me too on
the spot
"'H'mI This is interesting, said he. You
didn't see anything, and yet you look pale,
CHASTITY, terrified And what's thisl Why,
your hair has turned gray! Pray sit down
on this bench and tell me exactly how you
felt during the past night and he took out a
note book and pencil BE sure, now, to de