Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-10
THE PAWKY PEDDLER.

world. Some conceive that the very best
way is to punish their enemies; some,
gain, take the Christian doctrine of hold
ing up ''the other check" and some are of
opinion that there is no such thing at all
a. the luxury of a real, bona fide, lasting
and unqualified triumph to be had by one
n an over another. Let us see. We think
that the case of simple Walter Wylie, who
was for a long time SO well known in the
town of Inverkeithing for his peculiar
manner of bringing out his sage philos-
ophy of life after the pawky form OF some
| packmen, who, when they are satisfied
they have real good article to show, af-
feet a simplicity and scarcity of words of
laudation, the very opposite of the verbose
| and stately defamation by which they en-
| deavor to dispose of their general stock.
The quality of Walters moral and polit-
| ical commodities was clearly indicated by
the Quantum of simple naivete infusedinto
his speech and countenance while in the
/ act of narration-his effort at the more
| pure degrees of simplicity being in exact
| proportion to the estimate (never a wrong
one) which he himself made of the excel
| lence of the communication his peculiar in
| spiration enabled him to produce. His
| shop in the high street of Inverkeithing, in
| which he sold a variety of those commod-
|
| of the human corporation, brought him
more clearly into public notice. Directly
| opposite to Honest Walter (as he was
styled by the people, both in manners and
| locality was William Harrison, who car
| ried on the same style of business in shop
on the other side of the street.
| The ordinary rivalship existed between
| them, and they took their different modes
| of recommending themselves to their GUS
| tomers-the one, Harrison, by most YER
| bose and figurative signboard and a most
| loquacious speech, and the other by his pc
| culiar simplicity of enunciation and publ
cation of the qualities of his wares The
| former was both a philosophical and
| practical rogue; the latter, again, was as
honest as steel, and his honesty and simple
humor combined made him beloved by all
who knew him, while his rival, who bore
to his simple friend most inveterate
| spite. was mortally hated for his roguery
| throughout the whole burgh.
Now, it happened that Harrison, with
view to two objects-frst, the qualification
of his never sleeping spirit OF roguery; and,
secondly, the ruin, or at least the inconven-
fence of simple Walter-bought up from a
neigh boring rogue a debt alleged to be due
by Walter, but which the latter had truly
paid, though he had neglected TO get it can
celed OF discharged by probative receipt
1t amounted to about e100, and Harrison
paid for it only about five pounds, with a
condition of paying the cedent five pounds
more IN the event of the entire sum being
wrung out of the simple Walter by the
wrenching wheel of horning
As soon Walter heard that his rival
and enemy Harrison had bought up the
false oebt, he knew, by an instinct which
had nothing wonderful about it, that he
was committed for a tough fight, but he
retained his equanimity, and even his sim
pie naivete hung about his mouth and
small Jwinkling eyes in the same manner
as If no horning or any such thunderbolt
of Jove had been in the act of being forged
against him. One day his enemy came
into his shop.
''Mr. Wylie," said he, with a most pert
loquac ty, and holding up the horning in
his hand, Il have piece of paper here on
which there is the name of Walter Wylie
as debtor to me in the sum of e1OO. think
you hal better pay me at present, for do
not wis to let the debt lie and ruin you by
allowing larger sum of interest to run up
, against you"
q thank ye," replied simple Walter with
an obsequious bow, and then proceeded
with the business in which he was en-
gagged. Harrison waited, expecting his
debt; but Walter continued his operations
Il Wilma TAX the present o. your interest, u
again said Walter; I'VE medina wait. And
as for your horning, it wadna row up three
punds o my sugar. You are as welcome
to it as 20 the interest
This answer produced laugh among the
customers against Harrison, who, swear
ing he would have a caption and appre.
bend Walter the next day, walked out 10
instruct his agent to put his threat into
execution. He had scarcely gone when
several Of his (Harrison's) creditors-for be
himself was great 4 debtor-arrested in
T Walters hand the false debt due to Harri
| son, so as to secure it to themselves. The
| simple Walter was astonished at all this
parade bout debt that he had already
paid; but he never lost his simple naivete
E | or his temper, and was determined to go tC
| Jail as meekly as lamb. Meanwhile, the
inhabitants heard of the expected incar
i ceration of their favorite, and insisted
upon his defeating the schemes of his enc
my by resisting according to law his I'M
just dem ands; but Walter, with a good
natured smile, said that be trusted all &c
the ways Of Providence.
Next morning Walter, altogether uncon
cerned about his apprehension, went forth
e | to take his walk in the green fields, accord
, ing to his custom, although it might be to
-, take his breakfast in the old Tolbooth
which frovned upon him as he passed. He
9 had wandered little way in the country
when he thought he observed two men
slipping a ong behind thorn hedge, as il
they wished to escape detection; and, i'm
PEELED by curiosity. he slipped along the
0 other side of the same hedge upon his
!. hands ano his feet, and, having seen the
/. men deposit something in the side of q
1 lneighboring dyke, squatted down as if he
;. had been shot dead, and lay there as still
. as death until the men went away. Cl
then rose Walter and going cautiously
looking around him again and again as be
rrept along, he came to the hole in the
| dyke and having examined it found lying
there a large bundle of bank notes amount
. Ing to no less than $500.
Putting t he money. into his pocket he. by
= one leap, got to the middle of the road
: when, having folded his hands behind his
| hack and str11ck nm 81 worry rnprry fupa hs