Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-12-11
IT CHANGED HER MIND.
A LITTLE INCIDENT THAT
SPOILED A WEDDING.
Miss Dana Refused to Marry n Man
Who Was Afraid OF n Swearing
Peddler--Irave Defenie With
Padding Stick.

An interesting story OF woman's
pluck and a mans cowardice Is told in
Scranton. Pa
Miss Diana Bailey keeps house for
her brother. Ellis L. Bailey. a farmer
OF Forest Lake township. She was to
have been married last fall to Henry
b. Peck. son OF Farmer Ephram w.
Peck. who lives in the same school
district The wedding didn't come
of. however and the inquisitive resi-
dents of the neighborhood have but
recently learned the reason why.
Early in the summer Miss Bailey
bought several articles OF a pack ped
dler named Wolf She found out
afterward that Wolf had cheated her.
and she made up her mind to get even
with him by playing a trick on him
the next time he came. Wolf did not
turn up at the Bailey homestead again
until about two weeks before the day
set for Miss Bailey's wedding.
Miss Bailey was stirring kettle of
hasty pudding on the stove when the
peddler appeared. There was no one
else in the house and as soon as Wolf
had opened his pack Miss Bailey hast
lily selected "A dress pattern and told
him to cut off a certain number of
yards. When the pattern had been
cut from big roll of goods Miss
Bailey said she guessed she wouldn't
take it." Wolf flew into passion at
once Miss Bailey is uncommonly
small. and the piece she had ordered
was at least two yards shorter than a
woman OF ordinary size would require
for a dress. Wolf declared that he
could not sell the pattern to any one
else. Miss Bailey told the peddler
that she would not take the goods, and
that she had not intended 10 buy them.
lie had cheated her the last time she
had dealt with him, she said, and he
might pick up his goods and go about
his business.
The peddler stormed and swore and
threatened. but he didn't scare the
little woman bit She ordered him
to get out OF the house. and he placed
the pattern on The table and took his
pack outside. telling her that he would
compel her TO pay him for the goods.
Miss Bailey threw the cloth at him,
and the peddler ran into the house and
tried to choke her. She pulled her.
self away. grabbed the pudding stick
from the kettle and went to beating
him over the head with II. Some OF
the hot pudding spattered his face and
lodged in his whiskers, and he ran
from the house. wiping the pudding
of as he jumped for his pack. He
kept swearing at Miss Bailey. but the
courageous little woman held him at
bay by threatening TO plaster his face
with hot pudding If he offered to enter
the door again.
The irate peddler was still swearing
in tho door yard and threatening TO do
all sorts OF things TO Miss Bailey when
the noise of wagon wheels down the
road made him think that he might
better he moving on. So he should
cred his pack and started up the road
Miss Bailey was standing in the door
and when the wagon drew near she
saw il contained Mr.. Peck. her intend
husband. Running down to the gate
she exclaimed:
Henry. / want you TO whip up
your horse and go and give that ped
dler a good thrashing. He choked me
just now and swore frightfully at me
and / want you 10 overtake him and
lick him for it."
Mr.. Peck said that the peddler
might have a revolver and that he
hated to tackle him on that account
Miss Bailey insisted on his doing as
she wanted him TO. and Mr.. Peck got
out of his buggy and argued against
such course until the peddler wen,
out OF sight over knoll. Miss Bailey
was very angry at her hesitating lover
and, rushing past him. she climbed
into his buggy. put whip TO his horse
and went in pursuit, leaving Mr.. Peck
at the gate.
The little woman overlook the ped
dler at the foot Of the hill. and driv.
ing close to him she gave him half q
dozen cuts over the head with the
whip. Wolf yelled for mercy, and
Miss Bailey wheeled the horse about
and drove back, meeting Mr. Peck or
the knoll. She told him that she
would never marry man who refused
to do her so small a favor, and that he
might consider their engagement brok-
en- off for good. Mr.. Peck pleaded
with her but it was of no use. Hel
brother interceded In Mr. Peck's be
half, but Miss Bailey's decision could
not be changed.