Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-01-19

81 guess II Yer goih@ to town to-day
III iist go long to take the train for
Chicago" said Peddler Pete: ''ye see
my stocks runnin' low, an had bet
ter replenish jist little"
The preacher and his wife sat on
the rear seat. Pete, having asked pardon
and got the permission to light his pipe,
was enjoying smoke during the MORN
ing ride.
The road to Newton was through
rich farming country. Sandy Fork
was the most fertile portion of the
State. On this delightful spring MORN
ing every thing seemed fresh and lovely.
The whistle of the plow-boy and songs
of the birds made the air melodious.
The fields, lately plowed, were black in
the richness of their soil, the winter
wheat and oats made them look like
green canvas paintings. No picture
could express the loneliness of the
morning. for here nearly all the senses
were permitted to drink in the glories
of natures loneliness.
This is grand mornin'," said Pete,
who possessed not little poetry in his
soul, yet without the ability to express
it. "This is lovely mornin'. Do We
know, Warren, what it minds me OFF"
mo-" said Warren, whose mind had
been occupied ever since they started.
The minister and his wife were talking
and paying no attention to the men in
the front seat. Pete noticed this, and
leaning forward said, in a low tone {:
"A certain little gal what works in q
| gentlcman's kitchen to get Twin for
herself an n crippled brother" The
shrcwd peddler winkcd and fixed his
eyes on Warren.
Warren's face turned rcd. Why had
the pcddler alluded to her Did he
observe the look of dismay upon the
face of his parents when he returned
from church with her the night before !?
I'm tell yc, Warren" said the ped
6lcr, in low tone, II don't blame We
one doggon bit-providen' yer in ear
nest but lem me tell We somcthin'-if
We go to breakin' that gals heart, yer
mcancr than Teller who pcddles brass
earrings or pizcn medicine. She's q
good gal, Warren, with an 'all-wool
heart-thcre's no cotton chain or film
about her-she's no cheat an as good
rs gold"
Pete had n habit of rating people as
he did his merchandise. Having spent
NIL his life in Il certain trade it became
part of his language, and a part of
himself.
Warren felt like n criminal he asked
himself in his own mind whether he
was william or not. He knew that he
could not get his parents consent to
his marriage with her, and he had not
really obtained his own. Perhaps this
feeling was only sympathy and interest
in the poor girl,
Pete" he said, "who was it that
wronged this girl ? who robbed her of
her home. the Plumber place ?"
why the man who owns it now
old Jim Arnold"
"How was it done?"
"Donc, it was one o. them steals
which is done in court. Ye sec, when
MIR. Lakeman died, he was but little
known. There was n security debt of
five hundred dollars against him, an
old Jim Arnold he bought it. Well, ye
see, Arnold got thief named Smith
administrator, n regular cheat, with
cotton chain an toe tillin';' then they
went to lawn this NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
claim. an spent all the personal prop
erty doin' it. There warn't enough to
pay funeral expenses an doctor bill,
though Mr.. Lakcman were well fixed
when he died. After that was settled a
guardian was appointed for the two
children, who, of course, were titled
to homestead. Well, the guardian
was off the same piece o cloth as the
administrator. Here was five hundred
dollars to pay, and Il farm an a piece
o raw land to pay it out of. The tow
linen Arnold, he has the homestead o
the children set off among the breaks
an hills, not worth ten cents an acre,
an farm worth five thousand dollars
sold. He bought it in at five hun.
dred."
"Why, how could this be done?'
Warren asked.
! eye see, Arnold owned the lawyers in
it, an the probate Judge, too"
"Why was it not appealed to a high
CT courtp"
alt was, an there they found the
rottencst goods in the whole pack; Tho
lower court might not q had any better
sense, but the erjudge he was-wel
he was bought jist like piece o cal
leo, an he's shoddy goods at that. HI
'held it all to be regular, an dismissed
the appealr Mother lawyer tried tt
take it the Supreme Court, but We SCI
the administrators lawyer an thu
guardians lawyer, who were shoddy
goods, come in an dismissed the whole
thing"
"And those poor children were swim
dled?"
Eyes; worse swindled than they'd
been by a secondhand clothing jew
merchant in Chatham street, New
York"
.. The remainder of the drive to tow
was made in silence, and Warren re
1 turned alone. His mind was busy
= 4 &c o,,t