Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-14
A LANDLORDS STORY

at amt very pleasant story said
the landlord Of the Long Pack, "but like
to tell it sometimes just TO remind myself
| that the worst thing "A man can have In
! this world IL a hot, obstinate temper.
! "You see, ! came to this coast soon after
the gold fever broke out and settled down
In the Santa Barbara valley, below here,
| ranching. i was widower even then and
had brought with me from the States my
pnly child a daughter past IL. She was
pretty girl, II i do say IL, and being as
good as pretty you can imagine ! was
quite wrapped up In her. OF course I was
anxious TO keep her with me, and II not
that at least looked for her to do some
thing better than fall in love with ped
der"
"And did shei"
ayes. You see, In those days the coun-
try was full of young fellows who had
struck out for themselves and were trying
to get a start by carrying knickknacks
around from one mining camp to another.
Some Of them were lively chaps enough
and well educated, but was fresh from
the States, with all the eastern prejudioes,
and IL almost drove me wild when Nellie
told me she wanted TO marry a young fsl-
low who brought his pack through our dis
trict good deal oftener than the trade
seemed to require. was a hot tempered
fool In those days, so / stormed, threat
ened, locked Nellie up for week and sent
word to her lover that had loaded my
gun for wildcats and peddlers."
"What did Nellie dor"
"You might have guessed IL. One day
when | came back from cattle sale she
was missing. | chased her a couple OF
a l,,s IL. l., Al. 81, a,
and il was of no use. After awhile got
letter from Frisco, and wrote back say
ing that dsowned her. and that he had
better keep out Of the range Of my rife"
"What did you do them"
Suffered mister, just suffered. | knew
was wrong, but I'd have died rather than
give In. For five years lived like toad
In a rock, hating the whole world. All the
| pleasure had was in watching for ped
| dlers. The number chased off the ranch
| during that time would astonish you.
lone evening after a terrible rainstorm
a peddler came 10 my house and asked for
shelter for the night. lie was thin, weak
looking fellow, with his face covered with
a huge, ragged beard He carried on his
back an enormously long and heavy pack
and seemed so exhausted with his tramp
through the mire that hadn Z the heart TO
do more than order him of the place"
That was pretty hard, " said the lis
tener.
81 suppose it was The peddler seemed
all broke up when he found l wouldn't
even give him bunch Of straw in the
sta ble, and no other house within IL miles
Instead Of complaining, however, he mere
ly begged that | would let him leave his
pack, which he said contained goods o
value, under shelter from the rain. final
ly consented to this. SO as had sworr
none Of his trade should ever cross my
threshold ! carried his pack inside, Will,
Its owner limped of to crawl under som,
! bush or other"
Didn't you feel mean"
"Ies, mean aud bitter at the same time
for something about the man reminded IN,
OF Nellie's husband little. However,
locked and barred all the doors and win
dows as usual, for some road agents ha,
been around those parts about that tim
!, and had stopped aud robbed severa
| ranches, and as told you, ! was all alone
, Somehow ] couldn't ga 90 sleep when aft
er that went 10 bed. After tossing aroun,
for awhile | got up and sat by the fire
brooding over my trouble and trying Z
! think Of the poor chap shverng out ther
In the cold aud rain somewhere. locke
, at his pack sitting up In the room an
wondered what made IL 80 long
AS | watched IL l fancied ! saw
y move"
"Saw IL movei"
r Exactly. Wouldn't believe my ow
: eyes at first, but after watching intentl
4 for awhile distinctly saw the front Of
hand pressed against the canvas from ti
!, inside. Like flash then understood tl
whole thing. The peddler was one Of Il
. road agents gang, and knowing had col
9 siderable money about the house they ha
] sdpo1sd that nlaa for spuExnns one I