The Newtown bee., 1900-01-05
knows how glad I'd be to sell 's'em if I had the chance I ain't lyin, nohow tr MxS T1lja sRe ro o r,roszs~fc,,. .rtep

kuoWs uOW &isu 1'u p0 70 eelt sxs0m II ! had the chance ain't lyin, nohow in
 Mrs Ellis gave prodigious sniff.
 ''Don't you fetch that there truck inside If the Idooryard, 'Liakim!" she said stJest dump lem on the roadside and let the nefghbors' hogs eat lem as quick as they ean!"
 But Mr Ellis took advantage of tin peddler coming along on the other side of the street and engaging his helpmeet's at- sention, to smuggle in the load of pump king.
 Il won't waste lem, anyway" said he. If anycody's hogs is to eat lem, it may as well be my own.n ~e
 That afternoon when he came in to SUD- per thing happened which had never before befallen him in his married life. de found the teakettle cold, the graham gems unbaked, the table unspresd and his wife crying piteously. ssEh,n said Eliakin. blankly. aWhas in all ere. atiou's the matter now2 You ain't sick. be you. LoisyP"
 aYes I be." sobbed Mrs Ellis. "Heartsick, L'akim. Oh what hey | done Eve sold them Id gray pants of vourn to the tin peddler, and never re- membered how I'd put that sl00 coupon bond you gave me to keep. In the pocket because l calculated no burglar would take pair O ragged old pants. Oh, dear oh, dearl,
 For one minute Eliakim Ellis stood silent. A hundred dollars was hun. ired dollars to this hard-workiDg man, who could only save and scrape by little But he looked at Louisa's pale, woe-be. gone face, and his great, tender heart rose up within him like the pillows of the sea.
 Don't fret, Loisy, my gal," he said cheerfully. ''It was only an acciden.. 'Taint wuth frettin' about" And he bent down and kissed her forehead-s rare occurrence in their undemonstrative household. s.Well go to work and make it up as fast as possible, my dear" 1 es 'Oh, 'Liakim," sobbed the poor wife Fl don't deserve that you should be SC good to me. I'm g cross, scoldin, cree tur, snd"- -...-.
 s'Tut, tut, tut" good-humoredly inter rupted her husband. Guess ain't goin to hev my wife abused this way.''
 ''And I'm sorry spoke so short abou them pumpkins" added Louisa, dole fully. z
 Mr Ellis whistled under his breath. Hl was almost disposed now to regret tha he had paid out that dollar for the Widow Hepsy's pumpkins.
 However, it's done,n he said to him eels, ''aud it can't be undone. Loisy'd best be left in the dark, guess, about it.
 He was alertly kindling the fire, whil, Mrs Ellis moved sadly aoout making pre- !! parstions for the evening meal, when there was very lively tattoo, played by an energetic pair of knuckIes on tn. door outside.
 "Come in!" shouted he. And wht should make his appearance but the til peddler himself.
 "Hello, squirrel" said he. "Gues there's been a mistake somewhere ain't buyin' up government coupon bonds I'm in the tin trade. found this 'ere il your old pockets. So allowed 1t wa best to bring it back right away" He held out the folded slip of parch ment. Eliakim looked oddly at it. Fetch on Diogenes and his lantern r said he. "I calc'late here's the honest maI at last!"
 "Get out!" said the peddler. 1T don't want none O your four-syllsbled fur poked at me. But tell you what I dew want. Them there pumpkins that you was cartin' in when exchanged sauce pan and two dippers for them gray psntt with your good lady. I'll give you fv' cents apiece for 'em."
 l "Done 1" cried Farmer Ellis, joyfully l "There's to be big dinner up ito Sta p1eses Hill," went on the tin peddIer ''And they're goin' to bake 200 pump. kin pies, and all the pork and beans that's to be had. And there's goIn' to be corner in pumpkins. Eve got my l wagon out here, so guess we'll load Ut right away"
 And thus the $l00 coupon bond was re '
 turned all safe and sound, by the tin pef dier, who was as honest as he was shrewd and the Widow Hepsy Hslrs pumpkirs were satisfactorily marketed. So mut h so, indeed, that Eliskim even purchss ( out of the profitsa snuff colored meri, o gown, which he left at the widows door the very next time he drove past.
 "It's pity she can't share more O the good luck" said he.
 Mrs Hall found the gown, neat y wrapped in paper, at her door N hen she came home from cranbeIrying In the swamp. and she never knew where 1t came from. But she made it up, and wore 1t to her daughter Belinds's in the city.
 But honest Eliakim has not yet told Louisa. his wife, that he bought Widow Hepsy's pumpkins, and paid 8 dollar for shem in good, hard cash.
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