The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1901-12-13
TIE PEDDLER'S RUsE


myself that the worst thing man can
have in this world Is a hot, obstinate
temper.
you see, came to this coast soon
after the gold fever broke out and set.
tied down In the Santa Barbara valley
below here. ranching. Twas aswidowcr
even then and had brought with me
from the states my only child. q daugh-
ter past seventeen. She was pretty
girl. II do say 1t. and being as good
as she was pretty you can imagine l
was quite wrapped up in her. or
course was anxious to keep her with
me, and II not that at least l looked
for her to do something better than
fall in love with peddler."
"And did sheY'
Eyes You see in those days the
country was full Of young fellows who
had struck out for themselves and were
trying to get a start by carrying knick'
knacks around from one mining camp
to another. Some Of them We're lively
chaps enough and well educated. but
was fresh from the states, with all the
eastern prejudlces, and 1t almost drove
me wild when Nellie told me she want
ed to marry young fellow who
brought his pack through our district
a good deal cftener than the trade
seemed to require. 1 was hot temper
ed fool In those days. so l stormed'
threatened, locked Nellie up for week
and sent word to her lover that had
loaded my gun for wildcats and ped
oilers. One day when came back from
cattle sale she was missing. chased
her a couple OF days. but they had TAX
en- to the woods. and 1t was OF no use.
After awhile got letter from Frisco,
and wrote back saying that dlsown-
ed her aud that he had better keep out
of the range OF my rifle.
zone evening after terrible rain
storm pcddler came to my house and
asked for shelter for the night. He
was thin. weak looking fellow, with
his face covered with a huge, ragged
beard. He carried on his back an enor.
mousy long and heavy pack and SEEM
cd SO exhausted with his tramp
through the mire that hadn't the
heart to do more than order him on
the place. He seemed all broke up
when he found wouldn't even give
him a bunch of straw in the stable and
no other house within twelve miles.
Instead OF complaining. however. he
merely begged that would let him
leave his pack. which, he said. contain
ed goods of value, under shelter from
the rain l finally consented to this.
So. US had sworn none Of his trade
should ever cross my threshold. car
ried his pack inside, while its owner
limped off to crawl under some bush or
other.
Something about the man reminded
me Of SellIe's husband n little. How
ever. locked and barred all the doors
and windows rs usual, for some road
agents had been around those parts
about that time and had stopped and
robbed several ranches, and, rs told
YOU, was all alone. Somehow l
couldn't go to sleep when after that 1
went TO bed. After tossing around for
awhile got up and sat by the fire,
breeding over my trouble and trying
not to think OF the poor chap shivering
out there in the cold and rain some
where. looked at his pack sitting up
In the room and wondered what made
It SO long. AS watched 1t l fancled
saw II move"
"Saw 1t movc?"
Exactly. l wouldn't believe my own
eyes MT first, but after watching intent
" for awhile distinctly saw the front
OF hand pressed against the canvas
from the inside. Like flash then /
understood the Whole thing. The ped
dler was one OF the road agents gang.
and Knowing l had considerable mon
ey about the house. they had adopted
that plan for smuggling one OF their
crew inside the house. After l had
gone to sleep the fellow inside could
let In the rest and finish the job. l
walked quietly across the room. took
my gun from the antlers, knelt down a
few feet from the pack, aimed square
in the center and pulled the trigger"
$50 on" murmurcd the listener. with
a shuddcr.
"But the gun didn't go on, contin-
ued the landlord, clearing his throat.
..Tho nipple was rusty and wouldn't
work, SO l laid down the rife. Just
then saw ghost. The pack opened,
and saw sticking out Of Its top the
curly yellow hair of my Nellie when
she was n little tot of four. The shock
staggered me so that sank on my
knees. l wiped my eyes and wondered
IL had not gone crazy. was almost
certain of 1t when the ghost stretched
out pair of chubby white arms and
said
CHOW do. grandpay"
"Ah," said the guest, with relieved
sigh, II begin to see. And what did
you do then?"
II don't exactly know" said the
landlord softly. "but II there is any
thing that will bend stiff. stubborn
neck quicker than the arms of little
child I'd like to know what 1t Is. put
the tired little prisoner down by the
fire, opened the door and held out my
arms"
"And the motherT
"Yes," nodded the landlord. "They
were both there, and, mister, I guess
that's the end of my story" And the
old man wiped his eyes. "You must
excuse me, but that was a wet even
Ing and somehow haven't got quite
n.