Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-12-27
OWNEY, THE PEDDLER.
A Story Of Irish Country Life.

A gray colt came over the road draw
ing a cart behind him, with a man and
a woman sitting on the crossboard of
it. The sun was white upon the road.
Rus pastures, speckled over with
th' tballs of the bog cotton, were
o. side. Above were mounds and
s covered with screens of pine
larch. There was moss as green
1 neralds under the larches, and
IL lads of streams dwndled through
it, and brown rabbits leaped over it.
Between it and the lower boughs black
birds flew with n whir of wings and a
chatter of golden tongues.
We're up against the house of the
smith," said the girl in the cart. She
put into the mans hands the reins she
had been holding. She cracked the
colt with a sharp cutting stick. He
broke into n great gallop. The kerr
chief flew from the girls head The
yellow of her hair shamed the sun.
The whiteness of the lily was on her
cheek. The red of the rose was the
color of her mouth.
The forge was by the side of the
lane, near the corner where the gap
between the hillocks opened out upon
the bog. High mountains were beyond
one end of the gap. The bog was out
side the other.
Get down, Shamusv said the girl
to the man who was with her in the
cart. Tell the smith ye want a shoe
to the horse. Say that the Dublin
road is a hard road for horse to Gov
err. I'll put a word in then. Watch
him an he putin on the shoe. Bid him
be quick, an then say there's no hurry
upon ye."
They stopped at the smithy, that was
like a witch's cavern with the murk
dark that was in it. The broad wheel
shaped stone was set in the ground by
the door. Hard at hand was the pond
for cooling the redhot iron. The gal
Looping horse drew up of sudden. The
smith and his son came out of the dark
cavern. The smith looked at the colt.
The son looked at the girl.
More power to We, good man| said
the smith to the driver.
I'VE want a shoe on the beast" said
Shamus, getting down out of the cart.
The girl got down after him. He let
her do it without help. The smiths
son said within himself that the stran-
ger must be either the girls brother or
her husband. He felt his heartstrings
tighten when he thought of a husband.
He had taken two steps forward to
help the girl to aligbt He took them
backward and remained leaning
against the doorpost under the Intel.
The smith led the colt from between
the shafts.
"'Tis long road to cover, that road
to Dublin" said Shamus. pointing
down the road. His hand trembled as
he held it out.
He ground his teeth in his head.
"'Twould be a long road If one was
goin it," said the girl. Owney Joyce,
the son of the smith, fixed his eyes
upon the girl.
The color of the rose went from her
lips to her cheek. She turned her head
away.
The colt was walked into the forge.
Owney followed He went to the fur
mace bellows. He blew the furnace into
fire and molten gold. The smith red
dened the iron. He hammered it into
shape He did to 1t all that was neccs-
sary. He was careful and slow at his
work
"Ye'd be a good messenger to send
naotb - sold Shaun0S heating biS
hand against the doorpost.
The girl sat on the bank by the road
outside. There were primroses on the
bank. and humming bees went about IT
and red ladybirds. The girl was look
ing at them, and the tears began to run
down her cheeks. Owen Joyce Won
dered why the sight of the primroses
and the bees and the pretty ladybirds
should make the girl cry.
The oak that takes longest to grow
takes longest to fall" said the smith.
But If ye're In hurry I'll do my best
to meet ye."
There's no hurry upon me-" said
Shamus. turning toward the girl sitting
on the sunny bank.
Except to get to our grandfathers
funeral" said the girl.
The colt was shod and brought back
to the cart and harnessed under it
"Y'ought let me put a clamp of iron
there upon the shaft" said the smith
'Thats dangerous crack in it."
"'Twas broken before we set OUT
said the girl. IAN havin lasted so fal
It will likely last all the way. We cam
wait"
The man got up into the cart. AS the
girl did the same thing Owney stepped
out and assisted her.
"Ye're no more nor a twelvemontf
married." he said to the girl.
"Oh, no." answered the girl. "Tn
not married at ALL"
Such a look came into the eyes of the
! young man that it was as If the stars
were shining in them.
"Ye'n be passin this way goiI
homer" he said. The girl was sitting
on the crossboard. She knitted he
brows at the young man. He stood by
the wheel of the cart. He had put hi
hand on her arm.
1--WE may go home by another road,
she said. She drew herself away. Their
was straw Uttered over the floor of tn,
cart. AS the girl moved away he
skirts swept with them some of tn,
straw. Owney saw lying beneath it {
| Al