Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-03
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
The Peddler's Story.

ut amt very pleasant Story, salu
the landlord of the Long Pack, but
like to tell il sometimes just to remind
myself that the worst thing Il man can
have in this world is a hot, obstinate
temper.
You see, l came 10 this coast soon
after the gold fever broke out and set
tied down in the Santa Barbara valley
below here, ranching. was widower
even then and had brought with me
from the states my only child, daugh-
ter past seventeen. She was n pretty
girl. IL / do say it. and being as good
as she was pretty you can imagine
was quite wrapped up I'm her. OF
course l was anxious to keep her with
me, and If not that at least 1 looked
for her To do something better than
fall in love with peddler."
"And did sheE''
"Yes. 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 llrick-
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 prejudices, and il almost drove
me wild when Nellie told me she want
ed To marry young fellow who
brought his pack through our district
good deal oftener than the trade
seemed to require. | was n hot temper
ed fool in those days. so l stormed,
threatened. locked Nellie up for Il week
and sent word to her lover that / had
loaded my gun for wildcats and ped
dlers. One day when came back from
a cattle sale she was missing. l 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 disown-
ed her and that lie had better keep out
of the range Of my rifle.
zone evening after Il 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 4 huge. ragged
beard. lie carried on his back an eror-
mOusly long and heavy pack and seem
ed 50 exhausted with his tramp
through the miFe that / hadn't the
heart 10 do more than order him of
the place. He seemed all broke up
when he found | wouldn't even give
him bunch of straw in the stable and
no other house within twelve miles.
Instead of complaining. however. he
merely begged that l 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. as l had sworn none OF his trade
should ever cross my threshold, ! car
ried his pack inside. while it's owner
limped Off to crawl under some bush or
other.
Something about the man reminded
me of Nellie's husband little. How
ever 1 locked and barred all the doors
and windows MS usual. for some road
agents had been around those parts
about that time and had stopped and
robbed several ranches. and, as / told
You. L was all alone. Somehow |
couldn't go to sleep when after that l
went To bed. After tossing around for
awhile l got up and sat by the fire,
over my trouble and trying
not TO think of the poor chap shiverinS
out there i'm the cold and rain some
where. 1 looked at his pack sitting up
in the room and wondered what made
it so long. As / watched it l fancicd
l saw it move"
"Saw IL move:"
Exactly. l wouldn't believe my own
eyes at first. but after watching intent
ly for awhile 1 distinctly saw the front
OF n hand pressed against the canvas
from the inside. Like fash then
tire whole thing. The ped
al Of
and. knowing / 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 n the rest and finish the job.
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"
"Go on murmured the listener, with
n shudder.
"But the gun didn't go Off" cOntin-
ned the landlord, clearing his throat
The 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 it's top the
curly yellow hair of my Nellie when
she was n little tot OF four. The shock
me so that l sank on my
knees. I-wiped my eyes and wondered
II had not gone crazy. 1 was almost
certain Of it when the ghost stretched
Dut n pair of chubby white arms and
said:
:" How do. grandpa ?"
All" said the guest. with a relieved
sigh, 81 begin TO see. And what did
you do them"
II don't exactly know" said the
softly. but If there is any
hing that will bend stiff, stubborn
neck quicker than the arms of little
child I'd like to know what 1t is. / put
he tired little prisoner down by the
ire. opened the door and held out my
arms"
and the mother?"
Yes" nodded the landlord. 'They