Cañon City record., 1902-08-14
THE SAVING
OF PETER
Ry EUGENE UELRICH
Copyright. 1901. by EuIenie Chi. .ch

( hilCueu uooT VI MtTTihlh Dis mousse
! and looked at the changing west Ev.
cry moment the light was growing
fainter and duller. and still Peter
Burns did not come in to the supper
that had been waiting for him over
two hours. This WAS strange Of Peter,
and it would have been not only
strange but suspicious of anybody else
after having been 'lectioneering" ali
afternoon with the old judge. Mrs Mer.
riam's husband.
Mrs Sch.nitt did not like the Judge
The worst men in her eyes are those
who always seem so nice and pleas
to everybody ANA between tiiues get
drunk and abuse their wives. II such
men were only mean all the time, peo-
pie would not blame their wives for
evCrythin" that 2ocs wrong. as the
village did Mrs. Merriam when she had
the old judge bound over to keep the
peace. Since that time the judge had
been obliged to live at the village ho
tel, and Mrs Merriam was left in the
big house. Now when the judge want
ed to see Mrs. Merriam he drove up to
the gate and whistled for her. Then
Mrs. Merriam put on her best dress
and went driving with him. for the
judge was really very pleasant when
he was in II good temper" us Mrs
Merriam herself would have put IT,
Every evening she made Peter drive
down TO the hotel to see that the Judge
got to bed without his boots. The Judge
paid those Of his bills that he could
out Of his practice. and Mrs. Merriam
paid her own out of the place and the
summer guests" Sometimes she paid
an odd one OF the judges.
Minna could not see but what II was
much better SO. though whenever she
went TO the village she had to hear
something about women who wear the
pants" and like remarks. which passed
for wit thereIUout. But Minna. who
had had sharp and happily short
married experience of her own. loftily
ignored these supposed jokes for her
German tongue was too slow to risk
answers The delectalIle Peter himself,
who made POSSIBLE the harmony Of the
present CONDITIONS, was Irish. lie drove
the Judg" home one day when the
judges driving was n bit uncertain,
even for u horse that could nad the
way home alone. Peter put up the
horse and looked after things that
evening, and be had been doing SO ever
since. Now he was the one person who
was able TO travel cheerfully the some.
times slippery path between the inn
and the house At all times.
And still he did not come in. Minna
bethought herself that she ought to 20
over to the stables. Tomorrow would
be Sunday. and Peter often needed
stitch put in somewhere. 1t was not in
Minna's quick fingers TO see any one
untidy on Sunday II she could help II.
So she went over to the stablrs-not
that she was curious or, even worse,
worried. Things did look queer The
road wagon WIS standing in the drive
way. the cushion left shiftiessly on the
seat. and Peters best coat lying across
it, After II moment Minna's sharp ear
heard deep breathing, and there on
bench inside the door lay Peter, fast
asleep. Now alinna could not hclleve
that any man would 30 fast asleep
without his supper unless there were
something wrong. But she was used to
doing things. not standing and looking
at them: She took the cushion on the
seat and. along with Tie coat. carIicd
1t into the carriage shed. Something
hard in one OF rct,r's pockets struck
her hand. and she ESicw ii ut once for
bottle. II was almost empty. and The
contents We're not 10 be mistaken.
Then She tried the other pu"ket Be
hold, another bottle!
That camel Of II Judge she NUT
tered. lie has five stomachs. and he
does not rest until everybody Is like
him" The zeal to save woke In her
and she did not ask herself whether
she had that fine zeal for every waver-
Ing soul or only for Peters She took
the bottles and hurried to the kitchen
with them.
Mrs Merriam met her at the kitchen
door. "N here is PctcrT' she asked.
Minna marched past her and tragicnlly
held up the two bottles in front Of her.
"lInna." gasped that lady. what
what have you been doing"
"IT' screamed Mlnna. Peter. you
mean
"rct,r! oh. retcr. Peter. yol. too.
Peter. walled Mrs. Merriam as she
sank down In Il chair. But wait: this
is the first time. and there Is still hope
for him. | have it And she hurried
to her medicine shelf and came back
with bottle with some brown stuff
In it. This viii make him wish he'd
never touched any election whisky In
his life. Run and slip them back, Min.
ma
Minna obeyed and then MIXED the
complaining cows, grown restless wait
Ing for Peter, and when everything
was well done she went up TO her room
and cried bit. In the morning she
was up earlier than usual. There
seemed no use In waiting for Peter to