Amador ledger., 1902-05-23
THE PEDDLER'S PACK

the landlord Of the Long Pack, "but like
t. tell it sometimes Just to remind myself
that the worst thing a man can have in
this world is hot, obstinate temper.
"You see, I came to this coast soon aft
er the gold fever broke out and settled
down in the Santa Barbara valley, below
here, ranching. I was q widower even
then and had brought with me from the
states my only child, daughter past II.
She was a pretty girl, II I do say it. and
being as good as pretty you can imagine l
was quite wrapped up In her. Of course I
was anxious to keep her with me, and II
not that at least I looked for her to do
something better than fall In love with q
peddler.
"And did shet'
Eyes. You see, in those days the coun-
try was full Of young fellows who had
struck out for themselves and were trying
to get start by carrying knickknacks
around from one mining camp to another
Some Of them were lively chaps enough
and well educated, but was fresh from
the states, with all the eastern prejudices,
and it almost drove me wild when Nellie
told me she wanted to marry young fel-
low who brought his pack through our
district good deal oftener than the trade
seemed to require. 1 was hot tempered
fool in those days, 30 stormed, threaten
ed, locked Nellie up for week and sent
word to her lover that had loaded my
gun for wildcats and peddlers.'
"What did Nellie dop''
"You might have guessed 1t, One day
when 1 came back from a cattle sale she
was missing. 1 chased her a couple of
days, but they had taken to the woods,
and 1t wGs of no use. After awhile I got a
letter from Frisco, and wrote back say
ing that I disowned her, and that he had
better keep out Of the range of my rifle
"What did you do thenY'
Suffered, mister, Just suffered 1 knew
I was wrong, but I'd have died rather
than give In. For five years lived like a
toad In rock, hating the whole world
All the pleasure had was In watching
for peddlerT The number chased off the
ranch during l.i,.5 time would astonish
you.
Zone evening after terrible rainstorm
a peddler came to my house and asked for
shelter for the night. He was thin, weak
looking fellow, with his face covered with
q huge, ragged beard. He carried on his
back an enormously long and heavy pack
and seemed so exhausted with his tramp
through the mire that 1 hadn't the heart
to do more than order him off the place. "
"That was pretty hard, said the lis
tener
~ suppose it was. The peddler seemed
all broke up when he found wouldn't
even give him bunch of straw In the sta
BILE, and no other house within 10 miles
Instead Of complaining, however, he mere
ly begged that would let him leave his
|
value, under shelter from the rain. final
ly consented to this. So, as 1 had sworn
none of his trade should ever cross lny
threshold, carried his pack inside, while
its owner linped off to crawl under some
bush or other.''
Didn't you feel mean?"
Eyes, mean and bitter at the same time,
for something about the man reminded
me of Nellie's husband little However,
locked and barred all the doors and win.
dows as usual, for some road agents had
been around those parts about that time
and had stopped and robbed several ranch
es, and, as I told you, 1 was all alone.
Somehow / couldn't go to sleep when after
that went to bed. After tossing around
for awhile I got up and sat by the fire,
brooding over my trouble and trying not
there in the cold and rain somewhere.
looked at his pack sitting I'D in the room
and wondered what made 1t so long
GAS I watched it 1 fancied I saw il
move"
Saw 1t mover"
EXACTLY. wouldn't believe my OWL
eyes at first, but after watching intently
for awhile distinctly saw the front of g
hon fha r.
inside Like fash then understood the
whole thing. The peddler was one Of the
road agents gang, and, knowing had con.
siderable money about the house, they had
adopted that plan for smuggling one OF
! their crew inside the house. After 1 had
| gone to sleep the fellow inside could let in
the rest and finish the job. walked quiet
" across the room, took my gun from the
| antlers, knelt down few feet from the
pack, aimed square in the center and pull
ed the trigger -
"Go on" murmured the listener, with
a shudder.
"But the gun didn't go off," continued
the landlord, clearing his throat. "The
| nipple was rusty and wouldn't work, SO
laid down the rife and got an ak from the
kitchen. 1t had been newly ground that
counted upon cleaving that pack, robbe1
and all, clear to the ground. Just as ]
raised the ak and braced myself for the
blow saw ghost.
GA ghostP"
Eyes, sir. The pack opened, and saw
sticking out of its top the curly yellow
hair Of my Nellie when she was little tot
of 4. The shock staggered me so that
sank on my knees. wiped my eyes and
wondered if I had not gone crazy. was
almost certain OF it when the ghost stretch
ed out a pair of chubby white arms and
said:
"'How do, grandpa
"Ah," said the guest, with a relieved
sigh, 81 begin to see And what did you
do thenP''
'I don't exactly KNOW said the land
lord softly, "but if there is anything 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 pris-
oner down by the fire, opened the door
and held out my arms"
"And the motheri'
"Yes,' nodded the landlord "They
were both there, and, mister, guess that S
the end of my story" And the old man
wiped his eyes, "You must excuse me, but
that was wet evening, and somehow
haven't got quite dry since. Exchange
A Tidy Maid.
A wealthy Chicago woman the other day