The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-05-01
Danny cruggs'
Revenge
By THOMAS P. MoNTFoRT. =
Copyright, 1907. by Daily Story Pub. Co.

A HIN Olu refer PARSONS cauSnt
w little Danny Scruggs in his wa
termclon patch and took him by his
collar and led him down to the horse
pond and threw him in, he felt that
he had performed a very gratifying
act, and as the boy struggled to the
shore he laughed. 1t was the seventh
time within a week that Peter had
found Danny lingering his melons, and
he was sure that a good ducking in the
*horSepond would have the desired eff
feet.
But. alas for Peter, he forgot to take
into consideration the fact that there
turks in the human breast a desire to
BE- revenged for a real or fancied
wiring.
Two or three days passed, then,
greatly to Peters surprise, Danny
dropped in to visit with him. The boy
was as friendly as ever, and he laughed
about the ducking and declared that
he had found it great fun.
Peter was a widower, and lived all
alone, but he had grown tired of that
ort Of existence. just a mile from
Peters house there lived :'old Buck
Hart" who had a little farm OF which
Peter had a mortgage, and he also had
a daughter or whom Peter had an
eye. The daughter was a mere girl,
young enough to have been Peters
grandchild, but to him there was no
disadvantage in that. AS to what she
might think, was not to be taken into
consideration.
One day, two or three months after
DaEny's ducking, Peter saddled his
horse and rode over to Harris. 1t so
happened that Danny was at Harris
when Peter refined up at the yard gate
and called Hart out. Curious to know
Peters business, Danny slipped out
and hid himself in a fence corner where
he could overhear all that was said.
After the exchange of a few common
place remarks, Peter came directly
down to business by saying:
Il reckon you know, Buck, my mort
gage on your farm is long past cue? 90
"Ies, know it s,'Buck replied, "but
Flowed it didn't make any difference"
well, ordinarily, it wouldn't" Peter
admitted, "but under present circum-
stances, it does. l just rode over to
tell you that | want it paid Off"
Old Buck started back aghast.
paid off" he repeated.
"That's what [ said,' Peter REPLIED.
cclGly.
Old Buck slowly shook his head and
his face heightened.
Its impossible,' he said. Il amt
got no money-not a dollar"
Then you must raise it," Peter an
swered, calmly.
RAISE it," Buck repeated, blankly,
"Why, I couldn't raise enough money
to buy a settin' hen, much less pay oil
that MORTGAGE"
Pay me in somethin' else, them
Peter suggested, with a grin.
II amt got nothin' else"
Eyes, you have"
"Nothin' hat you want"
"Yes, you have"
"There's the old horse and cow,
81 don't want Them"
"There's the things in the house."
Il don't want them"
"That's all 1 got"
Il guess not. You forget you have a
daughter, don't you?"
"A daughter! What's she go to de-
with it?"
"a right smart, maybe. I'll take he,
for a wife and call the mortgage
square" -.
- Old Buck was surprised, but MOI dis,
pleased. 1t was an easy way to get.ou
of a tight place, and then his. daughter
might as we'll marry Peter as anyone
else, so far as he could see. .
"Well,"h he said, presently, Elf it suits
youto fix the matter that way, I guess
it suits me. 1 don't see that Tve an,
reason for objecting to your PROPOSE
ton.
z"ef course not Pete replied. "It's
?fairxzand square all around. and every.
body ought to be satisfied"
Yes, they ought" Hart said.
thoughtfully, but / don'tknow. for
got&about Liz. She may nos just like
thesarrangement, you know
Why shouldn't she? Amt I cot
i plenty Of money and land, while she
amt got nothiin' ?'