Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-07-07
THE PEDDLER'S PACK.

/
ton of something that family resem-
bled an overgrown soldiers knapsacK.
What does that signify?" inquired
traveller, glancing up at the picture
"Ah! They don't carry things OF
that sort nowadays" answered the
gray-haired landlord, pointing to a
pile of commercial travellers sample
cases, "but the road boys were not
such aristocrats when Twas younger.
Then, they used packs just like you
see pictured up there. was Dlt
hard on them long ago, and ever since
I've tried to make up for it by treat
ing them as we'll as | can. 1t was IN
one of their packs that the biggest
slice of luck I've ever known came TO
me-" AS he spoke he shuddered ana
siged in a manner that betokened some
mystery behind his words.
We were high upon the wagon road
that runs through Scrafna Pass, and
the name of the little inn, THE Travel
ers' Refuge" was thoroughly appro-
pirate, for not bagman that went
| that way but was fain to rest for
space within its hospitable doors.
The landlord, it was clear, was most
anxious to have an opportunity OF I'M
bosoming himself further, but he
waited until his daughter, a buxom
matron, had left the room. NYesss''-he
unused, half to himself, Il was bit
hard on one of 'em-there's no mis-
take about it. 1t amt pleasant story,
but like to tell it just to remind my
self that the worst thing man can
have in this world is a hot, obstinate
temper. You see, | came to this coast
soon after the gold fever broke out,
and settled down in the Josita Valley,
below here, ranching. was wild
over even then, and had brought with
me from the States my only child-a
daughter, past seventeen.
"She was pretty girl, if do say it,
and being as good as pretty, you can
imagine was quite wrapped up in her,
| OF course l was anxious to keep her
with me, and if not that, at least
looked for her to do something better
than fall in love with a peddler."
"And did she?"
Eyes; you see in those days the
country was full of young fellows who
had struck out for. themselves, and
were trying to get start by carrying
knick- knacks around from one mining
camp to another. Some of them were
lively chaps enough, and well edu-
Gated; but was fresh from the States,
with all the Eastern prejudices, and it
almost drove me wild when Mary told
me she wanted to marry young fell
low who brought his pack through our
| district a good deal oftener than the
trade seemed to require. | was hot
tempered fool in those days, so
stormed, threatened, locked Mary up
for week and sent word to her lover
that l had loaded my gun for wild
cats and peddlers.''
What did Mary do?"
you might have guessed it. One
day when l came back from a cattle
sale she was missing. / chased her a
couple of days, but they had taken to
the tall timber and it was of no use.
After while l got letter, and | wrote
back saying that disowned her, and
that he had better keep out of range
of my rifle"
What did you do them"
Suffered, mister-just suffered. l
knew l was WRONG, but I'd have died
rather than give in. For three years
lived like toad in rock, hating the
whole world. All the pleasure l had
was in watching for peddlers. One
evening, after a terrible rain storm,
one of the tribe came to my house and
asked for shelter for the night He
was thin, weak-looking fellow, with
his face covered by a 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 | hadn't the
heart to do more than order him off
the place.
THAT was pretty hard" said the
! listener
seemed all broke up when he found l
wouldn't even give him bunch of
straw in the stable, and no other
house within IL miles Instead of COM
planning, however, he merely begged
that l would let him leave his pack,
which he said contained goods of
value, under shelter from the rain. |
| finally consented to this. So, as | had
sworn none of his trade should ever
cross my threshold, carried his pack
inside, while its owner limped 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 re-
minded me of Mary's husband a little.
However, l locked and barred all the
doors and windows, as usual, for some
road agents had been around those
parts about that time, and had stood
up and robbed several ranchers; and,
as | told you, was all alone. Some
how, l couldn't go to sleep when !
went to bed After tossing around for
while, | got up and sat by the fire,
brooding over my trouble, and trying
not to think of the poor chap SILVER
ing out there in the cold and rain
somewhere. looked at his pack sit
ting up in the corner, and wondered
what made it SO long. As I watched
it fancied / saw it moEe.'
Saw it mover
Exactly. wouldn't believe my eyes
at first, but after watching intently foI