Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-22
DAILY STORY
AUNT SAlLY'S PEDDLER.
copyright, 1907. by Mcclure Newspaper
Ii L.

copyright 1907 by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.l
Aunt Sally Warner was physiogno-
mist When peddler offered her
goods she looked him in the face in.
stead of at his wares and usually told
him to go on.
One day a peddler came by whom
she looked in the face and said:
You are the only honest peddler /
have seen in ten years. You can bring
me in six, milk pans"
But how do you know that 1 am
honest?" queried the man, wondering
if she was making game of him.
by your looks"
All tin peddlers buy sheepskins.
Aunt Sally had one nailed up on the
barn door, and after bit of chaffering
about the price she went out to get it,,
leaving the man on the piazza. When
she returned the exchange was effected
and the peddler departed. He thanked
her for her compliments and conf
| dence, and he was told to call again
If he came that way. There was no
Aunt Sally discovered that siIverware,
| cutlery and other things were missing.
| 1t had taken her about fifteen min
utes to get the sheepskin, during which
time the peddler was alone on the
| piazza. She figured it out in her own
mind that no one else could have taken
the stuff, and she vowed to have him
| pursued TO the ends of the earth. New
ertheless when the hired man agreed
| with her and said 1t was straight
case she brstled up and replied:
| Jim Davis, you are fool! That
p, peddIer never took 'em. I'll wager my
life he's an honest man. Some one
must have climbed into a window and
| robbed the house,
| The hired man smiled pityingly and
disdainfully, but had nothing further
to say. That night. however, without
a hint to Aunt Sally, he set a country
| constable on the trail. Next morning
without Il word to him, the widow went
! to the village TO consult the authOri,
ties. The justice of the peace and the
prosecuting attorney agreed with the
hired man. They pointed out the fact
that it would have been utterly i'm.
possible for any one else to commit
the crime. In her heart she thought
SO, too, but her reputation as a physi
ognomist was at stake, and she turned
on them with:
You are couple of idiots to talk as
you do. The peddler is as innocent as
a babe. What you want to do is tC
look for q beetle browed man with q
| straight nose and q weak chin
They looked for the peddler instead
and they found him. He was brought
back in tears. They didn't find the
goods on him, but he almost confessed
to the crime. He would have quite
confessed but for Aunt Sally. She re
fused to prosecute. She insisted thai
he couldn't be guilty. and she WASH
going to have him bulldoZed into max
ing a confession. The fellow would
have been discharged on the spot, 81
far as she was concerned, but the au
|
mixed up in another case, and it wa!
decided to hold him for few days
Aunt Sally went home with her jaw
"sot.' She had said the peddler wa!
honest She had passed her word t.
stand by him. The fact that the hiret
man went around with q grin on hi
face angered her and made her mor'
determined than ever. She SLEPT no
at all that night. She turned from
side to side and made plans and per
fected them.
During the next day Aunt Sally hunt
ed out files from the tool box in TIL
barn and made certain other prepare
tons, and at night, as soon as tn
hired man went to bed, she hitcheC
up a horse and drove into the village
She had passed the Jail many times
and she reached 1t without being seen
So far as she knew there was Onl,
one prisoner there She couldn't tel
J what cell he occupied. but she slantet
( board against the wall and climbe,
\ up to one of the barred windows l
K was summer, and the sash was raised
\ AS she softly called out a prsone
\ came to the window and she put tn
y files in his hand and said:
XII 81 am not the woman to leave a
y honest man to anguish in prison. Ge
Z to work with these tools and max
your way out of this
Woman, I'll never forget you,