Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-07-27
Adnt Sally'S Peddler.
[Copyright, 1907. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.l

.
Syndicate.l
Aunt Sally Warner was physiogno-
mist. When a peddIer offered her
goods she looked him in the face in
stead of at his wares and usually told
him to so on.
One day a peddler came by whom
she looked in the face and said:
''You are the only honest peddler l
have seen in ten years. You can bring
me in six milk pans.''
But how do you know that l 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 a bit of chaffering
about the pr~e she went out to get it,
leaving the man on the piazza. WAcn
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
ruction until about shutdown. Then
Aunt Sally discovered that silverware,
1t had taken her about fifteen min
uteS to get the sheepsllin, during which
time the pedGler 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. Nev-
ertheIess when the hired man agreed
with her and said it was a straight
case she bristled up and replied:
Jim Davis, you are a FOOL That
peddler never took em. I'll wager my
Life He's an honest man. Some one
musK have climbed into window and
robbed the house"
The hired .1nan smiled pityingly and
Hisdainfully. but had nothing further
to say. That night, however, without
q hint to Aunt Sally, he set a country
constable on the trail. Next morning,
without 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 a couple of idiots to talk as
you do. The peddler is as innocent as
babe. What you want to do is to
look for a beetle browed man with a
straight nose and 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 that
he couldn't be guilty, and she wasn't
going to have him bulldozed into max
ing a confession. The fellow would
have been discharged on the spot, SO
far as she was concerned, but the au-
thorities had a suspicion that he was
mixed up in another case, and it was
decided to hold him for a few days.
Aunt Sally went home with her jaw
'sot" She had said the peddler was
stand by him. The fact that the hired
man went around with a grin on his
face angered her and made her more
determined than ever. She slept not
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 the
barn and made certain other prepare
tons, and at night, as soon as the
hired man went to bed, she hitched
up horse and drove into the village.
She had passed the Jail many times,
and she reached it without being seen.
So far as she knew there was only
one prisoner there. She couldn't tell
what cell he occupied, but she slanted
board against the wall and climbed
up to one of the barred windows. 1t
was summer. and the sash was raised.
AS she softly called out prisoner
came to the window, and she put the
files In his hand and said:
ST am not the woman to leave an
honest man to anguish in prison. Get
to work with these tools and make
your way out of this"
woman, I'll never forget your
whispered the man.
mo barney, but make things hum"
Aunt Sally returned home without
discovery. She got up with smile on
her face and a song In her heart, but
that benign state didn't last long. First
came a constable with he news that
he had recovered the plumber. 1t had
been found In the hay NOW of the
farmers barn where the peddler had
lodged the night of the robbery. He
was followed by a messenger from the
justice of the peace that the honest
peddler had made a confession.
third party called to announce that
prisoner charged with horse stealing
and lodged in i9iI The night before had