Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-12-29
THE TIN
PEDDLER
He Was Chock Full of
Romance
BY F. A. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.
BY F. A. mitchell

stotion In ufa mr. THAR occrnotior
nm an oxoon,,on 30 ,hot nrlo Al
-. =. -,
Nsn' " NY WIN anu 'e' UNI 0A''
TN pe''uier'
FOR heavens sake, why are you sat
ished to be tin peddler?
For IA paradoxical reason. I am
full OF ideality and romance.
ldeality and romance In a tin ped.
dlerl Nonsense!
Yes; listen to me and will prove Il
you that there can be romance even
in n tin peddler. And because there
is romance In me l enjoy my work
1t gives me opportunity to dream. For
instance, l drive my peddling Wagon
along a road of bright spring morn.
Ing. The air ia laden with tho fra.
GRANGE of opening buds. The birds
are chirping IN the trees, fitting here
and there, one carrying a bit of straw
another a string, another horsehail
with which to build their nests. They
are chattering at each other lust as
persons would do who were building
a house. White clouds are rolling
along silently on the horizon. On my
left forest trees rear their topmosl
branches as II reaching toward the
blue sky, where a hawk is sailing. On
my right and beneath me lies a lake
Around about the country is a patch.
work of farms dotted with houses.
was driving my wagon one even
ing in October, looking for q place In
which to spend the night. The woods
were afiame with patches of yellow OF
scarlet. NV eve was resting, as
supposed, on one OF these, a deep red
but in another moment 1 saw that II
was the setting sun shining on a win
dowDane. | drove on toward Il and
stopped at a little farmhouse beside
the road.
Hitchinp nv team 70 the most before
the gate. | went 10 the door and knock
ed There was no answer lacking
about. | saw no signs of life. l missed
chickens scratching I'm the ward. chill
dren's playthings on the porch. the
bark of n dog. The barn was closed
and locked The place was deserted
Finding window where the curtain
not hanging perpendicularly, left an
openinp through which could look
inside. l saw that the house was fur
nished. I was peering into the living
room There were n center table. q
little library of books. a lounge. while
In n firenlace were andIrons ON which
were logs readv TO be kindIed.
The twilight was deepenIng and IL
went on | might be Obliged TO ride
miles I'm the dark before finding an.
other ploco TO stop for the night nv
breaking n pane Of glass could nm.
lock n window raise II and OBJECT nm
entrance II remained TO he seen II I
could nut nv team into the barn. I
succeeded I'm both Having stabIed nv
horses and fed tbem-tbore was fodder
Mt band-I entered the house Having
lighted the fire on tbe beartb. ex.
plored every room. The beds were
"made" though they gave evidence of
having remained 80 for n long while.
There were urovisions I'm the larder.
but time had rendered them useless.
Fortunately carried nv own lunch
hammer After finishing NV explora-
tlons I brought some water from the
well and sitting before the cracking
fire. ate INV sumner.
For n long while I sat and dreamed
of those who had occupied this house,
and wbv n bad been deserted. The
opnearance was not that OF having
been Ieft temporariIv. II rather gave
ovidence NJ ma wing bcen left n number
of years before who were these peo.
ple3
Pve heard II said that there are Ger.
tain scientists who from seeing n bone
cop toll the animal Of which ~ formed
a mart 90 did haoin from nv arr.
ronnd,ros T., form theories as m who
had occunied this bouse There were
NJ, tow. tharafora tbera ware M chill.
dron Thor, nara a faw mans and
a fou, vonan,s oormenta. therefore
thoro rn,o, hovo hoon a marrIad con.
Mo IN ,ho roll omono other nicturea
,,,a., ono -, ,,,oso s,Isg nho,ooranhs ono
,ao,, a., ,h,, oo,,,tryond Sor that mat,
tor amen, c,,v foILs ~ a bridal con.
Mo InrorreS that 4, was a likeness
- ,hosa ,yho had occunied tho nrem.
,sos Thoro ,yoro nIc,uroo or ola and
vouno naraops evidantIv the fatbera
"a 1,o,,ors q, roIo,,vos ~ tho hrida
-