Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-09-02
THE TIN
PFODLER
He Was Chock Full Of
Romance
BY r. a. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.
BY r. a. Mitchell

am an exception To that rule. ue-
light In my work. and yet / am only
n tin peddler
For heavens sake. why are you sat
isfied to be tin peddler?
For paradoxical reason. am
full OF ideality and romance.
Ideallty and romance In n tin ped
dler. Nonsense,
Yes; listen to me and | will prove TO
you that there can he romance even
In tin peddler. And because there
IL romance In me ] enjoy my work.
II gives Inc opportunity TO dream. For
instance. drive my peddling wagon
along n road of bright spring morn
Ing The air is laden with the fra
GRANGE Of opening buds. The birds
are chirping IN the trees. fitting here
and there, one carrying bit OF straw,
another n string. another horsehair
with which to build their nests. They
are chatterlng nj each other just as
persons would do who were building
n house. White clouds are rolling
along silently ON the horizon. On my
left forest trees rear their topmost
branches rs II reaching toward the
blue sky. where q hawk IL sailing. On
my right and beneath me lies lake.
Around about the country Is patch
work OF farms dotted with houses.
was driving my wagon one even
Ing In October. looking for place in
which 10 spend the night The woods
were aaamc with patches OF yellow or
scarlet. My eve was resting. ms ]
supposed. on one OF these. deep red.
but in another moment saw that II
was the setting sun shining on n win.
dowpaue. drove on toward II and
stopped at little farmhouse beside
the road
Iiitching my team TO the post before
the gate. | went 10 the door and knock
ed. There was no answer. Looking
about. saw no signs OF life. missed
chickens scratching in the yard. chill
dren's playthings on the porch. the
bark OF dog. The barn was closed
and locked The place was deserted
Finding window where the curtain,
not hanging pcrpendicularly. left an
opening through which ! could look
inside. saw that the house was fur
nished. was peering into the living
room There were center table. a
little library of books. lounge, while
In fireplace were andlrons on which
were logs ready TO he kindled.
The twilight was deepening and IL
went on might be obliged TO ride
miles in the dark before finding an
other place 10 stop for the night. BY
breaking n pane of glass l could I'M
lock window. raise 1t and effect an
entrance. II remained TO be seen II !
could put my team into the barn.
succeeded In both. Having stabbed my
horses and fed ihem-there was fodder
nj hand-l entered the house. Having
lighted the fire on the hearth, ex.
plored every room. The beds were
made" though they gave evidence of
having remained so for long while.
There We're provisions In the harder.
but time had rendered them useless.
Fortunately carried my own lunch
hamper After finishing my explora-
tons | brought some water from the
well and sitting before the cracking
fire. ate my supper
For long while sat and dreamed
of those who had occupied this house,
aud why II had been deserted. The
appearance was not that Of having
~ Ia rf4 L. II
evidence Of having been left number
OF years before Who were these peo,
PIE;
i've heard II said that there are GER
tain scientists who from seeing a bone
can tell the animal of which II formed
part SO lid begin from my sur
roundings 10 form theories as TO who
had occupied this house. There were
no toys: therefore there were no chill
dren. There were few mems and
few women's garments; therefore
there must have been married cou.
pie. on the wall among other pictures
was one Of those stiff photographs one
sees in the country-and. for that mat
ter. among city folks-of bridal cou.
Pile | inferred that II was likeness
of those who had occupied the prem
ises. There were pictures Of old and
young persons. evidently the fathers
and mothers Of relatives Of the bride
and groom.
My first theory was that the house
had been occupied by a young married
couple: that one had died and the
other had shut M the house just as II
was and gone elsewhere. Secondly.
fancied that the couple who lived in II
had quarreled and both left II TO 20
away by different paths Thirdly. no
tieing the photograph Of u sour look
Ing old woman. concluded that the
family had been broken M by moth
er-in-law Rammaging In nm Old desk.
came upon check hook. figures on
the stubs @! which Indicated that The
bank account II represented was large
~ overlravn. This led me to u fourth
theory that the OCCUPANTS had suf
fered from financial difficulty aud this
was the carse ~ the house having
hoa,, dccartnd