Putnam patriot., 1911-07-14
A Tin PeddIer'S
 Love Story He Found Man Who Didn't
 Understand Woman By JOSEPH B. HUGHES Copyright by American Press Asso-
By JOSEPH B. HUGHES
Copyright by American Press Asso-
 ciation. 1911.

try. stopping at farmhouses to sell my
 goods to women. was a successful
 tin peddler, The statement may seem
 supertiuous 10 a story, but 1t Is quite
 important in this one. Only one who
 understa nds the idiosyncrasies of wo-
 men could sell them tin or any other
 kind of goods. Ergo. I. being sue
 cessful tin peddler. must understand
 women. But the main reason why 1
 think l understand them is because
 know I don't
 On one of my tours struck young
 bachelor farmer and concluded to stop
 all night at his house. He had no
 woman to do anything for him. and
 be cooked and took care of the house
 himself. l asked him If he didn't
 need a helpmeet
 Stranger" he said. firing up at once.
 do you mean to insinuate that
 might better take & woman into these
 premises?''
 What is the objection"
 The objection is that they're the
 most rantankerous. deceitful. pryin'.
 palayerin creatures in the universe.
 l wouldn't trust one on lem within
 forty miles of me"
 Perhaps you've been crossed in
 lover"
 "l dunno what you mean by bein'
 crossed in love. but if it's fooled in
 love I've been that twict" l had finished my supper. and my
 host had pat away the dishes. which
 meant that be put them without wash
 ing into a big closet. He told me that
 he washed dishes once a week by car
 rying them in his farm wagon to
 the middle of the creek. There he did
 the work with a mop. 1 offered him cigar. which he declined and brought out a cob pipe. Since l had an even ing before ne with nothing to do l encouraged him to talk.
 How have you been fooled in loveT
 l asked him.
 Tt was this away. l was born on
 this farm. and when l wasn't but six teen a man bought the Owen farm. about two minutes down the road. He had little gal about two or three years younger than me. She was the slickest thing you ever seen: mighty straight little figure, dresses not far below the knees and two pigtails be- hind tied up with ribbons. 1 never was a gals boy and didn't care any thing about her When l met her on the road l used to go on the other side. Onct when l passed her l no ticed her lookin' sideways at me like a robin or chipmunk When she saw me lookin' at her she dropped her eyes on to the road and you'd a thought butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "One day when 1 was fishin' in the creek l heard some one just below windin' in a reel and. lookin through the trees. saw Mary Owen castin in a line. l jist fished on. payin' no at heard cry. l left my fshin' pole layin' on the bank and went to see what was the matter. There was Mary holdin' out her thumb with hook in 1t The barb had gone into the flesh so far that 1t must be cut out l tux out my knife. opened a sharp blade and by doin' some slicin' into the thumb took out the hook. must a hurt pretty bad. She kep' up til the job was finished. then she fell into my arms with her head on my shoul- der.
 -I didn't think so then. but since I've been satisfied she just pertended to faint on purpose That's the fust les son in the deceitfulness O wtmmen- kind 1 ever had Even this little gal kid wasn't willin' to let a boy about her own age alone. he goin' his way and she hers.
 -Waai, when she come to or per tended to come to herself she was lytn' | in my arms lookin up in my faceL One faintin' wa'nt enough. so she had to faint ag'in. The reason for this was that my lips want more n couple O inches from hern, and reckon she fainted the secoud time sos | to give me chance to kiss her. "Waal. l done 1t, like fool, and 1t | tasted so good l done 1t ag'tn and agin. reckon if I'd kep on she'd EtaYeO UNCONSCIOUS dii W hN IT she opened her eyes agin she pertend- cd she didn't know I'd been kissin' her. I tied uL her thumb with her handkerchief and told her to go home. But she didn't She said she felt weak and sat on the grass with her back up agin a tree.
 We sat there till supper time. Then | she went home. and came back nome too. That was the begiunin' of | if. The next day went hshin' again. 1 didn't care for the fish. l
 wanted to taste the little gals lips ag'in. She didn't care for the dsh in the creek. She was tshin' for boy about my size. We done heap of fshin' after that till I found the kisses didn't taste so good as the first ones 1 took, and about that time we younkers organized a baseball team. and 1 didn't go dshin' so much as | had been doin; consequently l didn't zee so much of Mary Owen Fact of it was that wanted to see how much Mary would banker after
 me when she didn't see me. And
 there's where l first learned about her
 cussedness Do you know. stranger, | she didn't miss me bitr'
 "No. i don't know" replied
 "What do you meanf
 How can know anything about | itf Go on with your story. When she met me on the road she said good mornln and went by with onr auather word. if she nad missed