The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-10-30

THE TIN
PEDDLER
He Was Chock Full of
Romance
BY F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

| am an exception TO tnat rule. i Gle
light in my work, and yet 1 am only
tin peddler.
For heavens sake, why are you sat
isfed TO be n tin peddler?
For n paradoxical reason. l am
| full of ideality and romance.
Ideality and romance In a tin ped
dler! Nonsense!
Yes; listen to me and l will prove Il
you that there can be romance even
in tin peddler. And because there
is romance in me / enjoy my work.
1t gives me opportunity TO dream. For
instance, l drive my peddling wagon
along a road Of a 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 a bit of straw,
another n string, another a horsehair
with which to build their nests. They
are chattering ut each other just as
persons would do who We're building
a house. White clouds are rolling
along silently on the horizon. On my
left forest trees rear their topmost
branches as If 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.
l was driving my wagon one even
ing in October. looking for place in
which to spend the night. The woods
were ahame with patches Of yellow or
scarlet. My eye was resting, as
supposed, on one Of these, a deep red,
but in another moment / saw that il
was the setting sun shining on win
dowpane. i drove on toward it and
stopped at little farmhouse beside
the road.
Hitching my team to the post before
the gate, went to the door ard 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 a dog. The barn was closed
and locked. The place was deserted.
Finding a window where the curtain,
not hanging perpendlcularly, left an
opening through which / could look
inside. l saw that the house was fur
lished. / was peering into the living |
'oom. There We're n center table, a |
little library Of books, lounge, while |
n fireplace were andirons on which |
we're logs ready to be kinded.
The twilight was deepening and If 1 |
vent on l might be obliged to ride
niles In the dark before finding an
'ther place to stop for the night. BY |
'reaking a pane Of glass 1 could I'M
ock window raise it and effect an
ntrance. 1t remained to be seen If
ould put my team into the barn. l
ucceeded In both. Having stabbed my
orses and fed them-there was fodder
t hand-I entered the house. Having
ghted the fire on the hearth, ex-
lored every room. The beds were
made" though they gave evidence of
aving remained so for a long while.
here were provisions I'm the larder
ut time had rendered them useless.
fortunately / carried my own lunch
amper. After finishing my explora-
ions L brought some water from the
'ell and, sitting before the cracking
re, ate my supper.
For a long while / sat and dreamed
those who had occupied this house,
nd why 1t had been deserted. The
ppearance was not that OF having
cen left temporarily. 1t rather gave ,
yi1nnpn nf hp vino lof
years before. Who were these peo-
le?
I've heard it said that there are GER
lin scientists who from seeing bone
IN tell the animal Of which IL formed 4
part So did l begin from my sur G
20 form theories as to who
ld occupied this house. There were
toys; therefore there were no chill r
zen. There We're a few mems and
few women's garments; therefore
lere must have been a married cou- @
G. On the wall among other pictures s.
as one Of those stiff photographs one h
es In the country-and, for that mat.
T, among city folks-of bridal cou- 81
e. inferred that 1t was n likeness h
those who had occupied the prem Of
es. There were pictures Of old and a
Jung persons, evidently the fathers If
I'd mothers Of relatives Of the bride fl
ID groom. ST
My first theory was that the house It
d been occupied by young married te
uple; that one had died and the et
her had shut up the house Just as it &C
rs and gone elsewhere. Secondly. I OF
ncied that the couple who lived I'm IL hs
d duarreled and both left It to 90 IN
ray by different paths. Thirdly. no. w
Ing the photograph of a sour look. sh
old woman, / concluded that tho ou
mily had been broken up by n moth te
in-law. Rummaging in an old desk.
came upon a check book, figures on 70
stubs Of which indicated that the ed
nix account 1t represented was large an
overdrawn. This led me to n fourth w,
eory-that the occupants had suf-
ed from financial difficulty and this m,
IS the cause of the house having tn
IN deserted. wi
low many other theories I might da
We formed had my reveries not been tei
errupted / don't know. The infer. ar,
'tion was a tap on windowpane he
ma me- Quickly turning, I looked
see the cot1sa but onvo~o-I,- a.,