Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-05-03
THE TIN
PEDDLER
He Was Chock Full Of
Romance
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-

By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

am an exception 10 ludl luie. oe-
light in my work, and yet am only
tin peddler.
For heavens sake. why are you sat
isfed TO he Il tin peddler2
For u paradoxic;il reason. l am
full of ideality and romance.
Ideality and romance in a tin pod
dler! Nonsense!
Yes; listen to me and ! will prove to
YOU that there can he romance even
In tin peddler. And because there
IS romance il me enjoy my work.
1t gives me opportunity to dream. For
instance, | rive my peddlinS 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. e carrying a bit of straw,
another Il string. an0thtr Il horsehalf
with which to build their nests. They
are chattering at each other just as
persons would do who were building
u house. White clouds are rolling
along silently Oh the horizon. On my
left fores, trees rear their topmost
branches as if reaching toward the
blue sky. where hawk is sailing. On
nv right and beneath me lies lake.
Around about the country is .patcn-
work OF farms dotted with houses.
| was driving my wagon one even
ing in October. looking for place IN
which to sInud the night. The WOODS
were aisamr with patches OF yellow OF
scarlet. My eye WAS resting. as
sun;nosed. OF one of these, q deep req
but in another moment saw that il
WAS the setting sun shining on win
downanc. drove ON toward 1t and
stopped at IL little farmhouse beside
the road.
Gitching Ely team to the post before
the gate. | wpnt To the door and knock
ed. There was NJ answer. Looking
about. | saw no signs Of life. ! missed
chickens scratching in the yard. chill
dren's playth:nSs OIL the porch. the
bark of dog. The barn was closed
and locked The place was deserted.
Finding Il window where the curtain
not hangin" pcrpendirularly. left an
opening through which could look
inside saw that the house was-fur
+; nshed waS peerlng into the living
room. There were center table, Q
little library Of books. a lounge. while
in Il freplacc were andirons on which
were logs ready to be kindled.
The twilight WAS deepening and II
went OH | might be obliged to ride
miles in the dark before finding an
other place to stop for the night. BY
breaking a pane Of glass | could un'
lock a window. raise it and effect an
! entrance. 1t remained to be seen II
could put my team into the barn.
I, succeeded In both. Having stabbed my
horses and fed them-there was fodder
at hand-I entered the house. Having
lighted the fire Oh the hearth. ex'
plored every room. The beds were
made" though they gave evidence Oh
having remained so for long while
There were provisions In the larder'
but time had rendered them useless
Fortunately | carried my own luncn
hamper After finishing my explora'
tions | brought some water from the
well and. sitting before the cracking
fire. ate my supper
: For long while I sat and dreamed
of those who had occupied this house
and why ii had been deserted. Ine
appearance was not that of having
been left temporarily. 1t rather gave
evidence Of having been left ,Ehumbel
of years before. Who were these peo
pie?
I've heard it said that there are Ger
tain scientists who from seeing bone
can tell the animal Of which 1t formed
a part. SO did begin from my sur'
rounGingS &c form theories as 10 VINO
had occupied this house. There were
no toys; therefore there were no chli.
dren. There were few meas ano
Il few women's garments: tAereIore
there EluSt have been mal'fsed cou'
Die. On the vail among other pictures
was one of these stiff photographs one
sees in the country-and. for that mat
ter. among city fclks-of Il bridal cou
nle. | inferred that it was likeness
OF these 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.
Ny first theory was that the house
had been occupied by young married
coun!e; that one had died and the
other had shut III the house just rs II
was I'D gone elsewhere. Secondly,
fancie,l thar the couple who lived in II
had er"rrelcd and both left 1t to &c
away bv different paths. Thirdly, no
ticing the photograph Of 81 sour look
ing old won:#n. | concluded that the
family had hcrn broken up by moth
er-in-law. RummaGins in an old desk
I came unoa = cheek hook. figures or
the stubs OF which indicated that th>
bank account il represented WAS large
" pverdrawn. This led me to fourth
thcorr-thnt the occupants had SUI
fared from G:"ncial difficulty ard this
was tho rSrsc of the house having
heen deserted
How n?n" ether theories 7 mi2h'
have formed h"d my reve";ns not hsei
INTERRUPTED dent know. The inter
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