The Washington herald., 1914-04-14

was the sign that there was at least one
egg up there. Fourteen feet up to- that
cackIe, and the ladder was perpendicu-
lar. Some climbing for an old maid. She
took a look from all the doors and then
went up while the cackling hen went
down.
Yes, there was the egg. The hen had
have laid one with a double yolk. while
she was about ii. Hens may come to
see this in time.
Looking up a ladder and looking down
one are two different points of view.
When Miss Gertrude was ready to de-
scend she found herself trembling and
apprehensive. It made her head swim
to look down. She put out foot and
drew back with a shudder. 1t was just
then that the peddler entered the barn
in search of her.
'tOh. I'm SO glad" exclaimed. the pris-
oner at sight of him.
Som 1, b'gosh!" he replied.
Won't you go in and tell Mrs. Taylor
that 1 can't get down.
After a bit, dear. So you was ex-
pecting me?"
why, no."
Its just the same. I have called to
see If you didn't want to get married."
Sir"
There, there, don't be scarf I want
wife and you want a husband"
How dare you
And being that's so why can't We set
the day and have over with"
You go away at once or I will scream
for help"
Mr.. John PearsaII. the bachelor mer-
chant at Yorkville. was driving across
the country with horse and buggy. In
front of Taylor's a wheel came of of the
vehicle, and he entered the house in
search OF tools to make repairs.
Why, certainly answered Mrs. Tay-
lor John keeps the toolbox in an
empty stall at the barn"
Mr.. Pearsall entered the barn without
being told of Miss Gertrude or the ped
dler. and arrived just in time to hear the
latter say:
''If my rosebud don't quit her joshing
l shall climb the ladder and demand a
kiss for pay
Mr.. Pearsan knew both the woman
that was up and the man that was
down. He didn't understand the situa-
ton, but was enlightened when she that
was up called out, Wont you please
throw that peddler man out of the
barn.
Certainly. 1 wiIl!'
"Here-whatcher doing?" protested the
victim.
lake yourself on
But / want to marry her
Not If he was the last man on earth"
Then you skip
You can come down now" said the
merchant as he went hunting for the
toolbox.
But I'm afraid"
In due time, which was slow time
Miss Gertrude found herself standing
on the solid floor, without the lone
egg having ever been cracked. When
she had poured out her thanks, what
could the poor girl do but offer her
aid to repair the broken buggy? This
showed thoughtfulness and considera-
tion, and her services were accepted
That wheel was fixed in about ten
minutes, and the next forty were
spent in talk as the couple sat on the
horse block. Then Mrs. Taylor came
out and invited Mr.. Pearsall to stay to
supper. and he stayed. Then Mr.. Tay-
lor showed him over the farm, and
when that exhibition had been con-
cluded the merchant and the old maid
might have been seen sitting on the
side veranda behind the honeysuckIe.
When a merchant is a hustler in
business, he can't help but hustle more
or less in social affairs. Mr.. P-ersaIl
didn't hustle in this affair quite as fast
as the peddler had. but il wasn't many
days before the fat Mrs. Rober gal
loped into her neighbor's to gasp out:
Lucy, do you know what's hap
pened?"
Lands, no."
Gertrude Hammond is going to
marry Mr.. Pearsalln'
'N-o-a, How did you find it out?"
It's all over town"
But the tin peddlerT
IF we hadn't been fools enough to
send him, the other two might have
lived and died and.never had a word
togetherw
This country was largely responsicIa