Spray courier. (Spray, Or.) 1???-19??, 1915-07-08
The farmers
Daughter
BY John Y, LARNED

sSchusetts coast. drlvihH pniF VI
horsps attached to n wagon un when
/ carried my merchandise. ! stopped
AZ a farmhouse at noontime and ex'
changed some Kitchen utensils Tor
dloner The farmers wife did the
cooking. and his daughter waited ON
the table. Another stranger t'esides
myself purtook Of the mcai-a snort
thickset mun with bushy tsS,rd,
We reddlers arc usually gifted with
A good deal Of Talk. which We lind es-
seutiai In selling our goods. ratified
ON at the farmer. and. he appearing to
bs taciturn. let ny nj the stranger.
who sat opposite me. asking where ne
had come from, wher~ he was going
what business he followed and other
questions usually attributed 20 the curl
ous New EnglanGers But this idiosyn-
crasy was assumed. having been born
and bred In Maryland The truth IL
began hy asking him which way he
wss going. thinking that II his direc-
tion and mine were the sHme would
give him lift for company'S sake tie
seemed to he nverse to telling me
OF hIs movements, and ] noticed that
nj. reluctance interested the farmers
daughter, whu at the time was stand
ing behind him On her account pur'
SUED my questions TIL the man abrupt
IN arose and left the table A few
minutes after this. looking through
wipdow, l saw him riding on horse
back the same way intended TO go.
: Having finished my dinner and turn
ed over In payment to the farmers
wife w,shboard and dozen tin pie
plates. got into my wngon and drove
on. AhoG, half hour after starting
heard the soand Of horses hoofs be-
hind me aud. hooking back. saw the
farmers daughter coming She was
no intent on her own thoughts M she
passed me that she was not conscious
that l had dined at her home Her guilt
being faster than mine. l. jogging along
behind pair of horses drawing
heavy load was soon left In her rear.
Az drove on I was thinking about
the man had questioned and the girls
interest in his answers. or want OF
answers. and wondered II her coming
had anything to do with him. The
anxious LOOK on her face both In the
farmhouse and on the road cnused me
TO think that he might be bent on
something she wished he wouldn't do.
Isaw nothing more Of either Of them
during the afternoon. ! stopped al
several houses. plying my trade. and
about dark. reaching point where the
read passed within hundred feet OF
the ocean. came upon house In
which I thought ! would ask for lodg-
ing during the night But unfortn'
nateiy. 1 found It closed. was aboat
to drive on when II occurred TO me
TO see II could effect an entrance
10 the barn pulled out a rusty sta
pie. thereby opening the barn door. and.
driving mr. team In. unhitched the
honses. fed them and went to the
house
| hnd no more difficulty in getting
into the house than the barn.
! WIS awakened In the middle OF
the night hy a shot. ! listened and
hea nj another and another. the sec
ond and third seeming to come from
directly above me Then there was
another from the outside. Next
heard the so&nd Of rair OF heavy
faufs. followed By pair Of light ones.
rapidly descending siaircase from
the sctor,d floor and continuing down
infe the rel'ar Seon after this the
front door nf the house wan smashed
IN. and several men rushed into the
raom where lay and flashed bulls
ere on mr. fare
"Ey thnnterr' exclaimed one Of
Them. "If II isn't thar confounded
Yankee peGdlr"'
recugnizey, the voice Of the man
bsd questioned NJ cio~9y at dinner
tine previous day.
Are yon one Of the gang" be
asked
Whist gang7"
lie told me that smuggling Ind been
HtlDX IN HI htfbIF lb'ilt Uetf "hViC We
were. and they had Iorafeti II In the
hotise we were In told him how
happened 10 hp there and he believed
re Then hp explained 10 me TINT my
Guestioas Ind annoyed him befilIEe
no wished tn keep the object OF his
presence IN the neighFnr'Iood n secret
Then II occurred to me That the fnrIn-
ars daughter was interested In the
snngglers. mad suspected thu mans or
rand and had ridden on ~ warn them
hnrr!pdIy told him NJ my having
tlrard foot4trt,s going d"wnstalrs-~and
the pa.ty r';shc'l fn the collar expect
iay to iird her Gnhrry
We fonHd a lot ~ goW's. hiit no tlv-
,,ig pervor Op>-l'ng door. we stood
N tunnel whitl W., foi'nwpd and
~ ,sp to- rrcea4 In ihr rorss on the
rit,rp Hen riflx The e,:iuA nf ears. W.
grew thni tap siunggl+rs hh'. es"" ped.
snid y";..irg ~ nv s'isiitfi"n of the
ear:ners dlHug'i'pr. si,u'si | h"i rn wish
10 lmIiif.i... hpr The nrXt time
Repl her WV I s'npI,ed +t+i told her
that wrs n the house w',t:' ~" rave-
h:yp .,.rccrs had atta"krd u After |
e.yt won hpr cnneGrrn'. ~i'" iol,i me
t.:gt rt@rs 'rrs but 81" sr'',gEIet. ler
hi;~ilAt,8. at,i owin; g., giv iuqnirins of
tll, n.sa ~. Ind xsr'-,d ~ ''irnar size