The Prescott daily news., 1918-05-16

FSA " ANiNoeS'f
 "Mr. Valentines late" announced Esther, as Matilda came in with her hands full of arbutus. Did you see him anywhere? I'm anxious to have that blue gingham."
 Matilda, cheeks as pink as the flow CTS she carried, laughed with all the Joy Of her twenty years. "I wasn't looking for any old tin-peddler," she replied. "Not even If he is a travelling department store and bringing my dear aunt her new summer gown. I was listening to the robins and the blessed little spring peppers, and hunting for Mayfiowers. Why, auntie dear, it's sprlng-and summer is coming, and anything may happen in summer, even if you do live deep in the woods and have only one old horse to go gadding with"
 Esther caught but a part of her words. She was at the window, look ing after great automobile that was laundering madly down the narrow country road, scattering hens and dust impartislly.
 T should rather have horse than one of Those destroyers," she declared. And surely something will happen right now If 1t meets anything" Before the machine was out of sight 1t happened. Old Mir. Valentine, driv- ing his old horse and his box of ped dlerS cart up the narrow road had no chance. The horse leaped to escape the monster bearing down upon him, | but that did not save the cart from the blow. Freed from hanging splinters old Peter galloped away out of sight | and was not located for several days. l In the other direction the car raced as | madly, its drunken occupants intent only on escape from what they vaguely | realized as smash"
 When Esther and Matilda reached | the wreck they found the wagon less | damaged than had seemed possible. | Old Peter had swung 1t nightly, and | splinters and scratches were the worst of Its hurts. Not so with Mir. Valen- | tine. He lay In the road unconscious. Its his hip," said Aunt Esther, | stepping to examine his injuries. We mustn't move him. Run and telephone | for the doctor. And bring pillows when you come back. I'll watch in case anybody comes."
 Old Mir. Valentine was relic of the | past. Before the days of automobiles, | drummers and mail-order houses, he and his peddler's cart had been as reg ular. If not as frequent on these coun- try roads, as the mail stage. He was progressive, too, and carried not only the conventional kitchen ware and brOoms of the tin peddler but buttons,
 thread. cloth. ribbon; anything that
 the dwellers in the country, far from stores, might want. He was indeed, as
 Matilda had called him, travelling
 department store. Now the advent of
 automobiles owned by the farmers had | almost killed his trade, but there were
 few customers who bought from him ] fer the sake of old times. There were
 some. too, like Miss Esther who liked the cheery little old man and looked
 forward to his monthly visit.
 Now she sat with his head in her lap,
 watching the road for the doctors
 buggy.
 Broken hip" said the doctor "I
 thought it might be when Matilda
 called up. so I brought Alick along to help me move him. Run ahead and get
 the room ready. girls. This is no l l0E ri m n ntnly ypt
 off Miss Esther's fence"
 Next day, the old wagon, repaired by Allck and the doctor stood In Miss
 Esther's barn, no more helpless than
 the impatient man that lay in the | spare bed.
 Hes worryin' about his trip some thin awful" Esther contided to Ma
 tilda. q know 1t aln't good for him,
 bein so upset in his mind"
 "Tll go in and talk to him."
 Twenty minutes later she danced out | of the room. Aunt Esther, he's all
 right now. I'm going to finish the trip for him, and you must get Flora
 Whipple to come and help you do the work"
 | Matilda Peters. what are you talkin' about? And where are you goin' to get horse? And how do you know where to go? And what If you should meet drunken automobile, like he hd?"
 "rm going to take your horse, dar- ling And I've got a little brown book here that tells me just where to go. And I'm going to take my chance on a 1 dlhnken antnmohile-and eYerythinp