Old Caravan Days

and, if he offered any harm, pour coals of fire upon his head in a literal sense. But she did not feel able to stand by. Robert, on the other

enough to convince any one that he was a

nd bashful eyes, and while the top of his head was quite bald, he had a half-circle of fuzz extending around his face from ear to ear. He wore a roundabout and trousers, and shoes with

gett. "What ails the creature? Wh

nasal sing-song, as if he were

tthews i

is my

is my dwel

is my ex

removing her glasses, as sh

laugh aloud, and after looking towards her, the man laughed

ough of a scare with your gruntin' and you

and began to groan over it again. He was as shapeless and clumsy as a bear

ett. "Can't you tell how you came

had packed the stanza into shape betwee

lar for fu

I met my

footing an

shin and spr

ed Grandma Padgett with contempt.

Mr. Ma

born in a

peak excep

Bobaday, rubbing his ow

t to do for him I don't know. We've nothing to e

d at her smilingly

art that d

er for e

fee, also t

akes, bread

ch corn an

es me to f

me half a d

when I coo

d eggs I

hout woul

down to coo

w good a

said Grandma Padgett indulgently. "But talkin' of such thing

about pocket, Mr. Matthews lif

s' cart stand

u step out an

o and Irish

ham and the b

d butter for t

t, but give

ed Bobaday, reaching for the key whic

ds and patent medicines, snugly packed in the vehicle which he was in the habit of pushing before him. There were even candles. Grandma Padgett lighted one, and stuck it in an empty liniment bottle. Then

tween them and the pedlerman. He divided his attention betwixt eating and chanting rhymes, interspersing both with furtive laughs, into which he tried to draw the children. Grandma Padgett overawed him; but he evidently felt on a level with aunt Corinne and her nephew. In his foolish red face there struggled a recollection of having gone fishing, or played marbl

to a frien

nd says,

ot cup o

have y

sleep until she knew what other c

d searched echoing dusty rooms where rats or

g the cushions and shawls up, and see if we can get a wink of sleep. It ain't a cold night, and we're dry now. You can sleep by the fireplace down-stairs," sh

pondering a new rhyme about Grandma Padgett. But the

ed the pedler to take possession of the lower room and ma

e grandmother. "I can't spare things from the chi

art, it has

e both for cup

Mr. Ma

gett. "If you could pull a whole furnished ho

in over the low sill. They then bolted the doo

ma Padgett's grown-up strength of mind failed to restrain him from acting the horse. He neighed, and rattled the cart wildly over the empty room. Now he ran away and pretended to kick everything to pieces; a

't as bad as you let on,"

reminded Mr. Matthews to doubl

d like a narrow, high green box on wheels. The pedler blocked the wheels behind, and propped th

owl of the air," sa

d Bobaday, as they re-ascended the stairs

said aunt Corinne. "He ain't like t

was going in the

uncertain, the Dutch landlord knocked at the outer door for his fee. He seemed not at all surpris

ing her spectacles glitter at the landlord, "gettin' through the creek that

the landlord. "T

nd two children to such an em

: J. D. MATTH

his abundant charge into his pocket. "Chay-Te, he always stops her

t will count up more to his credit than if he was an ex

he Dutch landlord comfortably, untouche

placid in her mind until the we

he kettles in travelling order afterwards. He had a great many housewifely ways, and his tidiness was a satisfaction to Grandma Padgett. The breakfast was excellent, but Corinne and Bobaday on

Susan House, and he pushe

nt Corinne, "because we did have a g

ed Bobaday. "The next people that come along will never kn

o make the pedler take pay for the food her family ate. He

claimed impatiently. "We owe

dozen kittles," mu

money? The landlord wa

left her, still stretching her hand out, and rattled his cart u

chanted J. D. Matthews, i

ood butter

kind, so i

e comes I w

cart like a hailstorm before him,

inne, "and he hardly limps a bit. I

I'd rather feel in debt to that kind, simple soul than to many another. Why didn't we ask him if he saw Z

e time. What fun he must have if he wants to stay in the woods all night. I expect if he wanted to hide he could creep into that cart and stretch out, w

replied, driving resolutely