PETERSEN'S PRICE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 49, 8 December 1904, Page 24

PETERSEN'S PRICE.

Little Mrs. Hargrave, just six months married, and with all her worldly goods packed in a box-car, was moving to a small town in Michigan, to which her beloved John had already been called by business. lhi^ town, she learned on her arrival, boasted but one vehicle capable of transporting her numerous belonging •> from the station to the new home, and this rickety atlair, (drawn -by a broken-wimded horse, belonged to a (Swedish drayman named Olaf Petersen. 'Be sure,' John HaJgrave, wise in city ways, had said to his young wile at parting, 't o make your baigain beforehand with the van duver. Otheiwise he 11 probably o\eioharge you outrageously ; they always cio it cost me exactly liiteen dollars to get all our stuff from the ho,use to the car.'

' I'll do my bost,' promised Lucy

' I'm sorry 1 can't look after it for you,' said John, stoopuig to kiss her, ' but l'\e got to stay in town all day. Kemember, Liiicy, make your bargain first, and don't consent to payiiig more than fifteen dollars.'

But when inexperienced Lucy broached the subject of charges- to Olaf Petcrscn, all that stbhd Scandinavian would say was :

' Veil, I don't know, mecsis. I can't tolc yt>;i yomt vat I sohorge you until I got my yob feemsjh. 1 tele you then.'

This of course did not please Mrs. Hargra\e, but Petersen, sLohd, obstinate, and immovable, had noting more definite to oiler. As his ancient chariot was the only M.sible connecting link between the station and the Hargrave house, the young woman was obliged to make the best ot an unsatisfactory condition.

But she began to worry at once Pctcrsen's cold, light-blue eyes, as the joung woman pointed out with miuch perturbation to her mother-in-law, wore a shrewd, crafty expression , and his heavy jaw, large nose and firm mcuth were, she declared, clearly indicative of stubbornness.

How was she, a little scrap of a brown-eyed woman, afraiid of a mouse, to drive any sort of a bargain with a great burly swindler like that ? It made <her simply ill, she declared, to think of it.

The moving began. The narrow dray, far advanced in its second childhood, sloped toward the rear so much that the carrying of anyimng on casters was a precarious matter. The distance fortunately was short, a matter of less than throe blocks.

Pptersen, witih a long-legged, assistant to keep the furniture from sliding off the rear end of the slanting .dray, started in at 7 o'clock tSie morning of Mrs. Hargrave's arrival. Necessarily the loads were exceedingly small, consisting in many instances of one solitary article, siuch as a couch, a bullet, a ta>ble, or a big aimchair

'My gpodness,' exclaimed lam y, 'if that man is charging us by fc'ie load it will t?i\e a small fortlune to get that carload oC stuff moved to the house. John'll never forgive me if it costs moie than fifteen dollars ; besides, twenty is every cent I have. Oh, do you think it wUI take more than twenty ? '

1 Porlfoaps,' suggested the elder Mrs. Hargrave, 'he works by the hotir. I've never moved, so I don't know how they ligiuro.'

1 That would be even worse. That wretched old horse creeps like a rheumatic snail. At this rate it'll be midnight before he gets through. I'm having him leave everything on the gr,o.und floor, because I can't

risk delaying him a moment by having things carried upstaifrs. Hadn't I better tell him that twenty dollars is the very last cent I'll pay ? He's just making those loads small on purpose. There he comes now with John's desk ! '

'Mo,' advised the older woman, 'let Johni settle with him when it's all dono. You're no match for a great hulking pirate like that Petersen. He maide ,up Ins mind to rob you, and he'll do it ; yiou can see iti.all over ins face.' All day long, with a barely perceptible pause afr'noon the waary, shambling, short-winded horse crawled miserably baok a,n,d tor Mi with insignificant, under-sized buruens. All day long Jfetersen laboriously loaded and unloaded his groaning dray. All day long the shiftless assistant,, with his blue-overalled legs trailing in the dust, rode at the end of the vehicle to keep the lioads aboard, while Peters&n led, drove, or supported his rawboned horse. All day long Mrs. Hargrave counted the trips, marking them down on paper.

The worried young housekeeper thought that Petersen's wiorking day would end at six o'clock, but it did not. As at noon, the interval between loads was merely a trifle longer than usual.

Twilight deepened and night fell. Petersen still labored, the horse still crawled, the assistant with' Wangling legs still assisted, the dray still threatened, drop to pieces as it rattled up and down the otherwise quiet stjreet, anjd Mrs. Hargrave and her mother-ito-law still iiKtustriou'sly counted the loads.

' It'll take every cent of thirtiy-five dollars ! ' groaned Lucy at nmc o'clock, oxtricatmg a rocking-chair from the heap and dropping disconsolately into it. ' O|h, Ido wish John would come, but I know he'll just hate me when, he does ! 1 wish I wore dead ! '

1 His train won't be in for an hour yet,' said the older Mrs. Hargrave, endeavoring to conceal her own anxiety. But don'L;wa:jy, Lucy. l I can lend yo,u ten dollars if you and John together haven't enough.'

' Ten won't be a diop in the bucket ! ' groaned Mrs. Hargrayc forlornly. ' 'iwo men, a horse and a dray for fourteen hours, and the end is' not yet. He means to maTte us pay for the men and the horse at so much an hour, a,n|d for the "loads at so much a load. And look at this house ' Not a single room settled, and goodness only knows where the bedclothes are ! It's taken all my time to count tine loads.' ' Mine, too,' admitted her miotiher-in-law.

At a quarter after ten John arrived, view,ed the heaped-up furniture, heard the story, and ruefully fished a handfcul of change o,ut of his pocket. His naturally cheerful countenance had grown dismal. Lucy held her breath.

' Three dollars and forty-two cents is all I've got,' said Johin. ' I don't want to find fault, Lucy, but Id 0 think you might have made some better arrangement with the man. That shark will just s>kin us alive.'

It is probable that Lucy would have wept at that point if the shark had not staggered wearily in at the front desor with a pi-ano leg under one arm and a clothes wringer under the other. 1 Veil,' remarked the drayman, adding these articles to the already tottering heap, 4 I tank I vor all trew \it my job, tank goodness ! ' 1 Now, Mr. Petersen,' said John, putting on a bold front, ' how much do I owe you ? '

' Vel'K,' responded PcterSen,; ', it >vor ( an i ajwful ,h^,rd day's viork — yoost awful hard.' ' How niiucti,' demanded John, firmly, 4do you want "' ' 1 I york, an' my horse she's vor'k, an 1 my man she's york smce seften by the clock.'

The Hargraves waited, but Petersen's tongue was slower than his horse. 1 Well ? ', urged John, impatiently. ' 1 have v.osn man hired to hellup me all day, an' of course I have got to pay heem she's vages.'

1 1 understand,' said John

' My horse vor dead tired on sfhe's legs— -ther vas neffer before so tired as now,' continued Petersem, mildly reproachful. ' I tajik 1 have to buy hnament for she's legs.'

' That's too bad,' returned John coldly. ' I'm sorry for the horse, but we did't agree to fay damages or replenish any live stock. Now how nnucti do you want for moving that furniture ? I warn you that I won't submit to being robbed.'

' Veil,' siaM Petersen, scratching his head reflectiAely, ' I tank maybe you vas going to kick an my price, but it von't do you no goot, for I VKWi't change ,my price for nobotty. I makes my own price an' t sticks by lieem, an' 1 ,v,on't not shange, heem. Maybe you tank sihe vor too much, but I vill not—' > ' "• Hfo*vv mjuch is i>t ?, ' .demanded ■ Jjohn, Lucft and John's mother simultaneously. The strain was becoming unbearable.

' Fife dollar an' sefTenty-frfe cents altjageiflier, 1 replied Petersen firmly.—' Youth's companion.'