Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-14

premium on butter, amt she? Young
Briefly is kinder sweet on her, Ell 90
At the other side of the table Tom
Briefly was whispering to Nell, $50 Isee
your rag mat took a prize. If it was for
sale | should buy it"
ooh, I'll give it to you if you want it,
Tom" said Nell.
"There's something else l wish you'd
give me instead, Nell. Have you tasted
these gillyfowers? What's the matter ?
You look pale. Any deadly secret on
your mind? Make me fatler confessor,
Nell, dol I'm afraid that it doesn't agree
with you to take premiums. I'll tell YOU
what, Nell, if you'll marry me and come
up to the Hall to live, | shall think I've
drawn the first premium in the country"
ooh, Tom" gasped Nell, under her
breath, 81 don't know what to do! I
must tell somebody! I'm almost wild!
II didn't take the premium for butter
Somebody has exchanged cards with me.
You see, I should never have found it out
but | stamped nv butter with a straw
berry: and that which took the premium
has my card attached to the box, but it's
stamped With-Well, no matter what: it's
different, that's all. 1t isn't my butter. D
els that all 90 cried Tom. "You gave
me such a start! l thought you were
going to tell me that your affections were
engaged to the Deacon, or that you'd been
changed in your cradle"
"Now, don't laugh at me, Tom.n
It's no laughing matter, | can assure
you, when fellow offers his heart and
gets nothing back"
ooh, Tom, what do you want more
than I've given you already?"
you've given me the rag mat, and
now L want you. Give some folks an
inch and they'll want Ne1."
"But what shall l do about the butter?"
"PIl tell the judges there has been a
mistake made
"And then she'll know that she has
been found out"
"And she ought to know it."
"But it'll hurt her; she'll never hold
up her head again And, don't you see,
she has been punished already"
Eyes, dare say she's heartily ashamed
of herself. Perhaps you had better let it
go, and give the money to the poorm
"But hate to take credit that doesn't
belong to me-"
However Mrs. Wheating herself came
| to the rescue. She went into the town
hall to taste the prize butter by means OF
which poor Amanda had lost her piano
"Bless my eyes" said she, chats my
Mandy's butter, if I was to die for it!
| There isn't another lot here stamped with
sheaf of wheat, and I'd take an oath
that Mandy's was, though wasn't
fetched UP to hear swearing in my fathers
house. I'll jest go and get Nell Eustis
and see if she'll own it." And of course
Nell was only too glad to resign the
| troublesome honor oftaking the premium
and the judges were informed, and it was
finally re-announced that Amanda was
the successful competitor, and nobody
dreamed how the mistake had come
| about.
"They allus muddle and mix things SO
at them fairs" explained Mrs. Wheating
| But when Amanda's father began to
talk about the piano Amanda hung fire
she wouldn't hear to tit cost too much
she hadn't any gift at music-and so the
matter dropped. But when Nell fulfilled
her dream, and married Tom and went to
live at Briefly Hail. she gave Amanda he1
secondhand piano that had cost Amanda
so much.
And, after all, Tom Briefly thinks that
it was he who took the premium at the
county fair.-HGTper'S Bazaar.