The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-02-15

young companion, accompanying them
with look of intense astonishment.
Hiram began to grow red.
"Do you RELY mean to say that I've
got something you'd rather have than
to have that squash Y'' demanded the
old man, thinking that perhaps his ears
had deceived him.
eyes, l do" said Hiram, shifting un-
easily from foot to foot.
We'll, that beats me- Something
that you vally more than that squash
What can it be? DO you mean that
old speckled rooster with the lame leg ?"
"Noln
Then you must mean that old yaller
COW with the'crumpled horn. Well, my
boy, 1 don't blame you for taking
shine to her, for she's RELY tiptop an
imal. don't want to sell her, and
would MT sell her to any one else; but
seeing you we taken such liking to her,
don't know but what ID part with her
to you, if we could agree upon the price.
Make me an offer.''
cit amt your COW that L want,
Squire, it's your daughter" said Hiram,
coming directly to the point.
"My daughter Y'' " What Maggie ?"
Yes, Maggie. love her, and want
her to be my wife. Can have her ?"
"I can't spare Maggie, Hiram. She
be keerful, be keerful, you're stepping
on the vines she helps me take care of
the squash. She helps me cover it up
cold nights so that the frost won't nip
it, and helps me keep an eye out day
times to see that no cattle don't break
in and eat it up"
But you're going to take it to the
fair in a couple of weeks, and when that
is over you will of course put it in the
cellar. You won't need Maggie to take
care of it then. Can 1 have her then ?"
CT shall need her all through the
winter to make squash pies"
swell, can have her in the spring 2"
81 shall need her in the spring to help
me plant squash-seeds. That squash
will have the whoppinest seeds you ever
set eyes on, and from them next season
I'm going to raise squash as much
whoppiner than this as this is whop-
piner than Deacon Sykes's."
Can 1 have her year from now 2"
81 shall need her a year from now
just as much as 1 do now."
"When can L have her ?"
Some time, Hiram, some time. But
In, m 1a ,Nlor Of
time. / can't spare Maggie yet a
while"
Hiram felt that it would be useless to
press his suit further, and determined to
make immediate tracks for home. He
bade the old man goodnight, and re-
fusing an invitation to re.enter the
house, took his departure.
Confound the old fellow !" he solilo-
quized as he plodded along the muddy
road. "I'd like to wiring his old neck.
He thinks more of that old squash than
he does of his daughter. should think
she would get tired of hearing him talk
SO much about it. If L were in her
place I'd buy some of that poison he
was reading about tonight and sweeten
his coffee with it, vow would Did
MT she look lovely tonight, though
All, you may bet she did And must
wait million years for her just to
please her old donkey of fatherp No,
sir! She shall be mine this very fall
But how am going to get her ?-that's
the question. 1 must study up some
| PLAN"
He fell to thinking.
Presently ne clapped his hands to.
gether, and cried jubilantly,-
81 have It'll That'll bring him to
terms if anything will I'll do it this
very night. How lucky it is that it IS
so dark and rainyl"
Early the next morning Hiram went
over to Squire Hapgood's to borrow
hoe, ignoring the fact that he had no
less than half dozen of his own. He
found the squire in high state of ex-
element. His squash had been stolen
Who had perpetrated the base deed?
The old man was confident that 1t was
Deacon Sykes
''He has stolen it so that his squash
can take the premium at the fair" he
explained.
"Well, perhaps you're right, Squire, :"
said Hiram, "and then again perhaps
you re wrong. {" 1t may be he, and it
may be somebody else It's hard tell
ing"
81 shall never see that squash again, !"
| 10000 tI,a old ,,,or