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

of killing squash bugs was quite lengthy.
1t took the squire full half-hour to read
1t. When he reached the end he turned
to his visitor, and exclaimed,-
Now, what do you think o. that,
Hlram?"
Alas, poor Hiram He knew not
what to say. He had not been listening
to the article: he had been watching his
sweetheart pare apples. But the old
mans eyes were upon him, and he had
to say something.
" 1 think that-that"-h stammered,
81 think that-that it's all MOON
shine! ~ he ended, becoming desperate
anda little angry.
Without knowing it, he had hit the
nail squarely upon the head.
Squire Hapgood struck his knee em-
phatically with his hand.
You're right, Hiram" he cried ap-
provingly. you've got some sense
about you, you have! It's all MOON
shine The idee of putting pison on
the~ines to kill the bugs Why, it would
kill the vines, too. Any fool ought to
know that. That editor is donkey
I'll write to him tomorrow to stop my
paper go in for the old-fashioned way
of killing squash-bugs, do. Just catch
'em and mash their heads with a stone,
that's the way to kill squash-bugs !"
"That's so ~ cried Hiram, recovering
his self-possession, and winking, unper-
ceived by the old man, at Maggie.
Squire Hapgood laid down his paper,
and showed his chair back from the fire.
Hiram knew by sad experience what
was coming, and determined to make an
effort to prevent it by unfolding at once
the object of his visit. He hemmed two
or three times, and began,-
esquire Hapgood, l called here to-
night to"-
"To see that squash. Yes, L know
you did. I was intending all along to
show it to you, but thought you'd like
to hear me read that piece first. Maggie,
my boots,' and the old man nimbly
kicked off his slippers.
"Don't put on your boots squire. 1
didn't come here tonight to see that
squash. 1 won't put you to the trou-
ble''-
No trouble at all. I'd as soon ac-
commodate you as not. Maggie, my
hat.'
"But, squire, it's darker than Egypt
out.''
Maggie, my lantern.''
"And it rains, too. 1 can hear it beat
against the window"
Maggie, my umbrella.
Hiram groaned, and gave up the con-
test at once.
"Come along, Hiram" and out into
the garden they went
"It's grown wonderfully since you
were here last: don't you think so?"
said the squire, as they came to pause
beside the mammoth vegetable.
"Should MT have known it was the
same squash" said Hiram unblushingly.
"Ceme around and take look at it
from this side. Jerushal amt it
monster, though" ?"
"You bet !"
Deacon Sykes thinks he's going to
take the first premium on squashes this
year, but he'll find himself most nightly
mistaken"
That he will"
ellis squash amt nowhere near as
big as this"
"Of course not"
"Just look at that stem, Hiram.
There's stem for you'll"
II should say So"
"And just look at them vines. Did
you ever see the like ?"
mo, never"
They're as big as hoe.handle."
Full as big"
What lovely color it's got"
Well, you re right"
." tell you, Hiram, it would take a
heap of money to buy that squash of
me.''
" suppose so."
"a hundred dollars would MT be no
sort of a temptation"
mo, suppose not"
"There amt man in the town that
don't covet that squash"
'I believe you"
"You yourself would like to own it !;
now wouldn't you, Hiram"
"Of course l should, squire, but
you've got something else that I'd much
rather have than that squash"
Squire Hapgood flashed the rays of his