Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-03-14

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was corning, 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, [ called here to-
night to"
"To see that squash. Yes, / know
you did. / was intending all along to
show it to you, but 1 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. |
didn't come here tonight to see that
squash. [ won't put you to the trou-
bIe."
"No trouble at all. I'd as soon
accommodate you as not. Maggie, my
hat"
"But, squire, it's darker than Egypt
out"
Maggie, my lantern.
"And it rains, TOO. [ 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.
Sc 1t has grown wonderfully since you
were here last; don't you think SO ?" said
| the squire, as they came to pause beside
the mammoth vegetable.
"Shouldn't have known it was the
same squash" said Hiram, unblusn-
ingly.
"Come around and take look at il
from this side. Jerusha amt it mon
ster, though ?"
"You bet y
"Deacon Sykes thinks he's going to
take the first premium on squashes this
year, but he will find himself most
nightly mistaken"
"That he Will.
6 His squash ain t nowhere near as big
as this.
"Of course not.
"Just look at that stem, Hiram.
There's a stem for you =
e" should say so.
"And just look at them vines. Did
you ever see the like ?"
"No, never"
"They are as big as a hoe-handle."
"Full as big.
"What a 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"
81 suppose So"
GA hundred dollars would not be no
sort of temptation"
No, 1 suppose not. -
"phere amt man IN town that don't
| covet that squash.
:" believe you"
you yourself would like to own it;
now wouldn't you, Hiram ?"
"Of course / should, squire, but
you've got something else I'd much
rather have than that squash"
Squire Hapgoed flashed the rays of
his old TIN lantern full in the face OF his
young companion, accompanying them
with look of intense aston1shment.
Hiram began to grow red
"Do you really mean to say that I've
got something you'd rather have than to
have that squash ?" demanded the old
man, thinking that perhaps his ears had
deceived him.
eyes, l do" said Hiram shifting I'M
easily from foot to foot
"Well, 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 Lego"
emo"
Then you must mean that old yaller
COW with the crumpled horn. Well, my
boy, don't blame you for taking shine
to her, for she's tiptop animal. don't
want to sell her. and wouldn't sell heI to
any one else, but seeing you've taken
such liking to her, [ don't know but
what I'd part with her TO you, if we can
only agree upon the price. Make me an
offer.
" 1t amt your COW that want, squire,
it's your daughter" said Hiram, coming
directly to the point.
"My daughter ? What Maggie %
{" Yes, Maggie. love her, and want
her to be my wife. Can I have her ?"
60 can't spare Maggie, Hiram. She
be keerful, be keerful, you're stepping
on the vines-she helps me to take care
of the squash. She helps me cover it
up cold nights so that the frost won't nip
it, and helps me to 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 couple Of weeks, and when that
is over you will of course put it In the
cellar. You wo t need Maggie to take
care of it then. Can I have her then ?"
Sc l shall need her all through the win
ter to make squash pies"
"Well, can have her In the spring 2"
Il shall need her in the spring to help
me plant squash seeds. That squash
will have the whoppinest seeds you ever
set eyes on, ard from them next season
am going to raise squash as much
whoppiner than this as this is whopp1ner
than Deacon Sykes"
Can I have her in year from
now ?"
81 shall need her in year from now
| just as much as / do now"
fWhen can ] have her?"
| /" Some time, Hiram, some time. But
don't be in hurry. There is plenty of
time. l cannot spare Maggie yet
awhile.
Hiram felt that it would be useless to
urge his suit farther, and determined to
| make Immediate tracks for homo Ho