The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-01-23

Treachery at the Husking.
The corn had all been cut and pileC
away in great stacks in the huge barns
The Canadian landscape had beer
clothed several times in silvery frost
The rye was peeping up through thu
upturned fields, and the first week o
the farmers season of leisure had pass
ed. In that great stretch of level coun
try about Stratford, where farmers reaT
as rich harvests as are garnered any
where in the Dominion, programme
of fun had been prepared by the young
men and women. There were corr
huskings where red ears brought kisses.
surprise parties where nobody was sur
prised, straw rides, apple pairing parties
and gatherings where the staid cotillior
was danced to the music Of violin
The first event of the fall of 1882 was
an apple pairing. This whetted the ap
petites of the country folks, and every
body was very eager for the big corn
husking that was to bring all the beau1
and bellies into the big barn Of Farmer
Treuette. 1t was known to the young,
hard-fsted farmers that Sally Treuette,
the only daughter of the old farmer,
was to guide the course of events during
the husking, and that great many red
grains of corn had been mingled with
the white grains that had been dropped
in the corn hills in the spring. Every
red grain of corn meant an ear of the
same color, and every ear meant one
kiss to the finder, and perhaps more il
he could smuggle the ear forward again.
There was another circumstance that
added an unusual excitement in the
husking. Sally Treuette was a rosy
checked, plump, raven haired lass whose
roguish eyes had made sad havoc with
the hearts of nearly all the young men
for miles around. There was not one
of them whom she had not smiled upon
at various times, and whom she had not
snubbed numerically afterward. Red
haired Jim Radford, who owned forty
Mary's, and Owen Jones, sharp-featur-
ed Yankee, who had opened country
store near the railway station in STRAIT
ford, had each sworn in the most solemn
manner to marry Sally or prevent her
from marrying anybody else. Radford
was tall, broad shouldered, and strong
of limb, with muscles hardened by
work. Jones was tall, slim, and angu-
lar, with hectic cheeks and a sharp
cough that told of weakness and disease,
but lied every time they told it. He
was like many of the old stone houses
in the neighborhood. The more they
settled and the worse they appeared the
stronger they were. Radford was always
nervous and i'll at ease when he was in
the presence of Sally, but Owen was al,
ways able to talk streak and tell mar.
velous tales and interesting stories o1
adventure that were very entertaining
to the unsophisticated Sally. She liked
Radford for his worth and Jones fol
what he seemed to be.
The night of husking came at last.
The silver crescent of the new moon
hung in the west. The air was just
frosty enough to be invigorating. A
string of twinkling lanterns hung across
Farmer Treuette's barn yard. Lanterns
swung from rusty nails all over the in
terror of the barn. The unhusked ear:
of corn had been torn from the stalk:
and heaped in great pile in the centre
of the barn. Store boxes, upturnec
nail kegs, and rough benches formed {
circle about the pile. The old rambling
farm house hundred yards away blazec
with lights. 1t was crowded with elder
men and women preparing in bustling
garrulous way the refreshments. Sally
clad in the brightest calico purchasabl'
in Jones store, with punches of brigh
ribbon at her throat and in her hair
fitted about like speck of color in al
ocean of sombreness. Canadian farmer
always make as much noise as possible
when they are out for jollification, ane
jingling of bells, the Gathering o
wagons, and shouts from vigorous lung
made the night air culver. Young mel
and women soon appeared in the farm
yard, and peals of laughter were heart
coming from the barn. Sally shool
hands with everybody who appeared
and welcomed them all in sprightl..
fashion. Then the work began at once
for both men and women were cage
for the dancing that followed it. Rad
ford seated his big form, adjusted
hickory corn peg on his strong righ
hand, and soon a stream of glistenini
ears was flying over his left shoulder
Jones sat right opposite him, where tn
ears bulged out as if to meet him. Tn
others sat wherever they could find seats
or stood back and dragged little pile
of ears towards them. Almost the frs
ear that Jones husked was red one
He arose deliberately, walked over t
where Sally was sitting, and kissed he
before she knew what his intention
we're. She uttered little scream an
Radford half sprang from his seat.
watcher doin'?' he asked angrily
keep cam, said Jones, smilingly
'yar's red ear
Everybody laughed uproarously es
cept Radfosd. Jones had hardly seate
himself again before he found anothe
red ear, and again he kissed Sally wit
an unction that filled Radford's heal
with envy. Jones found the red cal
persistently, but nobody else succeede
in getting any, and the laugh that ha
heralded his success finally gave plae
to mutterings of discomfort.
? Look yer,' said Radford, suddenl,
) 'all those yer ears must be left whar a