The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-10-28
Selected Storn.
How Stephen Lost the Prize.
A STORY FOR HALLOWEEN.

lowe'en in way that did not argue
much in favor of either culture or iu-
telligence, but when Mr.. Brown, the
new teacher, proposed to change the
programme by giving an entertainment
upon that evening, no one offered any
objections; and as there was a ten
dollar prize attached to it, every boy in
school hoped to be the owner of that
gold piece when the proper time ar
rived. The prize bad been offered by
Mr.. LenoX, a gentleman of good educa-
ton, who took great deal of interest
in the school, and it was to be given 10
the scholar writing the Rest essay on
" Halloween; its Origin and Customs"
Though there were many aspirants for
the honor, it was generally conceded
that the real battle lay between Stephen
Daniels and Gordon Armstrong. Ste
phen was the son of rich banker, and
had access to all the books he wished
to study on the subject, while Gordon
was poor boy, who paid his way by
attending to his aunt's COW and making
himself generally useful about the
house. His clothes were shabby and
much too large for him, but, regardless
of his appearance, he made good pro-
gress in his studies, and babe fair to
carry off the much-coveted prize.
About a week before the contest was
to take place, Stephen undertook TO
thwart his rivals aniicipations by play
ing practical joke. He knew that
Gordon had very little time to devote to
the subject upon which they were to
write, and determined to give him so
much to do that he could give no extra
care to the preparation of his ESSAY.
Taking Fred Marlng into his conf
dence, he led the way to the bottom
pasture where Gordon's Aunt Nancy
pastured her COW. To be sure, the
pasture was not so very luxuriant so
late in the season; but the frost had
kept off remarkably well that autumn,
and Aunt Nancy insisted that, so long
as the grass was green along the creek,
there was no use in buying feed.
Fred's father was a sign-painter, so
they were quite lucky in securing paint
to {" shine up" the COW. After the
artists had completed their work, no
one would have guessed that the sleek
brindle down in the meadow had once
been the white "mulley" of Aunt
Nancy's pride. The change was so
complete that, when Gordon went to
drive her home in the evening, he
failed to recognize old Rose in her
brand-new dress, and hurried back TO
his aunt with the information that the
cow was missing. The old lady was
not satisfied with the intelligence, and,
much out of humor, sent him back to
renew the search. Early in the morn
ing he was out securing the hills and
valleys again, for Aunt Nancy had put
veto on books and school until the
cow should be found. She censured
him severely for allowing her to escape,
and went herself to examine the flood
gates and gaps around the pasture field.
The next day was very wet, and be-
fore night it blew up cold, and a fierce
snow storm set in, so that when poor
Gordon returned at night-fall, he was
almost frozen. BY this time, Aunt
Nancy had come to the conclusion that
the COW had been driven off by some
INSCRIPTIONS drover, and that she
would never lay her eyes upon her
again. Meanwhile the owners of other
cows in the pasture had driven them to
warm stables, leaving the shivering
n
deep in the snow-drifts.
81 wonder whose COW that is" re-
marked the miller's boy, as he led bis
fathers Spot out of the bars.
Don't know" replied little Tim
Betz. She's been in here for several
days, and nobody seems to own her. |
guess the drover who took Nancy Arm
strong's COW away must have left her,
somehow"
81 guess he must have snapped ,
cows a-purpose," said the miller's boy.
I" l should not wonder if that cd brindle
gave out, ard he took Aunt Nancy's
cow instead"
Things might have remained in this
tangled condition much longer, had not
Stephens father, who was a member of
the society fighting against cruelty to
animals, undertook to investigate to
whom the stray cow belonged. He took
two or three of his neighbors with him
when he went down to the meadow to
examine the poor, half starved creature
standing so patio ntly at the bars.
"T1e COW has been into paint keg,"
said one Of the men, looking at the
stain on his hand after giving the hun
cry animal pail Of oats.
1t is Aunt Nlncy's COW, dressed up
in coat of ice Markings paint" ex-
claim6d Mr.. Daniels. "I'll warrant
his boy Fred has had hand in the mis-
chief. The roguel He ought TO be
treated to a similar coat"
"Look here!" said one of the other
men, disentangling a gold sleeve button
from confusion of hair and paint on
the cows side. " 1t is a good one, too,
with an opal setting"
"That belongs to my son Stephen"
remarked Mr.. Daniels, sternly. He
has searched the house over and over
for it, never thinking that he had left it
here to bear witness against him."
II am glad the poor woman's COW is
found, at any rate" said the man who
had made the discovery. "She is not
able to bear such a loss, and l am sure
she will be very thankful to have her
restored, paint and ALL" So the COW
was driven home and the neces sary ex-
PLANTATION given, and Mr.. Daniels did
not leave until the poor woman was
g.. IL