Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-10-21

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What did she see2 Crows laztly flap
ping their wings in the infinite cxpanSe
of blue which stretched away toward
the velvety green meadow. There was
no lack of harmony in this, for in nature
all colors meet kindly. A brook was
slowly winding its way, and the slender
leaves of the cat-tails stirred slightly in
response to the softly whispering breeze.
crows, and iLeir melancholy "caw,
caw," fell like words of reproach on her
ear. She wished the day had not been
so fine; we like company in misery even
though it be only the weather.
=
Silas stood in the wee patch of ground
that he called his garden, slowly de-
ciphering paragraph in the weekly
paper published that day. 1t was the
the report Of prizes awarded at the fair
"Silver medal to Silas Brown for rails
ing the largest pumpkin"
A bright pink sunbonuet appeared
over the garden fence, and beneath this
was very woful face. This time Susy
clambered over.
"Oh, Silas," she sobbed, 81 changed
the pumpkins, and-and-the medal
really belongs to you. 1t hasn't come
yet, but I'll bring it over when it does"
Silas stood still and blinked at her in
amazement. He could only show a
All the land seemed lazily happy like
herself, but she had something to think
over" and the leaves, the brook, the
breeze existed in blissful unconscious
ness of the fact that Silas Browns pump
kin was one-eighth of an inch larger
than Susy Green's. To be sure, hers
was of slightly richer gold and would
make much nicer pies, according to
several predictions, but the announce
ment of prizes at the County Fair read;
"5ilver medal to be awarded to the boy
or girl raising the pumpkin which meas
ures the most about its largest circum
ference" For more than week these
little neighbors had been rivals in a hot
contest, however, for the pumpkins had
taken their rate of growing into their
own hands, metaphorically speaking.
And now into Susy's mind came a
dreadful thought which formed itself
into a resolution. What prompted her
to make it is still a mystery to herself
as well as to her friends, for in spite of
her pranks she had always been as hon
est as her wide-apart brown eyes indi-
Gated. What she decided to do shall
be seen later.
The next morning Susy was up bright
and early, and as she passed the wire
gate the pink and white flowers nodded
their pretty heads at her, and the spar
rows twittered blythe "good morn
ing" She did not notice these gentle
greetings, but angrily drove away fat
humble bee in his handsome yellow and
black "blazer" who was advancing for
a friendly chat and "dish of gossip"
and went on to the place where her
splendid pumpkin lay in state, crowned
with a wreath Of prickly leaves. How
eagerly she encircled it with the tape
line she had brought in her pocket.
But now she discovered why her treas.
ure had worn so firm an expression upon
its beaming counteuauca the day before;
it had probably been refusing, after its
fashion, to increase by the eighth of 40
inch. With sigh she went into break
fast, trying hard not to let her good
feelings conquer her renewed resolution.
An hour later she walked briskly
down the gravel path to the front gate,
her pumpkin claSped tight in her short
arms, which could hardly reach around |
it. Would those fingers have met had |
there been one-eighth of an inch farther
to goO Aud she stopped, seeing Silas
ready to start for the far, with his
pumpkin, conspicuOusly marked "S.
B. ,"in little cart.
''Put yours in too, susy," he called
out. "There's room for bo;h."
"No, thank you," she replied
haughtily, starting away, 81 prefer to
carry my own. By the way" turning
back, "Jerry Dale'S COW is in your gar
den, Silas; noticed it as came past"
As Silas's heavy soles fell alternately
with dull thuds growing fainter in the
distance, Susy crept cautiously to the
cart, and by the time that Jerry Dale
had been seen marching down the street
behind his cart and Silas was back, the
two pumpkins had exchanged places.
How was it that in her hurry Susy had
forgotten the "S. G." carved near the
stem of her owni
silas ignored Susy's distant manner
and shuffled his feet along with remark
able rapidity until he had caught up
with her. For several minutes they
walked together in silence. Silas's face
had somewhat more expression than
usual; the light of triumph shone in his
eve, for he was quite sure that his pump.
kin would take the prize. No other
boy or girl in the village had been able
to raise such splendid ones as he and
susy, and now that his was ahead Of
hers, he felt quite contented. But there
was a shade Of compassion on his