The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-02-24
AT THE COUNTY FAIR.

"Hello, Eph, goin' to take fust
prize on somethin' or other.at the fair
next week."
The speaker lOunged up TO the
wagon where sat Ephraim Is ggs, his
brown face matching in hue his rough
clothing, his form slouched in a lazy
stoop.
''Yeu bet" en- hatically replied
Mr.. Biggs. II ben loOkin' owe tn
~neighborhood, an low at thcr' amt
"A punkin in tn country erbout' at kin
beat mine. This yer's the Just fair
'at we've helt in C'manche County,
an / made up my mind ter take some
iust pri G er stop farmln', an the hot
weather's kinder stunted all o my
trucK 'ceptin' IN tibet little crick
corner, where my punkins were
planted; but they're whoppcrs, an
YOU may count on seem EN-"
With a $50 long, Jim" Ephraim
ehriped TO his horses, n slowly
drove down the street and out on the
broad country road.
Neither OF the speakers were aware
that Their brie, ~colloquy had had an
interesting listener, but inside the
hot little shop advertised as the Com
manche CITY Ice Cream ParlOrS,"
comfortably eating p~ale-looking
cream sat "A woman, who, after the
wagon had been started up the street,
sat gazing afr IL her face alive
with a downing idea.
A woman OF large bone aud spare
flesh she was. with "A sun tanned face,
out OF which flashed a pair OF black
eyes-not a pretty woman at all, but
yet with "A wholesome, capable air
about her.
Her Bingham s%unbonnet lay on a
chair beside her, and she had loO0s-
ened the white handke, chief about
the neck OF her dark calico dress, as
she sat resting aud RECALLING herself.
After the wagon had hnally passed
out Of sight she nodded to herself
aud s~oliloquiZed:
~ c., that's yeur way, Eph BigGs.
Yeu allays want tew tie sure Nv a
thing afore yeu go inter il. leu wuz
sure " Cilly Parsons comp'ny tibet
night fifteen years ago at the spellin'
school back in Ohio, an when ycu
wuz sure Nv it, yeu never stopped at
givin' me the tn mitten. Ie're tn
on'y man at ever treated me SO, an
7 amt likely tew fergit IL, neither. +"
She dipped the pewter spoon again
into the dish, and finished her ice
cream before she resumed her solilo-
guy:
we've sried all tn punklns in
the country, but yeu overlooked thct
little patch down on tn second river
bottom on Widder Morrison's farm,
Jest ez we've overlooked tn COZ fact
at tibet same Widdcr Morrison's no.
buddy els'n tn Mellissy Jones at yeu
snubbed onct. You've never seen my
face yIt, but eff nothiu' happens mex
week when tn fair opens, I'll show
you some Nv my %punkins, an I'll pay
of what I've been OWN yeu SO
long"
And Widow Morrison. the sole pa.
tron at that hour OF the "Parlors, "
having paid her bill from a we'll
stocked purse, tied her bonnet,
loosened her own strong team from
its post on the shad side of the
street, mounted the seat or her own
farm wagon and started home.
The day before the opening OF the
First Annual Fair OF Comanche
County was a busy one for the ex-
hibitors and the superintendeuts OF
the diyis ons.
Pri e chickans, hair work, Berk-
shire hogs, potatoes, patchwork
quill Us, sweet corn, card board air-CaS.
ties, and other exhibits crowded in
fast and were laborously entered.
Early in the day Ephraim Bigg,
drove up and stopped at the door Of
Exposition Hall, carefully unloaded
his gold n treasures-tve great pump
kins.
AS he ostentatiously lulged then
into the hall, n murmur OF prais,
spread about the room. They were
large pumpkins and no mistake, quit,
dwarlng the other specimens tina
had been entered.
''Pretfy stable. eh?" questioned
Mr.. Biggs, with a careleSsly triumph
ant air. Il reckon at I'll carry hom,
one lot Nv yeur blue ribbons
III l don't I'll eat M oil hat h,
concluded. in aburst OF confidence.
From all directions and Gistahce
wagons came down the windinI
prairie roads the next day-'athers
mothers, children. and hired hcl
bringing great laskets OF lunchco
with the intentioI OF spending
whole day.
Epnraim vent early. A number {
acquaintance were making exceed
ingly merry on the STEPS that led [
the agricu tural display