The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-11-09
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STEVE'S WEEDY EIGHTY.

cOrnnelu anywhere - no, nOG even your
own fathers field amt so clean as that,
Clarissie Wayne!
Little Crissie tossed her curls and said
she didn't care. But latter, when her
mother was talking of something else and
not noticing her, she looked across Steve's
neat eighty, and a thoroughly puzzled ex-
preston came into her willful little
face
81 don't see what has changed him sou
she thought. ''You'd never know his
house and farm to be the same ones they
were when he asked me to marry him last
spring."
But Crissie's good opinion of Steve was
to be still farther enhanced before long 1t
was at the annual county fair which came
the last week in September 1t lasted
three days and Crssie, as was her wont,
attended each day. On the second day
the premiums were awarded. 1t was on
the afternoon of this day Crissie separated
herself from her companions and made her
way alone through the big exhibition
building and down the long wing where
the farm produce was displayed. Her
father had some corn on exhibition. He
had exhibited some at the fair for the last
three years and each time he had won tlIc
first premium. He was counting upon the
blue ribbon this year also and Crissie. who
had helped him select and arrange the
corn, was counting upon his getting it too.
baskets containing the Indian corn. She
quickly spied her fathers half bushel, and
to her disappointment saw that red card
was tied to the handle instead of blue.
She instantly turned around to see where
the first premium was She soon found it.
The bit of blue pastboard was attached to
another basket far up at the other end OF
the wing, and well dressed old farmer
was leaning over the rail examining the
corn closely. She stepped up to him.
'Do on know whose corn this is sir,
that has won the first premium?' she
asked rather timidly.
The old farmer paused in his examining OF
the grain. ''Belonas to fellow named
McLean-Steve Mclean, his name is
from the south end of the county. Don't
know him myself, but he's got fine corn
whoever he is, very fine corn. They say
he's u number one young farmer-got one
of the best eighties round these parts
b'lievew
elias he?' said Crisssie, wonderngly.
Then she crept away through the crowd.
That night when Mrs. Wayne heard who
won the first premium on corn she cried Il
told YOU So louder than ever. Crissie
knit her brows.
"But mother" said she, what do you
suppose has changed Steve so? He used to
keep his farm just horrid. What do you
think has got into him?
"What do you think has got into him?'
exclaimed the mother, with aspeIity.
why, just think he s made up his mind
t. let the girls alone, an settled down to
good farming That's what l think of HIM
He's got out of the notion of the girls
Steve has,
Crissie stared thoughtfully at the floor a
moment; then shut her eyes and laughed
softly. ''I'll bet | could soon put him into
the notion of them again!' she said.
The next day was the last day Of the fair.
In the morning when Crissie was getting
reapy to go, she put on little gray silk
dress with white silk yoke and sleeves.
She had not been wearing it lately, for it
had become oldfashioned, but it was one
that Steve used to beg her to wear in
CHOSE days" Then she pulled some Of
her curs down on her forehead. This also
was oldfashoned, and she had not been
wearing them so, but Steve used to tell her
they were prettiest that way. When she
came down stairs her mother looked at her
suspiciously; then walked up to her and
shook her finger in her face. Mrs. Wayne
was large woman, and Crissie was so
seemd especially small in the
little gray silk-that it now looked as if
the mother was about to rebuke naughty
child.
''Clarissa Wayne!n said she, ''If l hear
of your maxim up with Steve Mclean
again; if hear of you bein' friendly to
him an gettin, him to runnin after you
like before just to throw him away again
l say if hear of you doin' it, you'll catch
it, Clarissy Wayne, if you are goin' on
twenty years old''
Crissie wanted to start Steve thinking of
her again, but she did not tell her mother
that she wanted to catch him to keep this
time and not to throw awy Crissie had
always liked Steve little even when she
had refused him; now, since he had be-
come number one young farmer" she
liked him altogether. When they arrived
at the fair that day and when MIR. Wayne
was tying the horses, someone in buggy
driving gray colt stopped at the hitching
rail near them. Crissie instantly recogniz
ed the gray colt. 1t was Steve's. Her
eyelashes twinkled in rapid thought.
"When he gets his horse tied he'll come
p,st herer," she said to herself, and she
loitered near the wagon till Steve should