Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-04-12
A BRIDE CONTEST.

Had the man from Raccoon valley
dropped q dynamite she'll in the redhot
stove. he could not have surprised the
store MORE than he did by the purchase
of three glass pitchers. The store was
dumfounded. but. always slow to evince
emotion Of any kind. IL said nothing
until the stranger had taken u chair.
placed his basketful Of glassware at his
feet. lighted penny cigar and shown
his intention to linger awhile, provid-
ing he found things pleasant.
Then the man with the bushy whis.
kers who was lolling on the counter
shufiled his feet in warning and ut
length said, II low you must drink
heap Of water up your way
The s,orekecpcr strolled around from
behind the counter and, taking post
with his back To the stove and his eyes
fastened on the transom over the front
door. ven,ured in an indifferent way,
"Yes. you must drink heap Of wotter
TO buy dollar an q half worth o
pitchers at ouct. F."
The stranger grinned again.
Perhaps he don drink only water,
came from the man who was rocking on
a nail key behind the stove.
They hahn fer woiter, but fer wed
din presents" said the stranger.
Mighty souls a triple weddin'
cried the sforekeper We'll, you uns
w mp in Raccoon valley do beat all!
This here petite lar instance do beat
oil. | admit, said the man who hailed
from that small but important part Of
the state of Pennsylvania. THE blue
pitchers fer Teacher Perry, the green
nn fer .lakey Wingle, old Jawhn Win
giles son the plain IN $ fer Hen Har-
mon
And the store lifted up its voice in
one grand Mighty soulsi'
The stranger rubbed his hand through
his long beard and grinned again.
Its nine mile to Raccoon valley.
It's kinder an outen the way. abint the
time sort o. placet. an I've never ben
there an don't know them rs You un
has spoken Of - said the man on the
counter. But you mowt tell Us Of il. "
"Gwon :" cried the rest Of the gath.
ering.
II low IL you don't know Teacher
Perry. or Jawhn Wingle's son Jakey.
or Hen Harmon. you uns mowt o beard
o. Squire Kramer. amt you:'
The store had not. and the stranger
said, mighty soulsl"
Having thus expressed his surprise M
the ignorance about him, he continued:
well, not hevin heard o Squire IRA
mer. o. course you uus hahn heard o
his twins. Flory an Pet. Them was
girls The pretties' IN Raccoon valley.
or any other valley. fer that natter
II year old, feet inch high, weighin
a scant hundred an twelve pound, slim,
yelier hair. musklar. He'd ! ben II
younger man | might o gone in the
tigh, with Teacher Perry. Jakey Wingle
an Hen Harmon, but gettin near to 30
as am. with n missus and seven lit
tie uns ut home, lef the feel to them,
an high time they Nh them twins he'd
o. it. Ii was case o the three o 'em
courtin the two o. 'em. fer II Teacher
Perry. or Jake Wingle, Jawhn Wingle's
son. or Hen Harmon went over to
Kramer he never set up with any
pete lar twin, but with whichever he
seen first
About corn cuttin time Teacher Per
~ goes over to Squire kramer's. an he
sails. sails be. Squire. ! want one O.
your twin dotters
Which UNI sails the squire.
1--we no idee. sails Teacher Perry.
scratchin his bead. kinder puzzled like,
".Iest then up comes Hen Harmon an
Jake Wingle, Jawhn Wingle's son.
Squire, sails Jake, kinder flustered
like, fer fear the teacher he'd got ahead
o. him, me an Hen each wants one o
EN- twins.
Squire Kramer. he thot piece, an
then sails, sails he: Boys, they's three
o. you uns All two o. the twins. One o
you uns has got to git left. Which un!
The three o. EN- kind o looked fool
ish like, an Squire Kramer cast his eye
down over his 20 acre feel O tall, straight
corn
Which UNI he asked ag' in after q
bit
"Gittin no answer, he says: See
yander feel o. corn? Well, III tell you
what we'll do Well decide this here
matter by corn cuttin tournyment.
The two fellers tibet cuts the most corn
in two hours time kin have the twins.
The one Teller that cuts the most kin
hev the first pick atween Flory an Pet. ,
AN SO they agreed.
well, sirs. tibet there corn cuttin
tournyment was the grandest thing l
ever seen. All the folks in the valley
knowed O. il an come to look on. There
was fully 80 buggies hitched along the
fence when tho squire give the word an
Teacher Perry an Jake Wingle an Hen
Harmon fell TO cuttin. Have seen q
heap O corn cut in my day, but l never
seen the beat O. the way them boys
made the knives 60 rlaghin th'oo the
stalks. Each on 'em he'd felier follyin
him with a couple o fresh knives, an
ND in one corner o. the feel the squire's
hirelin's was a-buzZin the grindstone
sharpin blades The corn seemed to fall
down, blade after blade like, an what
with the swish o. the knives an the
crack, crack o. the stalks an the yellin
o. the Raccoon valley folks a-sickin on
the teacher an Jake Wingle an Hen Har-
mon it was most excitin. They took six
rows apiecet at q time, an it weren't
long before Teacher Perry, who's most
as good corn cutter as he Is speller,
got shock ahead O. the others Then
he slashed his leg an lost three shocks
while it was bein tied up. Jake Wingle
won the lead. an he'd a kept it, too,
only be got one hand mixed up in the
leaves an took of two fingers. That
tn owed him ahint SO fer tibet when
time was called he was full eight shock
short O. the teacher. who come in Sec
ond.
"You should a heard the cheerin
when young Harmon stuck bis knife
inter pumpkin an walked up to where
the squire an Flory an Pet was standin.
"Well, Hen. says the squire. nnil.
in, which un does you want?
Thet kinder stumped Hen Harmon.
He looked at Flory. then at Pet. then at
Flory ag'in.
!, "'Wby, hain't tho't o. tibet. he
sails, sails be. Really, ] hain't an idee.