The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-10-06
JOE AND SUSIE.

'u' 'hVS pdSSeu I'LL
I'll spelliDg-schoOl was held in the
little scbool-house at the crossroads
Then 1t so happened that Joe and Susie
We're appointed to ''choose Sides" and
1t so happened again that they were
the last two on their feet. Everybody
else had gone down on the hard words,
ana OF the two Joe was accounted the
better speller. The chances were
seven to three that he would spell
Susie down and take the prize. but he
sadly disappointed his friends. When
the teacher gave out the word "he-
men-dous," Joe hesitated, colored up
and glanced at Susie. Then his adher-
entS saw resolve in his face. No
young man would lose the prize at a
spelling-school to a young woman un-
less he loved her. His resolve was to
lose it. All knew 1t before he spelled
the word "tre-men- -dious" and then sat
down and left her victorious. That
settled 1t with everybody. Susie was
Ioe's best girl, and it was certain to be
match.
Joe Beardsley was a young farmer
twenty-five years old, and Susie Moore
was two years younger and the daugh-
ter of farmer. Their families lived
mile apart, and both We're only
children. When there is n case of
love in the country it is case for
gossip. The Beardsleys had no objec-
tons to marriage, and the Moores
came to the conclusion that Susie
couldn't have done better. For four or
five months the course of true love
ran smooth. On each Sunday and
Wednesday evening the parlor at
Moores was given up to Joe and
Susie, and the three or four other
young farmers who had been spook-
ing about for year or more gradually
hauled off and left the field to Joe.
There was an engagement, and Joes
father had begun to talk about divil-
ing the farm and giving the boy
start. and Susie's mother had decided
on the feather bed and the quantity
of dishes and carpet rags she could
spare, when the patent-churn man put
in an appearance. From time imme-
mortal the ReardSleys and the Moores
had used crock with a wooden
dasher in it, and the women folks had
handled the dasher. The very idea of
change had been looked upon as sacri-
iege. This patent-churn man would
have been as coldly greeted as the
score before him had he not been
student of human nature. Before lie
could De rebuffed he said,-
- amt trying to sell patent churns
this week; I'm just riding around on
D vacation. Seems to me them Moores
are putting ON heap of style for these
hard times. l heard they'd bought a
twenty-five dollar music-box."
"You don't say" gasped Mrs.
Beardsley. why, they amt no rich
er'n we be, and we can't afford no sich
jimcracks."
Some folks are bound to fling on
style whether they can pay for 1t or
not" said the agent, and it wasn't
half an hour before he had sold one
of his patent churns
IF they kin buy a music-box we kin
buy n churn," said Mrs. Beardsley,
with toss of her head. Il amt a
person as cares fur style, but nobody
in this nayburhood is goin' to crow
over mel!
That was the beginning. AS a mat
ter-of-fact, the music-box had only
been left on trial, but as soon as Mrs.
Moore heard what Mrs. Beardsley had
said she set her jaw and replied
I'VE don't need a music-box any
more'n a dog needs two tails, but If
some folks kin buy patent churns and
hold their heads in the air, other folks
can buy music-boxes and hold their
heads still higherv'
1t wasn't week before the Moores
and Beardsleys were passing each
others farms with their eyes looking
straight ahead and their faces set, and
the farmers up and down the road
for i've miles were taking sides. The
news Of the rupture spread rapidly,
and 1t wasn't long before the wind
mill man, the sewing-machine agent,
and various agents for various other
things were taking advantage of it.
The Beardsleys bought windmill,
and the Moores bought a sewing-ma-
chine as an Offset. The Beardsleys
bought mile Of wire fencing, and the
Moores painted their horse barn a
bright red. Mrs. Beardsley got a new
ingram carpet for her parlor, and Mrs.
Moore bought four cane-seat chairs
and two china vases for hers. The
Beardsleys had lightning-rod put on
their barn, and the Moores bought q
sky-blue pump for the family we'll.
Both Joe and Susie protested
against the rivalry when 1t started,
and both solemnly vowed they would
not be drawn into it. and it should
make no difference with their feel.
ings; but it wasn't a month before the
break came. They felt they had to
quarrel, and yet both regretted it.
When Joe's mother heard of the break
she said,-
I'm jest glad Of 1t! I've knowed
Susie Moore ever since she could
squall, and she amt no catch fur any
body. She's that shiftless that she