The Somerset reporter., 1898-09-01
PED'S RETURN.

| SllaS BugIOr0 sat In the Snade OF the
big oak that grew by the kitchen door
| He was in his shirt sleeves, and his
coarse straw hat lay on the grass at his
side
| He was leaning forward his chin
resting on his hands, his elbows upon
his knees, calmly putting short cob
pipe. Near by sat his wife, busily en-
gagged in stringing beans for dinner.
"It's bin most ten years since Ped went
away" observed Mr. Bugford, blowing
a cloud of smoke over a vagrant bum
blebee that was buzzing about a holly
hook.
"Ten years come this fall, " remarked
his wife without looking up.
"Come this corn cuttin time, cor
rected Bugford. Il reckerlect it we'll
| He went off jist when | war busiest
| cuttin corn, an had ter hire Sug John
son in his place. Sug warn't worth his
| salt, an it war clear loss Nv 80 ter
me- "
but you can't blame Ped for that, !"
said his wife.
HE might "a stayed till the corn was
cut. ="
HE lowed you wasn't treatin him
| jist right-then Ped was our only
| child. "
Il war an only child myself, COM
| planned Bugford, "an | reckon | warn t
treated any better AN Ped, but didn' t
go runnin away You remember my
daddy wouldn't hear ter our bein mar
| ried in a hizy time. Sez he ter me:
'Silas, | amt goin ter have weddin
goin on right in plowin time Wait till
the corn's laid by an then thar'll be
plenty NV time fer fixin fer the we'd
din. -
Yes" said Mrs. Bugford, IAN we
had ter wait too. My mother was sot
ag lin cur bein married right in gardenin
time She seq ter me, SEE she: Mandy,
it amt no use in talkin Nv yer bein
married this spring Sayin nothin Nv
the work that's got ter be DONE it
would be waste ter kill them chickens
till harvest, an then thar's nothin in
the garden ter make pies but pieplant
an gooseberries, an they never did agree
with me. Wait till after harvest, Man
| dy, SEE she, AN the blackberries will
all be ripe. Mother was powerful sot
az in extravaganza an believed in
| young folks mindin their parents y
$50 she did, an so did my daddy, "
said Bugford, "but things are different
now, an mebby war little hard on
Ped"
"Ped was good boy"
Eyes, but he kept goin with them
Wykoff boys when he knowed that ole
| Wykoff had treated me meaner than
| dirt, then he war forever workin with
| that fool machine idee Nv his, when he
| ort ter bin at work ON the farm. P"
He said the machine might make us
all rich if he got it fixed up right, "
suggested Mrs. Bugford.
But SIGH fool things don't ever git
fixed right, =" declared Silas, IAN l reck-
on he's found it out by this time. Ped
war good hand ter work, though,
when he did work, an mebby 1 ort ter
lowed him ter have his way about
them fool idees NV his. "
1T would have been the best thing
boys will be boys, y
80 they will, an Ped was only 10
jist when boy knows the least an
| thinks he knows the most "
| Silas arose and stood leaning against
the big oak. His wife got up and went
into the kitchen. Presently Bud White
came along the road, carrying corn
knife, and, stopping he leaned against
the fence.
He was young man of spare build,
with half inch of downy beard upon
! his freckled face.
"Pap lowed ye might want some un
ter help we cut corn" he said, after ex-
changing greetings with Silas.
II dunno jist yit, the farmer re-
Piled "I'm intendin ter commence ter
morrer mornin, though the fodder is a
little green yit My corn is later AN
yourn. -
"Yes, bout two weeks. Pap sed if
We needed any help he'd come in the
mornin."
"Waal, I'm goin ter want couple