The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-10-21

"Henery didn't answer i'm. Not be-
cause e didn't want to, mind you, but
because he couldn't.
"Come along, Henery.' ses Bill
Chambers, bursting, come and get
something to take the taste out OF
your mouth
I'm sorry l can't offer you a flower
for your button-'ole.' ses Bob. perlite-
ly, but it's getting SO near the flower
show now l can't afford it. II you
chaps only knew wot pleasure was to
be 'ad sitting among your inherent
flowers, you wouldn't want to 60 to
the public house so often
bill Chambers did a bit o. thinking
as they walked up the road, and by
and by e turns to Joe Gubbins and
e ses:
"'Seen anything O. George English
lately. Joe?
Yes ses Joe.
Seems to me we all ave. ses Sam
Jones.
None of 'em liked to say wot was
in their minds. 'aving all seen George
English and swore pretty strong not
to tell his secret, and none of 'em
liking to own up that they'd been dig
ging up their gardens to get money
as ed told 'em about. But presently
Bill Chambers ses:
Without telling no secrets or
breaking no promises, Joe, supposing
certain 'ous was mentioned in
certain letter from forrin parts. wot
'Ouse was it,"
Surprising 1t was so.' ses Joe.
careful, too; the second 'ouse count
ing from the Cauliflower.'
1.-The ninth 'ouse, you mean,' ses
Henery Walker, sharply.
Second 'ouse in Mill Lane, you
mean ses Sam Jones, wot lived there.
Then they all see 'ow they'd been
done, and that they wasn't. in a man.
ner O. speaking, referring to the same
letter.
while they was talking who should
come along but George English his
self!
Evening" he ses, but none of 'em
answered i'm; they all looked at Hen
cry to see wot e was going to say.
"'Wot's up?' SEES George. in sur
prise.
Gardens ses Henery.
$50 I've card ses George.
"He shook is cad and looked at
them sorrowful and severe at the
same time.
Mark my words, ses George Eng
lish, speaking very slow and solemn,
'therell be no blessing on it. Whoever's
made is fortune by getting up and
digging is garden over won't get no
real benefit from it. He may wear a
black coat and new trousers on Sun
day, but e won't be Apply. I'll 60 and
get my little taste O. beer somewhere
else,' e ses. 4 can't breathe here
He walked of before any one could
say a word; Bill Chambers dropped is
pipe and smashed it, Henry Walker
sat staring after i'm with is mouth
wide open. and Sam Jones, who was
always one to take advantage, drank
is own beer under the firm belief that
it was Joe's.
81 shall take care that Mrs. Paw
lett ears O. this ses Henery, at last.
land be asked wot you dug your
garden up for ses Joe, and ave to ex-
plain that you broke your promise to
George. Why, she'd talk at US for
years and years
".And parson nd preach a sermon
about it, ses Sam; where's your
sense, Henery?'
1--WE should be the larfing stock
for miles round ses Bill Chambers.
If anybody wants to know, l dug my
garden up to enrich the soil for next
year, and also to give some other chap
a chance of the prize
Mrs. Pawlett and the parson came
'ome next day. an 'er voice got that
squeaky with surprise it was painful
to listen to her. All the chaps stuck
to the tale that they'd dug their gar
| den up to give the others a chance,
and Henery Walker, e went further
and said it was owing to a sermon on
| unselfishness wot the curate 'ad
preached three weeks afOre. He 'ad
nice little red-covered 'ymn-book
the next day with From a Friend
wrote in it.
''All the gardens but one was worse
than Bob's The only better garden
was Ralph Thomson's, who lived next
door to i'm, but two nights afore the
flower show is pig got walking in its
sleep. Ralph said it was mystery
to i'm 'ow the pig could ha' got out;
it must ha' put it's foot through a
hole too small for it, and turned the
over a fOur-foot fence. He told Bob
e wished the pig could speak, but Bob
| said that that was sinful and unchris.
tian of i'm.
There was quite crowd on flower
show day following the judges. First
of all, to Bill Chambers astonish-
/ ment and surprise, they went to is
place and stood on the 'eaps in is
garden judging 'em, while Bill peeped
| at 'em through the kitchen winder
arf crazy. They went to every gar
den in the place. until one of the
young ladies got tired of it, and asked
Mrs Pawlett whether they was there
to Judge cottage gardens or earth
| quakes.
Everybody 'eld their breaths that
evening in the schoolroom when Mrs.
Pawlett got up on the platform and
| took a slip of paper from one Of the
| judges. Then Mrs. Pawlett put 'er
glasses on her nose and just read out.
short and sweet, that the prize of