Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-10-12
Scarecrows
The Last One Saved the
Corn and Won = Bride
By GEORGE r. WARDEN
Copyright. 1909. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
BY GEORGE R. WARDEN

The woman who sat on the door,
steps Of her little house. situated IN
the midst Of about three acres Of land.
was crippled with rheumatism, and
though she had white rag tied to the
end Of q crutch and was waving 1t at
half a dozen crows sitting on the fence
they seemed to regard her with con-
tempt. Presently they dropped down
into the field and began to scratch.
The rag was waved and the woman
shouted. and voice at her gate asked ::
as anything wrong with you?"
A girl Of eighteen had left the big
farmhouse on the hill, half mile
away. for Il walk, and as she neared
| the cottage the shouts Of the woman
and the cawing Of the crows had at
tracted her attention.
"Yes. there's lots wrong" replied the
woman. THE crows are scratching UP
the sweet corn planted last week"
The girl entered the gate and picked
up a stick and advanced upon the
crows with "S-h-o-ow and they took
to fight. Then she sat down beside
the woman.
Pm from Jasper's," said the girl
Mrs. Jasper is my sister, and l am
there on visit. passed here yester-
day and was wondering who lived
here"
'Its me that has lived here all alone
for the last five years. child. I'm
widow. The rheumatism came on me
two years ago and now l can hardly
walk. The crows have scratched up
most all I've planted this spring. I'm
waiting for Farmer johnson to come
along and set up a scarecrow for me"
But ] can help you. You stuff old
clothes with straw and make them
look like man."
"Bless you. dear! 1t will be the saw
ing Of my corn. You'll find trousers
and coat and hat hanging up in the
shed. got them out the other day."
An hour later the scare" was set up
on the corn ground. and there were
dismal lamentations from the crows as
they sought other fields. They had
bluffed and robbed poor rheumatic
widow. but when it came to man
stick in his hands to represent a gun
they realized that times had changed.
That was May Kelly's first visit to
the Widow Hampstead. but after that
scarcely day passed that she did not
run in with gift Of some sort and to
see that the scarecrow was attending
to business. One afternoon as the cou.
pie sat on the step and the girl was
telling the woman Of her home In the
city tramp came along the road. He
may not have been hungry enough for
food, but he did want a new outfit Of
clothing. He caught sight Of the scare
crow, and his hopes rose. He was no
crow to be fooled with straw stuffed
man. He saw the women, but he
climbed the fence and shouldered the
"scare" and walked away with it.
LET that alone! You shan't take It."
called the girl.
"Beg pardon. ladies'" replied the
tramp. with a bow and scrape, 'but
you do not understand the situation.
am invited to attend wedding in the
next town, and I've got to have suit
to wear. This isn't as good one as
could wish for. but I'll have to make 1t
do"
"It's stealing, and you can be arrest
ed" threatened the girl.
And If I'm to be arrested l must
have q suit that is decent to 60 before
the judge. l amt Dragging on my
looks right this minute. but If you see
me half an hour later you'll take me
for broker going to business"
"And now the crowsw sighed the
widow as the tramp walked of.
"And the scare was such beautiful
objectw added the girl. when we sat
here looking at him l almost felt that
he could talk to US. You've got anoth-
er old hat and ragged blanket in the
shed. but Ill have to bring something
from the house."
Half an hour passed when crow
was sighted. The absence Of the
"scare" had been noticed. The one
crow became five-ten-twenty. They
sat or the fence and held caucus.
They determined to despoil that widow
of her last grain Of corn. Miss May
threw sticks and stones, but Of course
they laughed at her. All crows laugh
when they see girl throwing. The
widow found a rag and waved 1t to
save the country, but the crows wink
ed at 1t. Ragtime had passed with
them. They were ready to drop to
earth and begin scratching when the
girl cried out:
"Don.t shoe any more. I'll scare the
life out Of them"
In another minute she had the old
hat on and the ragged quilt around
her and was running across the field.
With a grand chorus Of frightened
caws the crows rose up and sailed
away and then began circling round to
see If 1t was the real thing or only
bluff. To convince them the girl
took q pose. and she was such COM
ical object that the widow forgot
all her sorrows in laughter. The new
"scare" had been In position about ten
minutes when a young man with q
gun on his shoulder came out Of the
woods beyond the field and headed for
the house. The 'scare's" back was
toward him. The widow saw. but
dared not call out.
The young man would have passed
the object forty feet to bis left. but
after a glance at 1t his curiosity was
excited. he had seen scarecrows be-
fore, but never one like that. 1t seem
ed to waver now and then. instead of
being tied fast to a stake. Presently
Miss May heard the footsteps Of
| man.
"Here. you! What do you want"
called the widow from the doorway.
The young man wanted to inyesti-
gate that scarecrow. He walked right
ND to the object and laid hand on
it. The brown eyes Of the object look
ed straight into bis.
"By George!' gasped the young man
as he fell back.
well. you've done It" replied the
girl as she flung away hat and quilt
and faced him with burning cheeks.
"a thousand pardons! had no
| idea-no idea"
Then why didn't you go along and
mind your business? didn't ask you