Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-08-20
THE PRIZE
CUCUMBER
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated LIT
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

year. at 3 o CLOCK III the afternoon, Wnen
he was hoe.ng in his garden. Deacon
Amos Gray Strengthened up 10 rest his
back and then and there decided that
he would marry the Widow Spconer.
He had been wiaower and she a
widow for three years. She lived near
him In the village. aud they had known
each other before marriage.
Her garden needed hoeing. He set
about II. 1t gave him ii sort OF sense
OF proprietorship. II was her garden
now. but after awhile 1t would be his.
lie had been at work for quarter OF
an hour when the widow came 10 the
open kitchen door and discovered him
and called out:
why. deacon, this is truly good OF
you. | was just wondering who l
could get to hoe my garden"
When be had been at work an hour
the deacon uttered a few grunts and
signs and came TO anchor on the step.
The widow was looking fine for wo-
man Of forty. She was robust and IN
good health. The services OF a doctor
day unless she fell down the cellar
stairs. And she looked like a woman
who would esteem 1t a privilege TO
build the kitchen FIRE every morning
for four weeks after the grounding
had come out and seen his shadow.
Yes, she was all right. and the deacon
opened his mouth and said:
"Widder Spooner. me an you have
known each other a long time"
Eyes, deacon"
Long before either one Of US was
married"
YES"
"And guess we allus sorter liked
each other"
YES"
"And now Abe is dead and Martha Is
dead and we are lonesome. wilder.
Why shouldn't We
She waited. but he stopped right
there There was Sister Nancy. Hadn't
he better sound her and see how she
was going to take It? Yes. that would
be the wisest way. He therefore be-
gan TO talk about the drought and
other things. and after working for an
other hour he went home. He didn't
speak TO Nancy-not on that subject
She was trying to get supper with green
wood. and she was hopping mad He
split up a dry board for her and blew
up the fire. but he had lived long
enough to know that when a woman
gets real mad she must have az le6st
a day TO get over II. Next morning
Nancy was so clipper that he decided
to take his chances without speaking
to her on the subject.
In the afternoon the deacon did
some more hoeing. and there was an
other talk on the steps. Yes. the Wild
ow Spooner well remembered his TAX
ing her TO spelling school in the old
days. She remembered their sliding
hills together; she could recall the red
apples he used to give her.
Happy days them was. wilder
happy days" he sighed.
"Yes, they were"
But now you are wilder and am
a widower"
yes"
And both OF us goldurned lone
some"
II am sometimes very. very lone
some"
But we needn't be. widder-we
needn't be. S'posin' -
"WellT'
He couldn't go ahead The thought
had just struck him that she might
have a wooden leg or a stiff knee and
would make that an excuse for not
doing the washing and ironing He
could dimly remember hearing that
she had fallen from an apple tree and
broken a bone somewhere. He would
wait and make inquiries. X thus came
about that he went home again with
nothing decided. Now. the deacon was
a great county fair man. He always
had an exhibit Of chickens. eggs or
vegetables. He believed that IL any
thing could save this world from the
fate Of Sodom 1t was the Methodist re-
Iigion and n county fair held every Oc-
tober. At that very moment be was
raising q prize cucumber to exhibit 1t
was only a foot long now. but 1t would
be rod In length before time for pull
ing.
Deacon Gray let 4 week 60 past with
out seeing the Widow Spooner. He got
I'D one morning and stepped outdoors
to inhaIe the fragrance Of the air be
fore sitting down to breakfast. About
the first thing his eyes lighted on was
a woman standing over bis prize Gu
cumber. IL was the Widow Spooner.
She had an Ak on her shoulder, and her
Jaw was set
why. wilder. what does this rncanF'
asked the deacon IS he saunieTed out
TO her.
ssYou have the same as asked me 70