Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-08-24
THE PRIZE
CUCUMBER
BY M QUAD
Copyright. 1870 by Associated Lit
erary Press.
BY NJ QUAD

| certain
year. at O'Clock In the afternoon. when
he was hoeing IN his garden. Deacon
Amos Gray Strengthened up to rest his
back and then and there decided that
ne would marry the Widow Spconer.
lie had been widower and she n
widow for three years. She lived near
him In the village. and they had known
each other before marriage.
Her garden needed hoeing He set
about 1t. II gave him sort of sense
or proprfetorship. Ii was her garden
now. but after awhile II would be bis.
he had been at work for a quarter of
an hour when the widow came to the
open kitchen door and discovered him
and called out:
why. deacon, this is truly good OF
you was Just wondering who
could get TO hoe my garden"
When he had been at work an hour
the deacon uttered few grunts and
signs and came to anchor on the step
The widow was looking fine for a wo-
man OF forty. She was robust and I'm
good health The services Of a doctor
wouldn't be needed for many a long
day unless she fell down the cellar
stairs. And she looked ike woman
VINO would esteem 1t 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 long time"
Yes, deacon"
Long before either one of us was
married"
Eyes"
And I 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
no better sound her and see how she
was going TO take 1t? 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 10 Nancy-not on that subject.
She was trying to get supper with green
wood. and she was hopping mad. He
split up n dry board for her and blew
up the fire. but he had lived long
enough TO know that when woman
gets real mad she must have ut least
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"
q widower"
Eyes"
And both of US goldurned lone
some"
II am sometimes very. very lone
some"
But we needn't be. widder-wo
needn't be. s'posin'''-
"Welf?"
He couldn't go ahead. The thought
had just struck him that she might
have a wooden leg OF a stin 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 bone somewhere. He would
wait and make inquiries. 1t 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 If any
thing could save this world from the
fate Of SOdom it was the Methodist re-
ligion and county fair held every Oc-
tober. At that very moment he was
raising prize cucumber to exhibit. 1t
was only foot long now. but it would
be rod In length before time for pull
ing.
Deacon Gray let week go past with
out seeing the Widow Spooner. He got
up one morning and stepped outdoors
to inhale the fragrance of the air be-
fore sitting down to breakfast. About
the first thing his eyes lighted on was
woman standing over his prize Gu
cumber. 1t was the Widow Spooner.
She had an ak on her shoulder. and her
jaw was set.
"Why, wilder what does this mean?"
asked the deacon as be Sauntered out