The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-11-20
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Candle Oesf

BY E. A. MICHEL

JOSH and | were fellow laborer
working for Farmer Bathgate. w
went TO him when the crops wer,
ready to be taken In. and he liked II,
so well that when the harvest VIZ,
over he concluded to keep us for every
day work during the winter. In III,
summer Ruth Bathgate, his daughter
used to bring us out cool drinks, anC
we two young men soon became anx
ious for some sign OF preference-no
that either of us had any intention,
toward her; 1t was just an ordinary
rivalry. But Ruth was mighty particu
lar not TO make the slightest differ
ence between us.
When the autumn came on. the fod
der was in shock. the weather getting
cold, and the logs were blazing ON the
hea -th, the farmer and his family and
Josh and | used to sis around the
blaze, talking and telling yarns. Tha'
was happy winter for both Josh and
me. We didn't either OF us suspect
that we were both dead gone on Ruth
nor did we foresee what was to hap
| pen TO break up our pleasant circle
That's the trouble &ith pleasant time
there's always something that makes
them pleasant, and. ten to one, it's the
very thing to break up the pleasure
! Since ii is all over l know that what
made our enjoyment so keen was Ruth
and It was Ruth that spoiled 1t all
not Intentionally, for, as / said, she ia.
vored neither of us. She couldn't have
keEt us two fellows from gradually
| falling in love with her If she had
wanted to.
! At first Josh and l used to SPEAK
about. little occurrences concerning her
with perfect freedom. Then we ceased
to say anything to each other that IN
volved any relation with her, and final
ly we never mentioned her. A year
passed. the pleasantest I have ever
known, and when we'd filed the barns
and there was little to do one day Josh
said to me:
There's something want to say to
you, Ben. The harvest is ended, and II
doesn't seem just right for two strap
ping fellows like us to put Farmer
Bathgate to the expense of keeping us
all winter. There's enough for one to
do, but not enough for two. It's my
opinion he'd let one of us go, but
doesn't like TO decide between us.
What do you say to playing a game Of
seven up to settle which shall get
out".
II reckon there's something In what
you say, JOSH" l replied in as melan-
choly a tone as his. He's treated us
mighty well, and we ought to relieve
him Of the responsibility of sending off
one Of us. And you and l, too, have
been square to each other. don't ex-
actly like your plan of playing a game
to find out which shall go, for one
might have more skill than the other
think we'd better let something else
than cards decide between us. Mrs.
Bathgate was making candles this
morning. Now, what do you say to
your choosing a candle and | choosing
one out of the same mold and lighting
them at the same time? The one whose
candle goes out first is to co.
Il think that would be a good way
TO settle it."
We were In our room at the time
we occupied a room tOgether-and
was going out to get the candles when
l met Ruth at the door.
I've heard what you two have been
saying" she said, through the parti-
ton. and you're right Father doesn't
need but one extra hand this winter
but he won't send away either Of you
I'll go down and get the candles ana
light them for you
We were both nightly pleased to
have her DO this and waited patiently
till she came back with the candles.
would you choose for usY' we both
said at the same moment
IF you wish me to-"
Placing a candle before each Of us.
she scratched a Match in each hand
and lighted them at the same moment
Then she left the room without a
glance at either Of us. The candles
were short and would burn out in be-
tween one and two hours. Josh ard
played a good many games of seven !
up, occasionally glancing at the can 1
dies with apparent unconcern. but real |
ly with suppressed suspense. 1t was |
not till they had burned down to with
Iii an inch of the socket that | noticed |
difference Then | saw that nay can
lie was burning the slower. When /
JOsh'S began to flicker there was still /
three-eighths CT al inch of mine left. |
He blew il out and turned away to
conceal his feelings. | expected Ruth
TO show enough interest in which OF
US was TO remain. TO ask before going /
TO sleep but she didn't well" said
TO myself, lit doesn't make any differ
ence, after all. which goes first. Wen
both go soon enough She doesn't want /
either of u.s.
The next day Josh told the farmer /
that he thought he'd look for work in |
the city and left us. He had no sooner
gone than Ruth began TO bestow upon
me little attentions. This was quite |
enough to induce me to show nv feel
ngs, and met with every encv,n asv
ment. In less than a month after
Josh's departure was engaged.