The log cabin Democrat., 1916-01-31
AT THE FOOD SHOW
By JANE OSBORN.


 The conversation had begun about the weather. Thence it had drifted to wind storms. Miss Tucker shook her pretty head and said she just couldn't stand wind and, my, how it did blow last Sunday! And speaking of Sunday brought the conversation around to the new minister and the new minister suggested the minister's wife and her tireless cooker, and fireless cookers suggested the food show, and, having brought things around to the food show, Tom Wilbur felt inwardly much rejoiced because he had come to call on Madge Tucker that evening, for he was particularly anxious to ask her to go to the food show with him.
 The fates had been kind, for some times just because the conversation didn't bend around as he wanted it to, he left unsaid the very things for which he had made his call. He had tried for three whole evenings to get the conversation around to circuses the week that the three-ring show came to town, but in vain. So the tickets he had bought for himself and Madge just went unused. And how many times he had tried to no purpose to bend the conversation in the direc- tion of the subject that was always up- permost in his mind when he called on Madge! He sometimes got it as far as the jewelry store when he had planned to lead up to engagement rings, and there it would stick or else glance off from jewelry stores to the tea store next door and so off again at tangent. Then sometimes when he thought of leading to it by way of men, tioning the fact that he had enough laid aside to build nice little farm house it would get as far as the bank where his savings were kept, and again it would digress.
 But on this particular evening when Tom Wilbur, robust young farmer of Timlows Corners, was calling on Madge Tucker, the pretty district school teacher, who boarded with Toms nearest neighbor, matters pro- gressed as Tom had hoped.
 q guess they have got quite few of those fireless cookers over at the food show in Mapleton," he said. "D'you ever go to food show? Kind O inter. esting to go, don't you think so?" Here he was desperately afraid the fates would spoil it all and Madge would change the subject before he could stammer out his invitation. T see by the paper how they are letting the girls with red hair in for nothing Sort of boost the show, I suppose. And the red-haired girls and their escorts have free samples of everything at the show. If you'd care to go some after | noon this week after school 1 guess can make the trip in my little car ir about half an hour. Would you care tc go, Miss Madge?" Yes. he had actu ally asked her. He paused, breathless for her answer.
 You asked me, 1 suppose" said Madge, because I'm the only girl you know that has red hair" And then she laughed in a way that at the same time tantalized and delighted her rustic ad mirer.
 Well, now, I don't know as I'd say that you had real red hair" he parried and again Madge laughed delightfully."-
 You needn't hesitate about saying so," Madge assured him, flor nova days red hair is very fashionable ant no girl objects in the least to having it. In fact, in the big cities the girls actually color it red on purpose"
 'Yes, but let's talk about that foot show," Tom insisted Say we go to morrow afternoon. Oh, well, if yol can't go tomorrow we might go tn, next day-Saturday. That is to be thu grand finale and everyone will b' there. I guess we can start out littl, earlier since you'll have no school tha day"
 'I haven't read the papers lately, Tom was saying as they sped in his small roadster over the country high ways in the direction of Mapleton "bNt l guess they are still on the look out for girls with red hair all right expect we'll see a good many of tho boys and girls I used to know It's only at times like this that I see the | old crowd I went to school with"
 T should think"-Madge had a note of coaxing in her voice that Tom die not dream was intentional-"I should think that you would go and see the girls you used to know oftener. al though l suppose most of the boys and girls you went to school with arc married now"
 For one fieeting second Tom thought he saw the way to bend the converse tion abruptly to the engagement ring or the bank account or the little new farmhouse he was planning, but the vision of such an achievement was dis | pelled as soon as it had come Instead he only gripped the wheel of his cal more intently and stared ahead of him 1 in confusion.
 1 AS Tom had foreseen, there were | np h hiJ ta tt,