The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-05
THE BLUE
RIBBON
By SUSANNA GLENN

between the muslin curtains. upon |
the spotless yellow floor knelt Mary |
Arnold, her blue eyes sparkling, her
cheeks flushed, her yellow hair
tumbled.
Have we ever had better display,
mother?" she asked the little woman |
in the arm chair. "Oh, don't see
how we can fail to take every blue
ribbon"
Never be too sure, dear" answered
Mrs. Arnold cautiously.
But mother. we know what all the
neighbors are going TO take, and none
of them have anything to compare
with these. We have had the best
display for the past ten years, and
this surpasses them all
She fiecked with jealous care bit
of clay from the enormous yellow side
of a pumpkin,
III polish the apples and pack the
eggs. and then everything is ready
that We can do tonight. | do hope
we will get everything there safely"
Indeed it was a goodly display OF
vegetables and fruits scattered about
the big kitchen and over the porch.
In the cool pantry stood the cans OF
clearest fruits, jars Of preserves and
loaves of cake and bread for which
Mrs. Arnold and her daughter were
famous. In the sitting room in pack
ages waited the quilts with their ex-
quisite stitches, the woven counter
panes the knitted lace of the mothers
making, and the more modern prod
ucts of the daughters clever fingers.
The Potter Township Fair was nota-
BILE agricultural meeting. of which the
Arnold display was always the most
famous part.
II love this dear old farm better
than anything else in the whole world,
mother" cried the girl, pausing sud
denly at the door to look out over the
rolling acres.
| You and father must take the
things to the fair in the morning, and
| will keep house. I've made up my
mind not to go until Wednesday, when
the prizes will be awarded. | want to
see the blue ribbons all in place at
| my III st BIdHC6'
We'll, you do beat all, Mary" said
Mrs Arnold. Il never knew you to
be so possessed over the fair before.
only hope you will not be disap-
pointed"
Didn't | tell you, mother?", whis-
pered Mary excitedly as they made the
tour of the crowded booths on Wednes-
day There is a prize on nearly
everything we brought! Have you
been through the culinary depart
ment?"
Here, too, Haunting blue and red
tickets marked their display. Their
cakes were the lightest, their bread
the whitest. their preserves the clear
est.
Il never saw you so possessed" re-
peated Mrs. Arnold, wonderingly.
81 never was, mother" answered
Mary with low laugh. Il suppose II
| is because I'm just beginning to turn
into an old maid. Let's go over to the
vegetable building"
! In the center of the room on table
rested huge pumpkin with a blue
! card conspicuous against its yellow
I hulk
Why" said Mary, that is not oul
pumpkin" Brief search disclosed
: their own. looking forlornly insignia
,, cant in quiet corner.
e Whose can 1t be?" she whispered
q disconsolately
' And these are not our eggs
e mother" pausing over the prize boxes
Their apples and small fruits hell
F; FIRST place as usual, but not one of tn,
$ vegetables had taken a prize.
II only wish | knew who brough
: them. Let's look at the stock an,
: poultry and go home"
' why, Mary Arnold, | really believ
you are selfish! We've taken NOR
: than our share Of prizes now. Wal
o here until go speak to father
Il minute"
: Did you ever see such a pumpkin +?
l. said voice close by. Mary turne
e to see two women whom she knev
" only by sight standing near DO yo
s know whose it is? The Arnold's,
y suppose, they always do get ever,
N thing"
mo. this isn't theirs. Myro
!, "a Hewitt brought it, and nearly all thes
lie prize vegetables"
"Myron Hewitt" cried the woman
surprised.
'Myron Hewitt" echoed Mary il
audibly, with an uncomfortable thumI
ing of her heart
n Yes, you never saw such a chans
in fellow in all your life. You kno
the Hewitts have always been kind
shiftless and things were dreadful
rundown when they fell to Myron.
The first year or two he worke
N just as his father always had. ar
whatever changed him none OF us ca
ID figure out!
IN But last fall he built fences al
- plowed until | guess the farm was III
=, plumb surprised into waking up. +
~ worked all winter in the woods al
Ill fixing up the buildings.
es Then this spring he hired his sist
mt and her husband to work for him. al
W, he's Just getting a model place
10 there"
:, Isn't there some girl in it," su
gested the woman shrewdly.
Ia We'll. yes. | guess maybe there
III We thought year or so ago that
was Mary Arnold. but that ended /
le- fore he set to work. Now It seems
lie be the teacher up at the Corner
81 she's real nice girl, too"
- Mary slirped away unroticed. So
was Myron who was taking the priz
III away from her? And he was maxi
OF a model place for his rundown h
at