The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-25
The Evening Story
Uncle Joe,s Prize Beauty.
(By Jane Osborn.)


Corners he always made tracks for
the one-room headquarters of the
Hardy's Corners Weekly Gazette.
where his Uncle Joe Brown, with the
aid of a single office boy, performed
the entire operation of getting out
the local news sheet, all the way from
circulation boosting to running the
press.
well, now" began his uncle in his
chara cteristic drawl. eff you really
want to help out a mite you might
hitch up the old nag and take a turn
out the pike to see the girl I've picked
for the beauty contest You see, it's
this way: Subscriptions have been
kind of falling off since the rural free
delivery brought the city papers
around every day, and for some years
I've been thinking I'd got to do some
thing to help give things boost. So
hit the idea of having some contests
of interest to the women folks. I've
got a due bill on the dry goods en-
porium here for some advertisements
they have owed for going on two
years and I'll have the winners take
out their prizes that way.
well the contest is coming along
fine-especially the beauty one-and
I've got a drawer packed full of pic
lures of pretty girls from all around
here-only all of them aren't SO
pretty.
i've about decided on the winner
stopped around to get a good look
at her after she'd sent in her photo
and, honest, you couldn't Sc a finer
locking girl if you spent a lifetime
looking. She's a regular old-fash-
toned kind-beautiful eyes and-oh,
well, you've got to see her to know.
Now, what I want you to do is this:
| Nialr Cd hsar- n in ha
Der of the Gazette, that comes out on
Saturday, I'm going to announce her
winning, with a picture of the girl
and the same afternoon we're going
to have the girl ana some of he-
friends come down and blow them off
to a course dinner at the hotel and
then take them on joy ride.
Now, suppose you go out this
morning and see the girl and tell her
she has got the prize and take the due
bill on the emporium with you, and
| II you could, you might take her to
the emporium and have her pick out
pretty dress and hat and other fix
ings for the prize. Be sure to get
something pretty and kind of SNOWY
so when folks see them they will sort
of give the Gazette a boost.
you'll have to stop at the house
when you go to get the horse and
you'll find the name of the girl on an
envelope, with the due bill. Let's see
you'll find them in the family Bible
in the sitting-room.
And, say, take a tip from me-
added Uncle Joe, there isn't much
better kind of girl going when it
comes to picking wife than regular
old fashioned, bright-eyed, pink
checked country girls If l wasn't so
old 1 might be sparkling around this
beauty winner myself Now dent let
/ the grass grow under your feet"
Sally Bunn-that was the name on
the envelope-came to the door her
| self when Dave Brown called at the
farmhouse on the pike Sally Bum
came straight from the kitchen and
! her hands and plump arms We're COW
cred with flour and her face was
/ flushed with the heat of the oven.
] But somehow at that first glance it
never occurred to Dave to think that
this really could be Sally Bum. True,
she was a nice little girl, bright-eyed
and clear skinned, but not at all the
| type of girl he had in mind when he
| listened to his uncle'S eulOgy. Some
how Dave had felt convinced that the
girl his uncle would select as the
beauty would be of the peaches-and-
cream variety of blond-a veritab BILE
Marguerite, with bralds of mOlasses
candy hair.
And, besides, Sally Bum, though
she was much impressed by Dave
Browns city clothes and city manners,
was also mistaken. She took him for
book agent and had all but shut
the door in his face when he said that
he had come from the Gazette to see
Miss Sally Bum.
Pm Sally Bunn.'' she said, and
Dave tried to cover his surprise.
Fine! Two come to tell you that
you have won the prize in the con-
test" he said. My uncle, who owns
the paper, asked me to come and tell
you. And now l am going to ask you
to let me take you to town to select
the pretty dress and hat and things
that you have won.'
How perfectly wonderful cried
the girl, clapping her floury hands.
| May 1 pick out just what I want ?
How wonderful" And, bubbling over
with delight, she led the way to tho
best room.
Dave suggested that Sally should
| take her mother or sister or some one
as q chaperon on the expedition, but
/ Sally explained that she was the only
a widower. She and the maid of all
work, Aunt Mandy, were alone in the
house, so she would have to go with
out a chaperon-
But, don't in the least mind, for I
/ know just what l want. oh, how per-
fectly lovely it is that 1 am to have a
new dress and hat and thingsl You
see, my father isn't poor-he is
really quite we'll off for a farmer
but he is ld-fashioned and he
doesn't like to have me spend money
for new dresses. 1 have to make
them all for myself You see, he is
like the old folks, and he says it will
be all the more for me to have for a
portion when 1 am married, only /
shall never marry anyone, I'm sure.
II don't at all agree with you,'
Dave replied. and then as he watched
the girl he realized that in truth she
was more than passing comely. 1.-The
only surprise is he reflected, that
that thick-skinned old uncle of mine
should have had sense enough to dis
cover it"
Before they started out, Sally in
sisted on serving Dave with a dainty
mld-morning luncheon of gingerbread
and milk. strawberries and cream. and
they climbed into the old buggy and
started off over the country road OF
what was the most exciting shopping
tour of Sally Bunn's existence.