Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 February 1916 — UNCLE JOE'S PRIZE [ARTICLE]

UNCLE JOE'S PRIZE

By JANE OSBORN. When Dave Brown left his office in the big city for a day or two to revisit the old home town of Hardy’s 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 characteristic drawl, “if 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 winner of the beauty contest. Youßee.it’sthisway : 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 something to help give things a boost. So I hit on the idea of having some contests of interest to the women folks. I’ve got a duej>jll on the dry goods emporium 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 t’va got a drawer packed foM of Pictures of pretty girls from all around her e—only all of them aren’t so pretty. “I’ve about decided on the winner. I stopped around to get a good look at her after she’d sent ir. hes photo and, honest, you couldn’t see a finerv looking girl if you spent a lifetime looking. She’s a regular old-fashioned kind—beautiful eyes and—oh, well, you’ve got to see her to know. Now, what I want you to do is this: I’ve picked her, and in the next number of the Gazette that comas out on Satnrday. I’m going to announce her winning, with a picture of the girl, and the same afternoon we’re going to have the girl and some of her friends come down and blow them off to a course dinner at the hotel, and then take them on a 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, if you could, you might take her to the emporium and have her pick out a pretty dress and hat and other fixings for the prize. Be sure to get something pretty and kind of showy, ho when folks see them they will Bort 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 a wife than regular old-fash-ioned, bright-eyed, pink-cheeked country girls. If T wasn’t so old, imighjt be sparking around this beauty winner myself. Now don’t let the grass grow under your feet.” Sally Bunn —that was the name on the envelope—came to the door herself when Dave Brown called at the farmhouse on the pike. Sally Bunn came straight from the kitchen, and her hands and plump arms were covered 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 Bunn. True, she was a nice little girl, bright-eyed and dear-skinned, but not at all the type of girl he had in mind when he listened to his uncle’s eulogy. Somehow, Dave had felt convinced that the girl his uncle would select as the beauty would be of the peaches-and-cream variety of blonde —a veritable Marguerite, with braids of molassescandy hair. AM, besides, Sally Bunn, though she was much impressed by Dave Brown’s city clothes and city manners, was also mistaken. She took him, for a 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 Bunn. “I’m Sally Bunn,” she said, and Dave tried to cover his surprise. “Bine! I’ve come to tell you that you have won the prize in the contest,” he said. “My uncle, who owns the paper, asked me to come and tell you. And now lam 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 I pick out Just what I want? How wonderful!” And, bubbling over with delight, she led the way to the best room. Dave suggested that Sally should take her mother or sister or some one as n chaperon on the huf Sally explained that she was the only daughter of Farmer Bunn, who was a work. Aunt Mandy, were alone in the house, so she would have to go without A chaperon. "But I don't In the least mind, for I know Just what I want. Oh, how perfectly lovely it is that I am to have a new dress and hat and things! You know my father's feelings on that. He is old-fashioned, and he doesn’t like to . have me spend money-for new dresses. I 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 I am married, only I shall never marry anyone, I am sure.” “I don’t at all agree with you,” Dave

replied, and then as he watched the girl he realized that in truth she wa* more than passing comely. “The only surprise is,” he reflected, “that that thick-skinned old uncle of mine should have had sense enough to discover it.” Before they started out, Sally insisted on serving Dave with a dainty mid-morning luncheon of gingerbread and milk, strawberries and cream, and they climbed into the old buggy and started off over the couhtry road on what was the most excltklg shopping tour of Sally Bunn’s existence. “I Just dote on pretty clothes,” she said simply. “Tell me, do you think pink or blue would be more becoming?” And as Dave studied her coloring to find the answer, he assured himself that no girl he had met in the city could compare with this simple country maid. “A wonderful housekeeper”—she had prepared the luncheon with her own capable handB —“plenty of money and as handsome as a picture,” Dave said 4.0 himself. “The old man certainly right.” Then the girl at his side interrupted him. “Why was it that you seemed so surprised when I said I was Sally Biffin?’’ she asked. “You didn’t seem to think that I could have won that prize.” “It wasn’t quite that,” laughe#Dave. "Though to tell you the truth, I didn’t think that you were the young lady I was looking for. But I know you better now. First impressions are never quite fair.”

“No,” Agreed Sally, turning her head away with a blush, “but you do think I deserve the prize now, don’t you?” And then changing the subject, as Dave supposed, very abruptly. "Did you think that was good gingerbread?” ..That evening Dave returned to his uncle’s house. He had just been through what he was convinced was the most delightful adventure of his Hfe. He had rather overdrawn the due hill in his efforts to secure for Sally the prettiest hat and dress and shoes that the emporium displayed. He knew he could explain his motives to his uncle later. He had taken Sally to one o’clock dinner at the hotel, and then after the return drive had left her at her own front door, still clutching her beloved bundles and packages, radiant and delightful In her happiness. He had promised to be back early the next day to take her in for the gala luncheon and automobile ride. ‘‘You are a better Judge of beauty than I thought you were, uncle. That little girl is not only as pretty as a picture, but she Is the most delightful girl I have ever met. I never thought you’d call her a beauty, though. I thought you went In more for the peaches-and-cream variety. It takes an expert to recognize real beauty I congratulate you.”

The uncle beamed with real pride. "I guess I can pick them as well as the next feller. So you got her all fixed up fine, did you?” “The prettiest things in town,” replied Dave. “In fact, I went a little overs, the margin allowed. But I intend to make up the difference myself. In fact, Lhave taken your good advice. I am going to woo my country girl in the true old-fashioned styie. FTom something she said, I am sure she is not engaged to anyone else.” They were sitting in the living room at the time, and Uncle Joe had opened the fly leaf of the family Bible where the due bills were kept. He looked at them and his whistle of surprise interropted Dave's praises of -Sally Bunn, - Tm blowed,” exclaimed Uncle Joe, and after a second whistle shriller than the last, he added, “if you didn’t go and take the wrong envelope. Say, you haven’t been to see the prize beauty at all. You’ve been off to see little Sally Bunn, the girl I gave the prize to for the best loaf of bread ” Uncle Joe leaned hack In his chair and laughed long and loud. “Sure, she’s a nice little girl and her pa and I have been pals since we were boys, one of the richest farmers in the county, and Sally’s all right, too. But I don’t see that she’s so much on looks. I guess I’m not one of these experts you were referring to after all. Why, the girl I picked is a regular winner, golden hair and blue eyes and a skin that looks like pink and white roses. “Say,” went on Uncle Joe, after a little reflection, “what did you buy for Sally? Well, If that doesn't beat all. The prize that was going with the best loaf of bread was only going to be one of those new bread mixers the women folks are making such a fuss about. But I’m real glad you made the mistake. I’d a deal rather have you marry Sally than a girl that was so stuck on herself that she’d send in her photo to a beauty contest, even if she was a regular winner.” (Copyright, 1916. by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)