Show THE BARGAIN by MRS IV E ABBOTT emma haines wakened with dim culty from her early morning mo ming sleep that what was it it was like ilka water swirling rapidly down a i drain ifer hey brain cleared and she heaved her great bulk out of 0 bed only ono one thing sounded like thail thi tha outlaw pig belonging to ed Blat terly was raiding her garden 4 probably wanted more of her is shed show herl hastily she thrust her feet into slip hp pers put a house dress over her nightgown and started for the door the th bemoni edemon shed kno w y that bony stubborn acure anywhere aek put out of there you 0 ornery creatures creat emma picked up the nearest stone alone and threw it w with ith all her strength atthe at the skinny sow the grunted and yon ran toward the tha holo hole C Q under the garden fence which she ahadi had prepared tor for herself she hie squeezed ed her gaunt frame under the y wire grunting noisily emma throw 4 another tone one and the sow trotted off down the road toward home badma sputtered Bp uttered to seth au all during pg breakfast about the sow sofig against everything ive ever seen been in nature complained emma eats watermelons water melons of all things rigal of 01 all the truck I 1 have in nix garden those melons are the things I 1 prize most and that thac cussed pig know that she makes for the melons every time seth beth say much after all he was more than ordinarily fond of pigs all pigs he loved toraldo to ralsa ralso them see see them grow large and contented from good foo feeding dind anyone had only anly to took look at hla his fifty tat fat hogs to know seth enjoyed caring for them Emma sighed id go over to tee see today if I 1 have so its simply gotto got to stop I 1 those trashy swamp folk will have to learn to keep their stock to homel it was three days before emma louna found time to visit the Blatte riya erlys it bias was two Wl emback to their shi chack ck at the edge of the swamp but emma emak was a hearty fifty year old woman and she loved the w walk alk through the fields and i wood lots lota several of 0 the Slat terl children were playing around the cabin they were handsome children in spite of their ditty dirty unkempt appearance pe arance heros your dad said ald emma shortly to the oldest boy A awl belled jelled Yell edthe the boy ed appeared at the door ot of tt shed behind th the house ile he was wa 4 0 effi small wizened nan man emma had alvr st en him when be che wag tobacco she bhe walked to wards him over bis Wo shoulder she looked inside the shed there hung a 4 butchered butche fed pig pie I 1 oh 11 she I 1 SAW t tha that your pig ed 1 4 yes I 1 afa dinv inv 41 he be replied 11 was wa almin to give you a piece ot of that meat emma softened she walked inside and looked at tho the meat it looked good watermelons Water melons must mako make good hog feed muttered emma to herself maam said ed 1 I sold said that would be nice replied emma wed love having tome some fresh meat its it very kind of you with tho the help of one of the boys ed took the pig down from the hook and cut oft off ona on of tho the hams barns for emma too much she sald said firmly no maam he said 1 I have a lot of young luns uns and they eat cat hearty but the weather is warm aj 0 k Y 1 10 p ad mn 1 aw V W J 4 va Z i I 1 Z jato A T 4 w 10 get out of there you ornery crea creaturely turell emma picked up the nearest stone and threw it her strength at the skinny sow meat wont keep too long you you take it right along homo home mighty fine of you ed said aid emma Em maHer her con science was waa beginning to hurt emma carried the ham all the way homo home and put it in the refrigerator to cool meat was expensive and the thought of a roast of fresh ham ma mada de her happy she was at peace with the world when she went to bed that night early the next morning she woke up in contusion confusion that peculiar sound again water going rapidly round and round in a drain not nol it bol bal she sat up thero there another pig anywhere that counted quits that she sha bounded out of bed and hit the tha floor with a thud slippers the tha house dres ivr her nightgown the tho flying trip to tho the garden she rubbed her eyes it was wan erlys lya thero there bo be two such piga in AU all the tha world mild dazedly she picked up a stone to throw at t the ge creature emma beths voice was waa calling froni the bedroom window leave her be ill be doyn A moment later b appeared in the yard ails overalls overall drawn hastily 0 vor over his pajamas lie he looked sheepish its all right emma he said bald our pig dig now now tails oural 0 a 11 cried emma oh no not t batill seth ran his hands nervously through his hair you see gee I 1 just bear seeing that hog looking tho the way she did all run down and thin and neglected so I 1 traded one of our pigs to for her that gave them meat and I 1 thought I 1 could maybe fatten her up emma stared at him openmouthed although I 1 gotta admit she is an outlay outlaw said seth may have to get rid of lier her after all may have toll tol cried emma may have to indeed what about my watermelons water melons you certainly will have tol toll seth grinned and wiggled his toes in tho the grass like a small boy whatever you say emma he ha said meekly Whai whatever ever you say my dear seth been married thirty years lor for nothing he know knew the value ot of it lence ile he knew with certainty that this was waa not the time to mention that he had promised the erlys a dozen of emmas prize watermelons water melons as soon as they were ripe to complete the deal |