Show CORNER THE BARGAIN By MRS lURS W. W V. V E. E ABBOTT Emma Haines wakened with dim culty from her early morning sleep That noise What was it It wa was like water swirling rapidly down a adrain drain Her brain cleared and sh she heaved her great bulk out of bed Only one thing sounded like that The outlaw pig belonging to Ed was raiding her garden again Probably wanted more of he her prize watermelons Shed She'd show her herl Hastily she thrust her feet into slippers sUppers slippers slip sUp pers put a house dress over her nightgown and started for the door There she was the demon I Shed She'd know that bony stubborn figure anywhere Get out of there you ornery creature Emma picked up the nearest stone and threw it with all al her strength at the skinny sow The pig grunted and ran toward the hole under the garden fence which she had prepared for herself She squeezed her gaunt frame under the wire grunting noisily Emma threw another stone and the sow trotted off oil down the road toward ho home e. e Emma sputtered to Seth all during during during dur dur- ing breakfast about the sow against everything Ive I've ever seen in nature complained Emma Eats watermelons of all things I Of all the truck I l' l have in my garden those melons are the things I 1 prize most And doesn't that cussed pig know that She makes for the melons every time Seth didn't say much After all he was more than ordinarily fond of pigs all pigs He loved to raise them see them grow large and contented contented con con- contented tented from good feeding Anyone had only to look at his fifty fat hogs to know Seth enjoyed caring for them Emma sighed Id go over to see today If U I didn't have so much to do Ill I'll try to go tomorrow Its It's SImply got to stop Those trashy swamp folk will have to learn to keep their stock to home homel It was three days before Emma found time to visit the It It was two miles mlles back to their shack at the edge of the swamp but Emma was a hearty year old woman and she loved the walk through the fields and wood lots Several of the Sla children were playing around the cabin They were handsome children in spite of their dirty unkempt ap ape Wheres your Dad said Emma shortly to the oldest boy Paw Pawl yelled the boy Ed appeared at the door of a shed behind the house He was wasa a small wizened man Emma had never seen him when he wasn't chewing tobacco She walked towards towards towards to to- wards him Over his shoulder she looked inside the shed There hung hunga a butchered pig Oh she said That your pig Ed Yes Maam Ma'am he replied I was almin aimin to give you a piece of that meat Emma softened She walked inside inside inside in in- side and looked at the meat It looked good Watermelons must make good hog feed muttered Emma to herself Maam said Ed I I said that would be nice replied replied re reo re- re plied Emma Wed love having some fresh meat Its It's very kind of ot you With the help of one of ot the boys Ed took the pig down from the hook and cut off one of the hams for Emma too much she said firmly No Maam Ma'am he said I have a alot alot alot lot of young uns and they e eat t thearty hearty but the weather Is warm Leave her be Ill I'll be bf do down Rn A moment later h Iv appeared Inthe in inthe inthe the yard his overalls drawn hastily over his pajamas He looked I sheepish Its Us all right Emma he said our pig now Ours cried Emma Oh no not that thaU Seth ran his hands nervously through his hair You see ace I Just couldn't bear seeing that hog lookIng lookIng looking look- look Ing the way she did all run down and thin and neglected So I traded one of ot our pigs to for her That gave them meat and arid I thought I could maybe fatten her up Emma stared at him bim open- open mouthed Although 1 J gotta admit she is an an- an outlaw said Seth May have to get rid of her after all May inlay have to tol cried EmmaMay EmmaMay Emma May 1 have to Indeed What about my watermelons You certainly will have to Seth grinned and wiggled his toes in the grass like a small boy Whatever you say Emma he ha h W Get out of there you ornery creature Emma picked up the nearest stone and threw It with all aU her strength at the skinny sow Meat wont won't keep too long You take It t right along home mighty fine of you Ed said Emma Her conscience conscience conscience con con- conI I science was beginning to hurt Emma carried the ham all the way home and put it in the refrigerator ator to cool Meat was expensive and the thought of a roast of fresh ham lam made her happy She was at peace with the world when she went to bed that night Early the next morning she woke tip ip p in confusion That peculiar sound again again Water going rapidly round and round in hi a drain dram Nol No It couldn't be She sat up There wasn't another another- pig anywhere that I sounded quite like that I She bounded out of bed bet bep and hitI hit hithe I the he floor with a thud Slippers the house louse dress over her nightgown the flying trip to the garden She rubbed her ler eyes It was sow There couldn't be two such pigs In all all' the world Dazedly she picked up a stone to throw at the creature Emma Seth's voice was calling call call- ing ng from the bedroom window said meekly Whatever you say my dear Seth hadn't been married thirty years for nothing He knew the value of silence He knew with certainty certainty certainty that this was not the time to mention that he had promised the a dozen of Emmas Emma's prize watermelons as soon as they were ripe to complete the deal |