Just last night, my husband was getting a kick out of telling me how he and a railroad buddy, Ronnie Shackleford, put one over on Ronnie's father during a cake auction at a youth fair in Glen Rose years ago.

"Man, they had some o' the purdiest pies an' cakes you ever laid eyes on, an' Ronnie an' me wuz itchin' to have a taste," Mel said. "So we cooked it up with the auctioneer that we'd sit behind Durwood Shackleford an' do a li'l biddin' on his behalf. Ever'body knew how tight Durwood wuz, 'cept when it come to doin' thangs for kids or some other worthy cause. It wuz jist a li'l harmless fun.

"Anyhow, when the biddin' started, Ronnie an' me slipped in behind Durwood and first off, the auctioneer held up this larrupin' lookin' choc'lut cake—the kind with the gooey, glossy fillin' spillin' over the sides of the plate—an' my hand shot up in the air. The auctioneer looked straight at Durwood, nodded an' upped the price. Durwood got this puzzled look on his face, but didn't say nuttin'.

"People wuz biddin' along there, an' we kept a droolin' at them lovely desserts," Mel continued. "Ronnie signaled the auctioneer an' once't agin, the auctioneer tipped his hat at Durwood. 'Bout that time, Durwood turned to his wife an' said, `If I didn't know better, I'd thank he wuz lookin' at me.' Well, Ronnie an' me wuz back there grinnin' an' snickerin', an runnin' the price up ever' time we could. When the gavel dropped an' the auctioneer announced, 'Sold for $50 to Durwood Shackleford!'"

Mel hooted, "I remember Durwood havin' this incredulous look on his face an' askin' his wife ever' li'l bit, `Did I buy that one? Did I buy that one, too?' It wuz all Ronnie an' me could do to keep from bustin' out laughin'.

"Next, they brought out this hubcapped size coconut pie stacked to the hilt with calf slobbers. Well, I don't have to tell you that coconut pie's my favorite, so thur wuzn't no way Durwood could pass that one up...We set in biddin' on that coconut pie an' run it up to 50 or 60 bucks. The auctioneer shouted, `Sold to Durwood Shackleford for $60!' Well, by the next round, pore ol' Durwood wuz settin' on his hands an' wouldn't eben make eye contact with the auctioneer. Fin'ly, it come down to one nem Hummingbird Cakes, the grand champion. We got to biddin' on it an' run it up to 'round $300. Durwood happened to look up at the auctioneer, who wuz smilin' in his direction, an' asked, `Are you pointing at me?' The auctioneer smiled and said yes.

"We spent a nice, tidy sum for Durwood that day, about $450, which wuz a lot o' money fer a peanut farmer. Anyhow, he took it like a real champ. Went up, paid 'em out, an' collected his pies and cakes. Me an' Ronnie headed on out to the farm with our pucker set for a sample o' them good desserts. Meanwhile, the auctioneer told Durwood how it wuz that he come by all 'em pastries. Needless to say, Durwood got to have his cake an' eat it, too 'cause no matter how we begged an' pleaded, he didn't let either one of us have a single bite!"