Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-10-10

SELECT STORY.
RUSSET APPLES.

the ground sounding c-ispy under
foot. We had just come in from
foddering the cattle-"we' sounds
rather singularly, when you reflect
that it meant Kitty and me, two girls
of seventeen and nineteen; but you
see there wasn't anyone else to do it.
Father had been bed-ridden ever
since that last attack of paralysis
and we could afford to hire no one to
take his place about the farm.
was in great spirits, playing with
pussy, who came to meet us, with her
plumy tail erect; but Kitty leaned
sadly against the wooden mantel and
looked into the fire with mournful
eyes.
"Kitty," cried I, at last, "what does
make you so dull ?"
"To-morrow is the third of March, -
said she gravely.
"What Of that % | demanded.
"Don't you remember? The in
terest on the mortgage comes due to-
morrow"
$50 it does,' said |, my radiant
face falling faster than thermometer
on d freezing day. "Thirty-tive dol
lars! And we have nothing to pay
it with except the $15 Laura Osgood
paid for the old melodeon."
"Perhaps Willis Avery would
wait" suggested Kitty.
I drew myself up slightly.
81 don't choose to ask him to
wait" said |.
Now it happened that Willis
Avery, who held the mortgage on
our homestead, was the son of a
neighbor, and a playfellow and boy
beau of my own, who had gone to the
prosperous young city, a few miles
north of us and commenced business
on his own account, and had par
ticular aversion to asking aid Of him
IN any way. | might be poor, but |
was also proud, and Kitty was SYM
pathetic enough to understand me.
"But what are We to dc ?? said
Kitty.
| sat down on the hearth-rug, with
my chm in my hand, and stared ear
nestly at the big cracking back log.
Pussy crept away and nestled dows
in the corner, as if she knew by in
stinct that there was change of
temperature.
"Look here, Kitty" said !, sudden
iy, "those russet apples! We can
sell them! Eight barrels at two
dollars and fifty cents a barrel"
"My dear Addy, no one will buy
them at one-fifth the price. Apples
are drug in the market
''Here, l grant you but not in the
city. / will take them to Mapleton
and sell them"
'You, Addy?'
"And why not? Squire Dyson
would charge at least 20 per cent.
commission, and make a favor of it
at that. I can't afford either the
price or the patronage. Don't say
about it to father. He
would only fret and raise objections.
What must be done must be, and l
am the girl to do it,
"But, Addy, how? All this seems
so wild and visionary to me-"
"Well, it needn't; for, believe me,
it is the most practical thing in the
world. All We have to do is to sort
the apples out in barrels, NICE and
sound-I can easily do it by lantern
light to-night-and Tomorrow morn
ing we'll rise early, harness up old
Dobbin to the lumber wagon
"But how are We to get the heavy
barrels up into the wagon ?"
"Goosie !" cried /, laughing, "can't
I put the barrels into the wagon
while they are empty and fill them
mp? And I'll have them sold at
Mapleton before you have got the
pork and cabbage boiling for din
ner.'
"But where will you go?" asked
Kitty.
90, l know OF lots of places. l
went to town once with Obadiah
Fairweather when he sold lot of
cheese. l have a pretty good idea
of the locality of the commission
stores, l can tell YOU"
"After all, Addy," hesitated my
conservative little sister, "it isn't a
woman's work."
"Why isn't 1t, should like to