The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-22
JACK FROST.

About g o'clock in the afternoon the
thermometer registered 81 degrees of heat
in tho shadow of our little veranda, where
Como sat tanning herself after putting
away lunch.
Mat, I am glad mother didn't come
down to Florida this winter" she said to
mo through tho opon window. ~ don't
boliovo such hot weather as this, in Feb
ruary, would agree with hor, after spend
ing OIL winters in Vermont"
but 1t will DO necessary for her To
como some timo IL wo stay" replied.
and since father loft his property invested
here wo arc obliged to stay, ovon If wo do
not like it,
"Oh, we'll, do like 1t, suppose" said
Geno renectively. "But 1 should like to
SEQ just ono good old snowdrift and hear
sloighbells Jingle once this winter.'
"Oh you aro n born northerner, Gene.
But for one, am glad poor father had the
resolution to leave that rocky old Vermont
farm" said 1.
"Ah, but think Of the maple sirup we
would make up there this spring!' cried
Gene.
"But think of the 'oukes,' tomatoes,
oranges and pincapples we shall have
here" I exclaimed, mot to mention
Strawberries, elephants, string beans,
green peas, manages. now potatoes, beots
and cornl Thirty acres of them, worth
$4,000 Moro money than we could grub
from that old Vermont farm with ton
yenrs of hard work''
Whats that about ton years of hard
Work. said Ruel, coming around tho
corner, with phosphate bucket on his
arm, bringing CHASTITY odor of it with
him. Yes; 1t is hard work seeding and
wedding, snoh weather as this. My, but
isn't it hot, thought" he groaned, throw
ing himself on the floor of tho veranda.
II cannot work half an hour without
feeling wcaricd," he went on. "I suppose
1t 8 those Vermont winters thawing out
of my blood. But it is great weather to
mako things grow. I can SEQ those long
rows of string beans breaking ground.
Fact, girls! The ground over those bean
heads is hopping all along tho rows, like
little toads!''
'But talk of work r. Rucl continued
II shall need four hands to holp mo with
in throe wooks. When 1t comes to picking
and shipping, you girls will have to pacl,
the tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants.
Won't yourflngors havo.to fly But there's
money in it. 1t looks ne though wo could
got rich hero in ton years.
But Conc wants maple sirup," said 1
mischiovously.
"Oh, woll,'' exclaimed Ruel, eve can
send up to Vermont for couple Of gallons
If sho must have some'
Florida was q new country to all three
of us, for although my father had bought
lO0 acres hero and had tho cottage built
and orange. groves planted seven or eight
years before, wo young people had not gone
south with him and had now been there
but ton weeks. Busy weeks they had been
nrtt lioir
crop Of garden vegetables for shipment
north.
Our orange and grape fruit trees were
not yet in bearing, and, in fact had been
nipped hard by tho December frost the
week before we came, but tho weather had
baen so warm after our arrival that we
found 1t difficult to believe that really
cold night was possible in Florida.
Yet oven us we sat there tanning our
solves negro known rs Dandy Grcen,
who works little patch" of his own In
the pine woods half mile beyond our
place, came gathering, muleback, along
tho road that leads to Citrus Park. Seeing
my brnther on the veranda, dandy pulled
up and shouted:
"De'sa colo wabo comm. Look out fer
yer cukes.'
Ruel laughed outright. 1t sounded like
joke.
ooh, TIE a-telliR you do troof, Cap'n
Rool" Dandy cried "She's comm for
Bho."
Bring on your sold wave" Ruol re-
marked. laughing. Just come ont into
the field, girls, and SOS those bean heads
poke up the dirt" he continued, swing
Ing to his feet. We all followed him, but
had scarcely turned the corner when felt
"a cool puff Of wind from tho northwest.
"Ah, doesn't that feel refreshingi''
Gene exclaimed
Yes; fetch on the cole wabe,'" aaid
hnel, and no stepped to take good long
breath. We then noticed that the sky In
tho northwest had turned a dull, dark
color.
We'll, that's queerl' Ruel ss,id looking
along the bean rows. They've stopped
hopping. But don't the rows of whitish
green bean heads look odd, just coming
out of the groundP What would they
think of this in old Vermont for the eth
day OF FcbruBryr You must write mother
about it, Mat
While we stood there for less than ten
minutes, looking at tho bcans, the sky
darkoned SO rapidly that the sunshine
faded out. and scattered drops Of rain fell.