The news boy., 1896-03-07
TRIAL BY FIRE.

The major was one of the many we'll
born Englishmen who come to Califor-
MA with younger sons portion and
a small monthly allowance, and hop,
to make fortune ON a vineyard or a
wheat ranch. The plan always looks
feasible in England, and the agent as
sures his victim that the & 200 will
buy tcn-acre plot, plant vines, build
decent bungalow and tide the owner
over until the vines shall bear and
bring him n harvest Of good American
gold.
The major was going the way OF
many of his English friends. The
1.O0Olegacy was gone, and the month.
1y allowance of eco (Which, viewed
IRON distance, seemed large) always
grew painfully small as it neared Cali
tornia and the debts it was supposed
TO cover. The majors little mountain
Vineyard had been destroyed by phyl-
loNera, and he was living on the uncer-
. tain promise of q number of green
shoots, called, respectfully, "the olive
orchard" But the major was not un-
happy. When he was not tilling the
soil, he sat on his little veranda, with
his briarwood pipe between his teeth,
and studied the long, narrow, pictu-
esquc Napa valley FAR below.
1t may be that the majors failure to
succeed in the grape business was not
the fault of the country, but that his
genial, impractical nature was the true
obstacle to success. The major was, in
fact, the most helpless Englshman
who ever came to California to take
care of himself. The poor fellow be-
came so convinced of this after short
trial that he engaged man to act as
valet to himself and incidentally cook
the meals for both. The major was
solitary bachelor then. The gods
alone know in what unpropitious mo-
mcnt he picked up Pete, to hang about
lis neck, milestone of inetfic iency.
Pcte's poverty must have been his rec
cmmendation and the majors poverty
the excuse for keeping him. Pete had
about as much knowledge of laying out
and caring for n mans wardrobe as
the major had of running a ranch. The
consequence was that the major often
presented himself at his friends
houses in the most surprising garb, II
combination of white duck trousers,
black frock coat and russct hunting
boots being one of Petc's masterpieces.
In his capacity as cook Pete was not
one whit more efficient, and often suf-
fered mental agony over the ponderous
directions of the ma jor's French cook
book. which were like the hieroglyph-
;cs of the ancicnts to his clouded intel
iect. Considering the diet of sour bread
and timed meats which Pete provided
il is only less than marvellous that his
Senefactor was still alive.
When the ma jor married Ellie Smith.
pretty San Francisco girl, Pete was
promoted to be manager of the ranch.
and expended his grooming talents on
the pct mule. The majors wife was
"artistic." She had studied sketching,
and did some really clever bits. Her
admiring husband was sure that she
possessed the divine afflatus, and con.
sequently much time was devoted to
art and little time to ranching.
But this was not without protest
from one individual. Not that he was
disturbed by lack of work, but poor
Pete was oftener than not the unwill
ing model for Ellie's clever studies.
One day Pete posed for "The Man With
the Hoe" His temper was particular
ly tried on that occasion, for he had
taken up his tool with the honest inten-
tion of wedding the primitive vegeta-
ble garden. Though he had scudded
through the back yard and climbed the
1, loI nj f.
ing his young mistress in the barnyard.
lie began to wrestle with the weeds
and pretended not to see her. His edu"
cation, however, had not included a
sight of Millet's picture, or he would
have fed down the mountain side in
utter despair.
"Stop, stop, Pete, right there. Don't
move an inch," called the sweet voice
that drove him to madness. ken
Meth" Ellie called to her husband.
"Look. Isp't it wonderful? The lights,
the pose, the very landscape like"
""The Man with the Hoe shouted
the major, gleefully. "I'll get your
paints, Ellie. Hold on, Pete" and be-
fore that honest son of toll had time
to collect his scattered senses he found
himself posing in a very uncomfortable
attitude, with the Napa valley lying
at his feet and the majors familiar
phrases ringing in his ears-"Fine pose
Jolly good subject-delicious color
ing"
After Pete posed for q hundred OF
more Indifferent works of art without
names, he began to think of deserting
his master and leaving him to just
8 ana awful fate. But this stupendous
blow was nyerted by the arrival of
BromptoA Edwards, another English
: man, who had come to learn practical
ranching under the direction of his
fathers old friend, the major.
After week had beeu been given
up to driving his protege about the
valley and introducing him to the Eng
Iish colony, the major returned to his
daily routine of pruning olive trees aud
!. digging ont worm-eaten grape vines.
Ellls so6n discovered in the young
manH S1ean-cnt features and hne ath.
4 Iefjc Eatbe IN entirely new Aeld for
lyt q y: and Edwards bound the timc
80 6Qfu pleasently - 9 model than as
IDJe ranchsr, Ehsy wurs 10,
!. & Is 7,s9 1pelt Is ~ da9,ioA|