The news boy., 1896-03-14
"A COLD WAVE.
Br MARTHA 9. prLLsBuRY.

thermometer registered 81 degrees Of
heat In the shadow of our little vernn-
tah, where Gene sat flaming herself
after putting away lunch.
= "NTat, am glad mother didn't come
down to Florida this winter" she said
TO me through the open window. ~
don't believe such hot weather as this.
in February, would agree with her.
after spending 81 winters in Yer.
mont"
"But 1t will be necessary for her to
come some time If we stay" replied;
''and since father left his property in
vested here, we are obliged to stay,
even II we do not ike it,"
"Oh, well, L do like it, suppose"
said Gene, renectively. "But 1 should
like TO see just one good old snow-driit
and hear sleigh bells jingle once this
winter
"Oh, you arc a born northerner,
Gene. But for one, am glad poor
father had the resolution to leave that
rocky old Vermont f1rm," said I.
"Ah, but think of the maple sirup we
would make up there this spring!"
cried Gene.
'But think of the 'cukes,' tomatoes,
oranges and pneapplcs we shall have
here" l exclaimed, mot TO mention
Strawberries, rggplants, stringbeans,
green peas, mangoes, new potatoes,
beets and corn! Thirty acres of them,
worth $4,000! More than we coull
grub from that old Vermont farm with
ten years OF haI d work."
whats that about 'ten years of hard
work" said Rnel, coming around
the corner with a phosphate bucket
on his arm, bringing ghas.ly odor of
1t with him. "ies, it is hard work seed
ing and wedding such weather as this.
My, but .sn't it hot. thought" he
groaned, throwing himself on the floor
of the veranda.
II cannot work half an hour without
telling wearieG," he went on. 81 sup
pose it's those Vermont winters thaw
ing out of my blood. But it is great
weather to make things grow! 1 can
zee those long rows of string-beans
breaking ground! Fact, girls! Tho
ground over those bean-heads is hop
ping all along the rows, like little
toads!
"But talk of work." Ruel continued
"I shall need four hands to help me
within three weeks. When l. comes to
picking and shipping, you girls will
have to pack the tomatoes, cucumberss
and eggpplants. Wort your fingers
haze to 1ly? But there's money in it.
1t looks as though we couil get rich
here i'm ten wears"
but Gene wants maple-sirup," said
!. mischerously.
"Oh, weli," exclaimed Ruel, "we can
rcnd up 10 Vermont for Il couple Of
galions-if she must have some"
Florida was new country to all
three of us, for although my father had
bought hundred acres here, and had
the cottage built and orange-groves
planted seven or eight years before,
we young people had not gone south
with him, and had now been there but
ten weeks. Busy weeks they had been,
seeding, "fertilizing" and preparing
our first crop of garden vegetables for
shipment north.
Our orange and grapefruit trees were
not yet bearing, and, in fact, had been
nipped hard by the December frost the
week before we came; but the weather
had been so warm after our arrival that
we found it difficult to believe that a
really cold night was possible in Flor.
IDA.
Yet even as we sat there tanning our
selves a negro, known as Dandy
Green, who works a little patch" o.
his own in the pine woods, half a mile
beyond our place. came Gathering,
muieback, along the road hat leads to
Citrus park. Seeing my brother on
shouted:
"Dc's a cole wabe comm! Look out
fer yer cukes!"
Ruel laughed outright. 1t sounded
like joke.
"Oh, Use a-tcllin' you de troof, Cap'r
Rool!" Dandy cried. 'Shc's comm
fer Shot"
''Bring on your cold wavc," Ruel re-
marked, laughing. Just come out
into the field. girls, and see those bean
heads poke up the Dirt" he continued
swinging to his feet. We all followed
him, but had scarcely turned the corner
Wnen 1e!t II COOL pun VI Niuu iioh
the northwest.
".Ah, doesn't that feel refreshing"
Gene exclaimed.
'Yes; fetch on the cole wabe,'" sait
Ruel, and he stopped to take goot
r long breath. We then noticed that the
sky In the northwest had turned a dull
dark color.
"yyell, that's gueer!" Ruel said, look
ing 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 ground? What
would they think of this in old Yer
mont for the 7th day of February
You must write mother about it, Mat
While we stood there for less thar
ten minutes, looking at the beans, the
sky darkened so rapidly that the sun
shine faded out, and scattered drops o.
rain fell. Such cool puffs of wint
came that quite suddenly Gene turned
UP the collar of her thin sbirt-waist.
you're not cold!" Ruel said.
'No; but it is really great dea
cooler" she replied.
Gene and went back to the house
and in ten minutes more we were clos
ing the windows. The wind blew II
gusts, aud the whole sky had turne;
dark.
Ruel came in and put on bis sweat
er,' then wheeled out his bicycle.
I'm going up to the Park Station,