The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-03-12
A COLD WAVE.
ny MARTHA $. PILLsBURY.


dab, where Gene sat tanning herself
after putting away lunch.
Mat, am glad mother didn't come
down to Florida this winter" she said
to me through the open window. Il
don't believe such hot weather as this,
in February, would agree with her,
after spending 81 winters in Yer
mont"
But it will be necessary for her to
come some time if we stay" replied;
land since father left his property in
vested here, we are obliged to stay,
even if we do not like it,"
"Oh. well, L do like it, suppose"
said Gene, refectively. But L should
like to see just one good old snow-drift
and hear sleigh-bells jingle once this
winter"
''Oh, you are a born northerner,
Gene. But for one, 1 am glad poor
father had the resolution to leave that
rocky old Vermont fqrm," said L.
"Ah, but think of the maple strip we
would make up there this spring."
cried Gene.
But think of the 'cukes,' tomatoes,
oranges and pineapplcs we shall have
here" l exclaimed, mot to mention
strawberries, elephants, stringbeans,
green peas, mangoes, new potatoes,
beets and corn! Thirty acres of them,
worth $4,000! More than we could
grub from that old Vermont farm with
ten years Of hard work."
tfIVbot's that a p11t ton uaav.c Of h n ri
worll?' said Ruel, coming around
the corner with a phosphate bucket
on his arm, bringing a ghastly odor of
it with him. Yes, it is hard work seed
ing and wedding such weather as this.
My, but isn't it hot, though ?" he
groaned, throwing himself on the floor
of the veranda.
Il cannot work half an hour without
telling wearied," 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! l can
see those long rows of string-beans
breaking ground! Fact, girls! The
ground over those bean-heads is hop
ping all along the rows, like little
tOadS!
But Gene wants maple-sirup," said
i, mischievously.
'Oh, weli," exclaimed Ruel, 1--WE can
send up TO Vermont for couple of
gallons-if she must have some"
Florida was a new country to all
three of us, for although my father had
bought a 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 We're
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
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" OF
his own in the pine woods, half a mile
beyond our place, came Gathering,
muleback, along the road that leads to
Citrus park. Seeing my brother on
the verarda, Dandy pulled up and
shouted:
"De's a cole wabe comm! Look out
fer yer cukes!"
Ruel laughed outright. 1t sounded
like a joke.
"Oh, Use a-tellin' you de troof, Cap'n
Rool!" Dandy cried. shes comm
fer shot"
Bring on your cold wave" Ruel re-
marked. laughing. Just come out
into the field, girls, and see those beam
heads poke up the dirt!" he continued,
swinging to his feet. We all followed
him, but had scarcely turned the corner
when | felt a cool puff of wind from
the northwest.
"Ah, doesn't that feel refreshing?"
Gene exclaimed.
Yes; fetch on the cole wabe,'" said
Ruel, and he stopped to take a good
long breath. We then noticed that the
sky in the northwest had turned a dull,
dark color.
well, that's queer!" 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 18th day of February?
You must write mother about it, Mat"
While we stood there for less than
ten minutes, looking at the beans, the
sky darkened so rapidly that the sun
shine faded out, and scattered drops of
rain fell Such cool puffs of wind
came that quite suddenly Gene turned
up the collar of her thin shirt-waist.
You're not cold!" Ruel said.
NO; but it is really a great deal
cooler" she replied.
Gene and | went back to the house,
and in ten minutes more we were clos
ing the windows. The wind blew in
gusts, and the whole sky had turned
dark.
Ruel came in and put on his "sweat-
err" then wheeled out his bicycle.
I'm going up to the Park Station"