Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-03-12
TRIAL BY FIRE.

| TRIAL BY FIRE.
The major was one Of the many well
born Englishmen who come to Califor
MA with younger sons portion snt
. small monthly allowance, and hopl
TO make fortune on a vineyard or q
wheat ranch. The plan always look
feasible In England, and the agent as
sures bis victim that the Rl,OOO will
buy ten-acre plot plant vines, build
4 decent bungalow and tide the ownel
over until the vines shall bear and
bring him harvest Of good American
gold.
The major was going the way Of
many Of bic English friends. The
El,OOolegacy was gone, and the month.
ly allowance Of eco (which. viewed
from 4 distance, seemed large) always
grew painfully small as II neared Cali.
fornia and the debts 1t was supposed
to cover. The majors little mountain
vineyard bad been destroyed by phyl-
loxera, 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 rat on his little verands, with
his briarwood pipe between his teeth.
and studied the long, narrow, pictu.
esque Napa valley far below.
II 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, che most helpless Englishman
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 q man to act a.
valet to himself and incidentally cook
the meals for both. The major was
a solitary bachelor then. The gods
alone know in what unpropitious mo-
ment he picked up Pete, to hang about
bis neck, milestone Of ineflciency.
Pete's poverty must have been his rec
ommendation and the majors poverty
the excuse for keeping him. Pete had
about ~ much knowledge Of laying out
and caring for mans wardrobe "a
the major had Of running q ranch. The
consequence was that the major often
presented himself at his friends
houses In the most surprising garb, q,
combination Of white duck trousers,
black frock coat and russell hunting
boots being one Of Pete's masterpieces.
In hib capacity as cook Pete was not
one whit more efficient, and often sui
fered mental agony over the ponderoua
directions OF the MAJORS French cook
book, which were like the hieroglyph-
les OF the ancienu to his clouded intel
lect' Considering the diet OF sour bread
ana timed meats which Pete provided,
" ID only less than marvellous that his
oenefactor was sui alive.
When the major married Ellie Smith,
. pretty San Francisco girl, Pete was
promoted to be manager OF the ranch,
and expended bis grooming talents on
the pet 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 afiiatus, and con"
sequently much time was devoted to
art and little time to ranching.
But TINS was not without protest
from one individual. Not that he was
disturbed by lack OF work, but poor
fete was oIener th'lh NOT the uhwiii-
ing modei ior zines cleVer stuoles'
one gay rete posed Tor lhe Man with
the HOE ms temper was particular
y tried on tnat occasion, Tor ne nad
TAKEN up n's too' WIN one nohes' lnOen-
ZION OF weeding tne primitive vegeta-
ole garden. Inough ne mad scudded
through the pack yard ana climbed the