The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-03-20
A COLD WAVE.
By MARTHA $. PILLsBuRY.

BY MARTHA s. PILLsBURY.
| AT two q clock in the afternoon. the
thermometer registered 81 degrees of
heat in the shadow OF our little veran-
dab. where Gene sat flaming herself
after putting away lunch.
MAT. l am glad mother didn't come
down to Florida this winter" she said
to me through the open window. IT
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" I replied;
"and since father left his property in
vested here, we are obliged to stay,
even if we do not like it,
'Oh, well, | do like it, suppose"
said Gene, reflectively. "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, l am glad poor
father had the resolution to leave that
rocky old Vermont farm," said 1.
''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" | exclaimed, mot to mention
strawberries, elephants, stringbeans,
green peas, mangoes, new potatoes,
beets and corn! Thirty acres of them,
~
grub from that old Vermont farm with
ten years Of hard work."
whats that about ten years of hard
worlx?' . said Ruel. coming around
the corner with phosphate bucket
ON his arm. bringing ghastly odor of
It with him. "Yes. it is hard work seed
ing and wedding such weather as this.
My. but sn't it hot. thought" he
eroaned, throwing himself on the floor
of the veranda.
~ cannot work half an hour without
telling wearied," he went on II sup
pose it's those Vermont winters thaw
ing out Of my blood. But it is great
weather to make things growl can
see those long rows Of string-beans
breaking ground Fact, girlsI The
ground over those beanrheads is hop
ping an along the rows, like little
toads!
~But Gene wants maple-sIrup." said
1. mischievously
''oh. WE'LL" exclaimed Ruel, I'VE can
send up 10 Vermont for couple Of
e1llons-if she must have some."
Florida was a new country to all
three Of as. 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 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" of
his own in the pine woods, half mile
beyond our place, came Gathering,
muleback, along the road that leads to
Citrus park. Seeing my brother on
the veranda, Dandy pulled up and
shouted:
"De's a cole wabe comm" Look out
fer yer cukes!"
Ruel laughed outright. 1t sounded
like joke.
"Oh, Use a-tellin' you de troof, Cap'n
Rool!" Dandy cried. ''She's 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 good
long breath. We then noticed that the
sky in the northwest had turned 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 Ver-
mont for the 18th day of February
You must write mother about it, Mat. y
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 shirtwaist.
You're not cold!" Ruel said.
mo; but it is really great deal
cooler" she replied.
Gene and l 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.
err. ~~o:,,~~ ~, 70 tho porL C%afi0r, ~