Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-20
; JACK FROST.

u, w
Gene sat tanning 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. II don't
believe such hot weather as this, in Feb
ruary, would agree with her, after spend
ing 81 winters in Vermont. -
But it will be necessary for her to
come some time if we stay" l replied,
land since FAT her left his property invested
here we are obliged to stay, even If we do
not like il.
'Oh, we'll, do like it, l suppose said
Geno rehectively. But should like to
see just one good Old snowdrift and hear
sleighbells jingle once this winter
"Oh, YOU are /. born northerner, Gene.
But for one, | am glad poor father had tho
resolution to leave that rocky old Nermo ut
farm, said T.
All, but think of the maple strip we
would make up there this spring." cried
Gene
But think Of lie 'cukos, tomat ocs
oranges and pineapples we shall have
here l exclaimed, mot to mention
Strawberries elephants. string beans,
green peas, manages, new potatoes, bects
and corn Thirty acres of them, worth
$4,000 More money than we could grub
from that old Vermont farm with ten
years Of hard work."
What THAI about ten years 'of hard
work - said Ruel, coming around the
corner, with Il phosphate hucko0 on his
arm. bringing il CHASTITY odor of ii with
him Yes; it is hard work, seeding and
wedding, such weather as this. My, but
isn't it hot, though2' he eroaned, throw
;pr, u I b., r. bn
Il cannot work half an hour without
feeling wearicd, - he went on. II suppose
it's those Vermont winters th.wing out
of my blood But it is great weather TO
mako things grow. l can see those long
rows of string beans breaking ground.
Fact girls The ground over those bean
heads is hopping all along the rows, like
little toadsi'
but talk of work. Ruol continued.
Il shall need four hands to help mo with
In three weeks When it comes to picking
and shipping, you girls viii have to pack
the tomatoes. cucumbers and elephants.
Won your fingers have to fly! But there's
money in it. 1t looks as though we could
get rich here in ten years.
But Gone wants maple sirup, said
mischicvously.
ooh, WELL" exclaimed Ruel, ''we can
send up to Vermont for II couple OF gallons
if she must have some.
Florida was q new country 10 all three
of us. for although my father had bought
100 acres hero and had tho cottage built
and orange groves planted seven OF 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
nt,hl h
north.
Our orange and grape fruit trees We're
not yet in 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 Il really
cold night was possible in Florida,
Yet even as we sat there tanning our
selves a negro known as Dandy Green,
who works Il little patch" of his own in
the pine woods half mile beyond our
place came Gathering, mlLieback, along
the road thai leads to Citrus Park. Seeing
my brother on tho veranda, Dandy pulled
up and shouted:
''De's cole wabe comm. Look out fer
yer cukes.
Ruel laughed outright. Ii sounded like
joke
con, I'zo a-tcllin you de troof, Cap'n
Rool.' Dandy cried. ''.1he's comm fer
sho -
Bring on your cold wave" Ruel re
marked, laughing just come out.1nto
the field, girls, and sec those bean heads
poke up the dirt. he continued, swing
ing to his feet We ali followed him. but
had scarcely turned the corner when 1 felt
a cool puff of wind from the northwest.
4. INT fs,l lfr,,.. M,
Gene exclaimed.
Yes; fetch on the cole wabe, y said
Ruei. and he stopped to take good long
breath We then noticed that the sky in
the northwest had turned dun, dark
color.
"Well, that S quecr'' Ruel said, looking
along the bean rows. They We 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 Vermont for the It'll
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
darkcned SO rapidly that the sunshine
faded out, and scattered drops Of rain fell.
ouch cool pufs of wind came that quito
srddenly Gene turned up the collar of her
thin shirt waist.
You're not cold" Ruel said
''No. hut it is really Il great deal cooler, i"
she replied
Geno and went back to the house, and
In ten minutes moro we were closing tho
windows Tho wind blew in gusts, and
the whole sky had turned dark,
Ruol came in and put on his sweater;
then wheeled out his bicycle
"I'm going up to the Park station, he
said to us.
The distance is three milos, and he was
gone about 40 minutes, I should think,
but before he came back Gene and l had
kindled a fire and put on our wool dresses
''Did you ever see such n wind?' Ruel
exclaimed as he opened the door on the
west vcranda. 'iere, Gene, come shut
this door when I take in my wheel, or you
will be blown out of the room A cut
ting, cold wind too. I could hardly keer
warm riding.
And do you know what the operate,
ut the station says, Sirls:'' ho added
He says there "a norther coming, and
begin to believe it. Have you looked al