Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-12-02

await the count that would finally die.
eide who had won the prize that was
SO much coveted
The pickers. following the usual cua.
tom when oranges are picked by the
box had placed i'm each box as il was
tlled 4 small card bearing their mama,
Muggins gathered these tickets to-
gether, and placing them In his hat.
proceeded to assert them.
Now. here" said he, as he took ont
the first ticket and looked il over. there
is ticket what looks as though n hen
with muddy feet had been wall<in' over
hit"
All the samee me-" answered Hop
Sing with a cheerful smile.
Yes. l reckon them hen tracks he
long TO you. Arthur Pearson Bray
read Muggins. going on with the count.
"Wui, now." he exclaimed in mock sur
prise. 80 ye did pick one whole box all
byyourself? Wul, call thet pretty good
for ten6erfootl''
Muggins went on with his count. maxi
ing caustic comments now and then
which caused the pickers thus singled
out to squirm while the rest laughed.
Thar" said Muggins finally. as he
took the last slip out Of the hat and
added it to the tally he was keeping on
a pine board. Now we will arrive at
the interesting conclusion of this we're
contesti"
Slowly and laboriously Muggins
counted the marks opposite Hop Sings
name. Three times he counted the
marks before he raised his head and
stared at the grinning Chinaman.
''rwenty-sixl" he calculated.
"All lite" answered Hop Sing, cheer
fully.
DO you mean to say" demanded
Muggins, tibet you hev only picked &c
when you hold the record around yere,
which is n hundred and three?'
Belly Sick" replied the Chinaman,
drawing down the corners of his mouth.
Peel belly bad. No pick oranges when
feelee bad"
"Humph,'' grunted Muggins, Il sup
pose a Chinaman can git sick like a
white man, but I'll be hanged if ever
heard of one before. Where are you
sick?'
Feel belly bad here" answered Hop
Sing, making general movement with
both hands that covered his entire per
son.
"Hnmph,' growled Muggins, looking
critically at Hop Sing, who commenced
to shrink into his clothes like a fright
ened turtle. Your eyes look as though
you had the collie an your skin is val
Ter, but they are always tibet way; so
I'm hanged if l can see any way from
telling sick Chinaman from a well one.
Well, 1 suppose hit is ali right, but hit
seems thet even a sick Chinaman ought
to pick more boxes than tibet.
Thar" exclaimed Muggins, as he
finished the second count, tibet is
more like hit! One hundred an onei
reckon you have won, Juan"
The Mexican grinned and glanced
kheepishly at Beth, who bit her nj
and looked defantly at her father.
"Them's ALL" said Muggins at last,
throwing down the hat, IAN Juan has
w.
IT think" put in Bray, modestly.
that you have overlooked my account
"Wul, swear, so havel Everybody
hold their breath while 1 figger up
what the tenderfoot has picked!''
This would have been a difficult mat
ter had any one tried it, for Muggins
counted and recounted the marks that
he had placed opposite Bray's name.
"It's-it's-" he began, but he could
get no further.
Its one hundred and twenty-fivel-
cried Beth, triumphantly, glancing over
her fathers shoulder. Mr.. Bray has
WON'T
'Tain't no such thingl" roared Mug
gins. My eyes are weak an I've been
conntin' 'em over twicel You git my
glasses"
Beth brought the glasses, and her
father, putting them on, started a re-
count. But it only resulted in adding
one more box to the credit of Bray.
Hits broke the recordl" gasped
Muggins, AN hit wuz done by a tender
foot, tool Tenderfoot, shakel I've al
ways known thet you couldn't tell how
far frog could jump by lool1in' at him,
but never rated you higher than a pol
lywog, an thar wuz where made a mis-
take"
That night when Bray led Beth out
for the first dance he was telling her
something that amused her greatly. |
Mnggins for once in his life was mute, |
and Hop Sing, from his seat in corner,
grinned cheerfully and jingled five good |
American dollars hidden in some mys-
terions receptacle in his clothes. But
what he thought of the crazy American
who gave him those dollars for picking |
~ x.-fII =, 49, l..