Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-10-26

first dance with ye tonight when we
celebrate the close of the pickin'."
"Oh, you did!" snapped his daugh-
ter, turning full upon him with an an
gry look in her eyes. "Well, all I can
say is that I hope you can deliver the
goods! Pretty pop you are! I'd like
to see myself dancing with greaser or
n Chinaman just because he happened
to pick the most oranges!"
"Wul, you see," said Muggins, apollo
getically, "them oranges had to be
picked, an I didn't see any other way
to get them to do hit"
Beth threw the poppies she was car
rying upon the ground and stamped
upon them.
81 won't have anything to do with
it'll" she exclaimed.
81 asked mom," returned Muggins.
"She said she guess hit wuz all right"
"But a greaser or-or a Chinaroan'"
burst out Beth. "DeStdetA 1 promised
Arthur Bray that he might have the
first dance, and I mean to keep my
word"
"Who's him?" demanded Muggins,
following with his eye buzzard that
was wheeling over their heads.
You know as well as Go" retorted
Beth.
''Meanin' tibet thar one-lung tender
foot, I'm supposin'. Wul, he's in on
hit, too. He kim down to the orchard
this mornin' to git few ideas from
secin' the golden globes gathered from
their emerald nest, usin' his words.
Wul, when he found how the land lay
an why them pickers wuz snatchin'
off them oranges to beat the band he
said:
"T suppose, Mister Muggins-mean-
in me-thet you have no objections to
my enterin' this interestin' contest?
Not thet I desire the pecuniary reward
attachc, to hit, but the honor 81 oein'
fhc first to dance with your daughter
will be sufficient reward for my abors
in your orchard
"Wul, 1 took from tibet tibet he want
ed to git in on the proposition; so | told
HIM to take off his coat an sail in. l
put him down in the lower end of the
orchard with Hop Sing, so If he both
cred anybody 1t wouldn't be nothin' but
d Chinaman. 1 reckon" he added with
laugh, "thet he must have picked at
least one box if he worked right hard"
They had been slowly walking to-
ward the house where the orange pick
ers lad gathered in the protecting
shade of an immense pepper tree to
await the count that would finally de-
eide who had won the prize that was
so much coveted.
The pickers, following the usual Gus
tom when oranges are picked by the
box, had placed in each box as it was
filled a small card bearing TER name.
Muggins gathered these tickets to-
gether, and placing them in his hat,
proceeded to assert them.
"Now, here" said he, as he took out
the first ticket and looked it over, there
is ticket what looks as though hen
with muddy feet tau been waikiki over
hit"
Gail the samee me-" answered Hop
Sing with a cheerful smile.
Eyes, reckon them hen tracks be-
long to you. Arthur Pearson Bray"
read Muggins, going on with the count.
"Wul, now!" he exclaimed in mock sur
prise, $50 ye did pick one whole box all
by yourself? Wul, I call tibet pretty good
for tenderfoot!''
Muggins went on with his count, max
ing caustic comments now and then
which caused the pickers thus singled
out to squirm while the rest laughed.
Char" said Muggins finally, as he
took the last slip out of the hat and
added it to the tally he was keeping on
q pine board. Nov we will arrive at
the interesting conclusion Of this yerc
contest!"
Slowly and laboriously Muggins
CO dnted the marks opposite Hop Sings
name. Three times he counted the
marks before he raised his head and
stared at the grinning Chinaman.
"Twenty-sixl" he calculated.
"All lite" answered Hop Sing cheer
fully.
Muggins, "thet you hev only picked 70
when YOU hold the record around yere.
which is a hundred and three?"
Belly SICK" replied the Chinaman'
drawing down the corners Of his mouth
Feel belly bad. No pick oranges when
feelee bad"
"Humph,' grunted Mugglns, II sup
pose a Chinaman can git sick like a
white man, but Ill be hanged If l ever
heard of one before. Where are you
sick?"
Feel belly bad here" answered Hop
Sing, making general increment with
both hands that covered his entire per-
son.
"Humph," growled Muggins, looking
critically at Hop Sing, who commenced
to shrink into his clothes like fright
ened turtle. "Your eyes look as though
YOU had the collie an your skin is yal-
Ter, but they are always tibet way; SO
I'm hanged if l can see any way from
telling a sick Chinaman from well one.
Well, 1 suppose hit is all right, but hut
seems tibet even sick Chinaman ought
to pick more boxes than tibet.
"Tharl" exclaimed Muggins, as he
finished the second count, tibet 1a
more like hitl One hundred an onel
1 reckon you have won, Juan"
The Mexican grinned and glanced
sheepishly at Beth, who bit her nIr
and looked defiantly at her father.
"Them's ALL" said Muggins at last'
throwing down the hat, IAN Juan has
W.
"I think" put in Bray, modestly,
ooOnnnf "