River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-10-12

They had been slowly walking to-
ward the house where the orange pick
ers had 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 a. il was
filed small card bearing their 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 il over, here
is ticket what looks as though a hen
with muddy feet had been walllin' over
hii."
"All the samee me-" answered Hop
Sing with cheerful smile.
YES, ! 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 We did pick one whole box all
byyourself? Wul. call tibet pretty good
for a tenderfoot!''
Muggins went on with his count, max
ing eaustic 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
pine board. Now we will arrive at
the interesting conclusion of this yere
contest"
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.
'Twenty-siX!" he calculated.
"AlI 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 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 Muggins, II sup
pose Chinaman can git sick like a
white man, but III be hanged if / ever
heard of one before. Where are you
sick ?'
Feel belly bad here" answered HoT
Sing, making a general movement 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; 50
I'm hanged if l can see any way from
telling a sick Chinaman from a well one
Well, | suppose hit is all right, but hit
seems tibet even 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 one!
| reckon you have won, Juan"
The Mexican grinned and glancel
sheepishly at Beth, who bit her III S
and looked defiantly at her father.
"Them's ALL said Muggins at last
throwing down the hat, IAN Juan has
w.
Il think" put i'll Bray, modestly
that you have overlooked my account
"Wul, swear, so / have! Everybody
hold their breath while L figger uI
what the tenderfoot has picked"
This would have been a difficult mat
ter had any one tried it, for Muggin:
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.
It's one hundred and twenty-five!'
cried Beth, triumphantly, glancing ovel
her fathers shoulder. 'Mr. Bray has
wont"
'''Tain't no such thing!" roared Mug.
gins. MY eyes are weak an I've beer
countin' 'em over twice! You git my
glasses
Beth brought the glasses, and hei
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 record" gasped
Muggins, AN hit wuz done by tender
foot, too! Tenderfoot, shake! I've al
ways known thet you couldn't tell how
far a frog could jump by lookin' at him
but l never rated you higher than pol
lywog, an thar wuz where ] made mis-
take"
That night when Bray led Beth out
for the first dance he was telling hel
something that amused her greatly
Muggins for once in his life was mute
and Hop Sing, from his seat in a corner
grinned cheerfully and jingled five good
American dollars hidden in some mys
terious receptacle in his clothes. But
what he thought of the crazy American
who gave him those dollars for picking
20 boxes of oranges will never be known
Detroit Free Press.