The Opelousas courier., 1900-03-24
Shaken Attachment.
THE ASSISTANCE OF An EARTHQUAKE IN A MOMENTOus DECISION.
By HARRY E.

L VA ~ AVN AGS VI q
happier. distinction than having ones
face stamped in green and gold on the
%glittering labels of the California Con.
solidated No. / Pie Apricot. And, in.
deed, has not la diva been f1attered
into serving the less gorgeous designs
of tooth-powder and soap?
There was a little hiss, an audible
fermentation, then q pop and a slam.
A pyramid of cans toppled over and a
splash of yellow lusciousness was
flung upon the managers ~golf-shirt.
Jessie wiped a sticky blotch from her
rosy face. A box of freshly labeled
tins wash disgrace.
"Cussed carelessness!" exclaimed
the angry manager. 'iSee here,
Dave!"
''Sir?"
another burst. Can set away
with o leak in it, again. Why don't
you stop such slovenly work?"
'sThe member went over 'em ALL"
muttered Dave.
"With his eyes shut" commented
sAo AldllHbSIy
Accidents viii happen" the cook
persisted.
IF there's another in your depart
ment, there'n be a shake-up."
The managers tone closed the con-
versation with a sort of bang. 1t hurt
Dave as though his finger had been
caught q ainst the door-iamb, and the
worst of the pain wal that Jessie had
heard. The manager had not said
anything SO very bad If he had not
said it before Jessie. Dave wondered
if there was any foundation for the
girls gossip about the pink shirt and
ell that. He turned a flushed and in
iured face toward Jessie.
"Hurt, Jess?" he asked.
"No," she laughed, still reckoning
to the cans. That was all, but It
seemed to soothe Dave, and he
laughed. Jessie laughed, too. The
manager was in his Office, seriously
divesting himself of apricot juice and
sugar.
It seemed cooler in the steamy kit
chen, though the mercury was rising.
Through the open door Dave soon saw
the manager strolling among the hur-
rylng cutters. Some of the girls could
halve the cot and flip out the pit with
one quick twist of knife and thumb.
The motion seemed simple, but You
could not understand it at first sight.
Have 'em look a little sharper
after their sorting. Miss BumblaI"
the manager called, after a fash of his
quick eye around tie room.
alright. .sirr'said The s.forelady."
who was clicking a hole with a ticket
punch in the tag of a fat and Wheeling
cutter, who had brought her pile of
pits to get credit for having finished q
box of the cots. A hole in her tag
worth six cents to her. ssMy..
amt it hot!" she puffed, wiping her
lace with her apron. It was late in
July and the sun beat remorselessly
on the corrngated-iron roof. The fat
wondered why the manager
lad not set some eucalyptus-trees
the works, as she stood in the
doorway for a moment and gazed
ongingly at the mountains half hidden
~ a gray gauze of dust. HLooks like
! Santa Ana, said the wheezy one.
"Trays!" sang out a shrill trio of
'opranos in the cutting room.
Always short of traysl I believe
he boys eat 'em!" growled the man
ger, passing through to the kitchen
md shaking things up all along the
me. The manager spent more time
the kitchen than in his Office. not
altogether to the qualification of Dave.
The cooking was a critical process:
nd then from the back door of the
the manager could keep one
'ye IN the labelling. Privately, Dave
lad Rpostulated to Hebe that it didn't
10 thsAhelp any good to eye EN- all
he tiKs; Whereat Hebe winked pri-
-atelX sld UNANIMOUSLY at the sealer.
E1le last batch of the forenoon had
sesA put into cook, and Dave scanned
heswater closely to see if a tell-tale
hubble was escaping from a leaky can.
suddenly the water quivered. Dave
eltsa little jar, and heard d crash as
+ 9 tall stack Of loaded trays had top
lied over in the cutting room.
True to his trick, the manager
capped up and stood astride q corner
one Of the big tanks, peering across
he half partition, to see what the
mischief 49,
There came q creaking sound. The
'uilding sWayed, the partitions heav-
ng and the boards grinding against
aeh other. There was another lar.
# q frelght-shifter had bumped into
he cannery-then q tremendous
piash, and sprays of water Missed
pom the sealer's hot irons.
A second Of staring, startling silence
ms followed by a chorus Of shrieks
overwhelmed all things. / fter
ne earthquake was over, the girls
I'D lime to be frightened.
Merciful powersI'' yelled the
ealer. ssthe boss is parboiledn
For o quivering moment the whole
annery seemed horror stricken. then
4 rushed for the tank. One woman
III in q faint, and the others swept
her. Dave stood as If paralyzed,
ut with q qneer look on his face that
as either lunacy or amused aelf-pos-
assion: There weresounds Of 4 strug-
9 il the tank, but no cry was heard.
With bianched face The sealar
rushed by Dave and reached for tbs
team valve.
No. said Dase, holding him back,
thaf'0 q Geld 4as,lr 49,