The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-26
Pomona Zip to Dale.
A COMEDY OF THE FRUIT SEASON.

your sprinkling cart, our roads are get
ting so frightfully dusty, and dozen
or two cutting knives, you always have
such quantities on hand, and-Wny.
what in the world has happened? You
look as IT you had reached the last
notch of endurance!"
something near it, I think" an
| Swered Smithers, with a sallow smile.
That damn Tama-I beg your pardon,
Miss Snlythe-that-"
oh, not at ALL" she interrupted, TAX
ing in good, long breath, ''and if you
could send over some pickers!" adjust
ing turquoise stud in her blue shirt
waist, wed be so much obliged. We
are getting along famously, don't YOU
know, l think it's such fun to run a
ranch. Do you have any trouble in
getting men?"
The scarcity of men is not so bad
as"
"Oh, yes, of course" the high, clear
tones remarked, isn't it a perfect
shame? But do you know was about
to forget my main object in coming
over. such a tragic thing has happened.
MY dear little Dandy, you know he has
| always been used to the park roads,
has gotten something in his foot, do
you suppose you could loan me a horse
for few days?"
Smithers made some sort of dumb
sign the lady was pleased to take for
an assent.
IL. Oh, thank you SO much,'' she gush-
ed, you know we find the neighbors
around here simply dear in doing little
things for us, and it is such lark to
De a business woman, don't you know!"
And, gathering up her skirts, she pick
ed her way daintily among the drip
ping boxes and over the sticky floor.
When the sound of her wheels was
out of ear-shot, Snithers opened his
eyes. well, this certainly is the last
notch,'' he muttered "These Internal
ly little twenty-acre patch, have dis
rupted the Whole system of piece work
by raising wages whenever there's q
pinch, and have borrowed every I'M
attached article on every ranch within
ten miles, and-but this is my chance"
he finished, with a wicked CLINT In his
eye, revenge is. sweet"
''Tamaki," he called, miss Sybil
Smythe at the next ranch wants some
more packers. am through with
your men and think you will just suit
her,
1t was because he saw his revenge,
swift and sure, upon his two pet an
noyances, that he was able to preserve
his outward calm, and, with Soothed
feelings, turned his energies to solving
the labor problem minus his Jap crew.
But as the hop fields had begun to
draw from the ranks of the working
men, the highways and hedges were al
most depleted. One crop of peaches
actually did go to waste for the lack
Of cutters, but as he saw the ground
literally covered with twenty-dollar
pieces, he said to himself at WOULD
have been a greater loss to handle it
at the rate l was paying Tamaki;"
then, with a chuckle: II wonder how
Miss Smythe is making it?"
Tn fAxr u !
returned to borrow a few more trif1es
In the nature of a ton of hay, a set OF
harness, AMI garden hose, she said
so immensely good of you to send us
Damntamaki His crew is simply ele-
CANT, Oh, yes, we have to pay them
two dollars day, but we haven't lost
peach, with an inquiring glance to-
ward the Muir crop, following on the
ground.
Nevertheless, Smithers held on GRIM
ly. Tamakis crew would break her up,
he argued, She would not come back
next year, and the consequent saving
of his trays, harness, horses, hay,
wagons, and every detachable imple-
ment would more than compensate for
the loss of that one variety.
How are you getting along, Ia
maxi ?" Smithers asked the little Jap
boss" one morning as he saw him
scorching in to town.
'Oh. YER good. Miss Smythe YER
fine lady. 1 think boys make a good
deal money this year. maybe" with a
meaning grin.
Yes, think boys do pretty WELL"
Smithers agreed, with a sudden fear
lest Miss Smythe might drop in upon
him to borrow the money to pay them.
There were others who complained Of
the demoralizing effect of these women
who ran their little ranch for the lark
fN@n1 Ia Nra
getting help when it was known that
Miss Smythe was paying 81 a day, but
Let 1t CO." SmitherS always said to
them. This year will freeze them out,
for at the end of the season they will
have to sell their ranch in order to pay
their Japs"
AT the close of the harvesting season
Miss Smythe and her friend wound up
their Countrywide experience with a
house party of friends from the city.
This, of course, necessitated the Dor
rowing of tents, hammocks, and chairs
from Smithers until he was forced to
accept their invitation to be one Of
their number, having nothing left in
his own domain either to sit or lie
upon.
"And do you know" Miss Smythe
confided to him as they talked of their
departure. this has been such an aw-
fully jolly outing, I'd really like to
come up here to live"
But haven't you found 1t a rather
expensive experiment." Smithers gasp
ed.
'Expensive!" Miss Smythe echoed in
surprise.
Yes, expensive" Smithers repeated.
If may ask the question haven't you
found the price of labor overbalances
the profit on the crop?"
Miss Smythe threw back her head
and laughed T110l1th vorx
pretty when she laughed, he noticed.
Poor Damntamakii' she exclaimed,
you can't think what little idiot he