Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-10-09
CHAPTER VI.
THE NEW PoLE-PuLLER.


Thursday, he found Jack Parmelee
| awaiting him.
81 was 1ookin' for you," said Mr..
Merton's factotum. "We'n go over
ahead of the rest, an I'll show you
how it's done"
They crossed the road together.
Parmelee swinging hop-dog in one
hand.
"You amt farmer" said he, eye
ing Rossiter.
"Not exactly" answered the latter,
Though I've often done farm work.
''Well, there's a dunn sight worse
things than farmin'. You don't catch
me shut up in a shop peddlin' calico
an jew-iaws to lot O fussy wo-
men,"
eyes," Rossiter answered, "the
open air is the natural place for
a man"
said Parmelee. There's too much
pie about"
perhaps I should have been a
farmer" said Rossiter. I'm not par
ticularly fond of racket and a crowd"
you've lived in town, though;
UndC ) pain enough TO See.
Yes said Rossiter, with nod.
"How'd you guess it?"
ooh, it's easy to tell. In the first
place, you don't talk like country
man."
They had reached the hop-field by
this time, and made their way to
| where the box in which Rossiter had
picked was standing.
you'll pull for these three boxes,''
said Parmelee, indicating the one
near them, the one where the Be
crafts had been and the half-box
which Miss Merton and her cousin
had used. ''The girls won't trouble
you much. They're piclin' for health
or pleasure, whichever you've mind
to call it,
Parmelee now swung the strap of
| the hop-dog about his neck and, after
| cutting the vines of one hill very
close to the ground, proceeded to
| show Rosseter how the pole should
| be loosened.
''oh, you'll make it CO., said he,
having seen his pupil lift two poles
with seeming ease.
Rossiter was then instructed in
| regard to stripping the poles after
the hops had been picked, and in
stacking them in Indian-wigwam
fashion by making a basis of four
| poles fastened together by piece
| of vine about three feet from the
| top and then spread wide apart at
| the bottom. Just as the lesson was
over the pickers began to cross into
the yard. Rossiter had said nothing
to the Becrafts in regard to his new
| departure, thinking it would be
rather good fun to surprise them.
He was bringing a second pole to lay
| across the end where Mrs. Becraft
and her daughter picked when the
| family approached, Joe leading the
| way.
| He observed Rossiter and came to
a dead stop.
What in thunder are you up top
he demanded.
Cant you see?' said Rossiter.
you've got a new pole-puller."
"Well, I'll be blowed!' Joe ex-
claimed. while the others expressed
their establishment in various small
outcries; 81 thought you'd never
been in a hop-yard before?"
''This is my first experience, as
sure you," said Rossiter, and then he
informed them how the change had
come about.
'WeT make you hustlei" cried
Joe, breaking off long branch from
the end of vine and beginning to
strip the hops into the box. you'll
wish you'd never seen hop-pole be-
fore night"
"I'n risk it, returned Rossiter,
|
tend the other pickers who were I'M
der his care.
| Work had been going on for an
hour or more when Miss Merton and
Miss Densmore appeared in the field.
Rossiter spied them coming, and had
a pole ready for them when they
reached their box. Both girls recog-
nized him by slight inclination of
the head. and he replied to their
salutation by removing his cap.
We've new poll-puller, I see"
commented Miss Merton, with a GER
tain pretty air of proprietorship in
everything that was going on. ST
hope you won't find it so hard as Mr..
Gridley seemed to-"
AT this instant Joe Becraft set up a
shout of "Hop-polei" so Rossiter
thanked her for her kindly wishes
and hurried away.
what polite pole-puller!" ex-
claimed Miss Merton when Rossiter
was out of hearing. "Who Is he, ]
wonder?"
aren't pole-pullers usually po-
hte?" inquired Miss Densmere. smil-
ing little. ST thought tho une of
1 yesterday was very attentive TO our
wants.
] Eyes, he was, but there is differ