The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-03-06
CHAPTER vi.
THE NEW PoLE-PuLLER.

THE NEW POLE-PULLER.
AS Rossiter came out from break
fast the next morning, which was
Thursday, he found Jack Parmelee
awaiting him.
81 was lookin' for you," said Mr..
Merton's factotum. "We'l go over
ahead of the rest, an I'll show you
how it's DONE"
They crossed the road together,
Parmelee swinging a 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 shop peddlin' calico
an jew-jaws to a lot O. fussy wo-
men,"
"Yes," Rossiter answered, "the
open air is the natural place for
man."
"None O. your town life for mel"
said Parmelee. "There's too much
blamed noise; too many pesky peo-
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;
that's plain enough to see."
"Yes," said Rossiter, with nod.
"How'd you guess it?"
"Oh, it's easy to tell. In the first
place, you don't talk like a 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 pickin' 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 Rossiter 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 a 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.
Pa. was bringing 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 to?"
he demanded.
Cant you see?" said Rossiter.
you've got new pole-puller."
"Well, I'll be blowed!" Joe ex-
claimed, while the others expressed
their astonishment in various small
outcries; Il thought you'd never
been in hop-yard before?"
"This is my first experience, I as
sure you,' said Rossiter, and then he
Informed them how the change had
come about.
"We'n make you hustle!" 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 a hop-pole be-
fore night"
"Pll risk it," returned Rossiter,
good-naturedly, moving away to at
tend the other pickers who were un-
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 q new poll-puller, I see"