The Bourbon news., 1904-08-23
A RUNT BUNCH
OF BANANAS D
By FRANK H. SWEET
toOpyrieht. ls04, by Daily story Pub. Col


I T was only scrawny, half-sized
bunch, with irregular. misshapen
3 fingers that had been squeezed be
tween more thrifty punches on adjoin-
ing stalks, but it proved the saliva
tion of Seppina Alfano and Tony.
AT the Barratas finca it was cut be-
cause the parent stalk had to be cut
and removed to make room for new
growth, and the machete stroke was
SO careless as to clip the tips of a
whole cluster of fingers. That made
premature decay inevitable.
OF course the bunch was thrown out,
but by some inadventure a field hand
picked it up and included it with lot
that was being hurried to a vessel.
There the clipped tips were unnoticed,
because at the moment the bunch
passed the inspector his attention was
divided by futtering handkerchief;
but he waved the bearer of the fruit
toward that portion of the hold where
pnly half-bunches of the poorest quail
Hty were placed, for even the most
cursory glance showed it had but two
RndNa half hands, with fingers of al
most unmarketable ugliness.
Twenty hours later the vessel
weighed anchor and left Trujillo, and
by the time it passed Cape Catoche,
with the end of Cuba showing as a
shadow off to the right, the injured
tips were in process of decay. At New
Orleans the bunch was unhesitatingly
discarded as being unfit for journey
north. A hundred or more other
bunches were discarded at the same
time, perfect fruit, except that they
were shade too ripe for long jour
ney. These were sold for trifle to
city fruit venders who were waiting
about the wharf with their push carts,
watching for just such a chance to
buy.
Petro, the Italian who had a stand In
front of the st. Charles hotel, was the
largest buyer; and as he started away
with his fruit wharf hand picked up
the decaying runt bunch and tossed it
Npon the load 1t was easier to do
that than to carry it to the wharf
edge and drop it into the water But
Petro, arrived at the hotel, threw this
bunch with the litter behind his
stand. His was the show position of
the city, with fastidious patronage.
and even the best of those unshapely
and undersized fingers among his fine
stock would injure trade. The other
fruit was carefully wiped and placed
an attractive pyramids and cones, and
all the refuse of straw and stalks
thrown back upon the increasing pile
OF litter. Then his keen, bead-like
eyes went rowing thriftily up and
down the street.
A tramp was slouching furtively
along the opposite sidewalk, apparent
ly uncertain where to go, and evidently
afraid to remain where he was New
Orleans was under wave of reform,
and the city was packed with its GUS
: tomary winter tramps. Every day
hundreds Of them were being run in
and set to work, and the others were
in constant dread of sharing the same
hard fate. Many were leaving the
city
Twenty yards back was a young
woman, not so slouching nor so
ragged and disreputable looking as the
first tramp, but just as furtive. Her
head and face were concealed by bit
of frayed shawl. To all appearance
the two were not aware Of each others
presence.
Petro's thrifty eyes caught the mans
furtive ones. and his hand went up
in beckoning. The tramp hesitated
a little and then started across the
street, his gaze rowing apprehensively
from side to side. The woman fol
1owed his example promptly, but with
out looking at him. They reached
Petro's stand but a few feet apart.
"You like fine, easy job?" asked
Petro, persuasive1y.- "All my refusa-a
stuff here. banan' stalk, spoil apple an
like dat. You take nay push cart an
Jus walk along, oh, so easy, an drop
him in water off the wharf. Only four.
a. six load, an 1 give-a you--see,"
lifting the runt bananas so that the
best cluster should show just above
the edge of the stand. zone whole
bunch banan'. You look-a hun-gree,
an dis make food for three, four day
lone whole week." The corners of
his eyes took in the woman, whose bit
Of shawl had suddenly dropped, show
ing pretty, pinched face that ex-
pressed a pitiful mingling of hunger
and longing. Even the mans eyes