The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-12-23

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twelve or fifteen boxes of choice fruit
AS Nelly approached the Carr cabin
she noticed several boys shrinking BE-.
hind dllapldatea she'd Her face
flushed. or course they were the
thieves, she told herself Indignantly,
That proved Il.
But n short talk with the placid, even
tempered invalid cooled her down
somewhat; only whom she loft the
cabin she started on run toward
home, She was aflmid that II she
looked around abe would see the hoys
and say something angry.
Mira blair had been In the habit OF
occasionally employing the Carr boys
TO help In the truck patch. but Nelly
was now 30 violently opposed to this
that after . few ineffectual protests
the mother yielded. Now and then
Nelly carried soup or some other dell
cacy across the fields TO the invalid.
but she was careful to make these
visits at times when she thought the
boys were away, And on their part
the boys seemed equally glad to avoid
her.
As summer heightened into fall and
the clear. crisp days OF October and
November appeared the oranges grew
larger and larger and finally began to
turn yellow. Nelly watched them 30
lAcitously and tried TO count the num-
Der OF oranges on one limb and from
this small basis 10 estimate the mum.
bers OF boxes on each tree.
"Do you s'pose there'll be fifteen
boxes apiece. marnmaT' she asked
one day after abe had made long
calculation on piece Of brown paper,
II wouldn't be surprised, honey.
They hang very full this year"
THAT would be slxty boxes" said
Nelly after a few seconds work with
her pencil. "well. call II iifty. Fifty
boxes az - a box makes 500. An
you know. mamma" triumphantly
1--WE rechoned up that 500 more would
keep us through the year, Now, man
ma" impresslvely, III we make $40
extra can't you have the new dress
and curtains an me some new shoesT
"Yes, indeed" replied Mrs Blair
gayly. "an' You shall have new wool
dress, too, Nelly. an select It oil by
yourself"
At length the oranges were ready 10
pick. but Mrs. Blair hesltated. There
were rumors that the markets had
been glutted by unwise shipments of
fruit and that some forwnrders would
hardly make expenses. SO she waited
and listened eagerly 10 such meager
market reports as came 10 her from
the nelghbors
One afternoon Nelly went to the VII.
Iage with some eggs. When she re
turned there was suppressed excite
ment In her face
Il heard 'em talkin' In the store bout
a cold wave comin'," she said excited
ly. 'Mr. Tibbs said he lowed theFe'd
be good many oranges froze tonight.
An It's gittin' awful cold, mamma. My
hands fairly ached."
Mrs. Blair was cooking and had not
noticed. She now went outside. Yes,
II was certainly growing cold. The
wind actually stung her face as she
stepped past the corner Of the house
An hour later II was still colder, and
by the time the sun sank behind the
pines she was as anxious as Nelly.
Neither Of them thought OF supper.
They had occasionally saved tender
vegetables from frost by smudge nre
so placed that the smoke would tioat
across the endangered plants. Mrs
Blair was not very sanguine about IT'S
saving an orange grove In case tbe
cold became excessive, but there seem
ed nothing else they could do. 50 piles
Of brushwood were made along the
west side Of the trees and covered with
green boughs and anything that could
prevent the fire from bursting into
flames. For the most part they work
ed hurrledly and silently. Nelly bring
ing the material and her mother ar
ranging It on the piles.
But when the fires were kindled the
smoke refused to meet their desire.
II rose thick and black, but drlfted
this way and that under the branches
and over the branches and of TO one
side, but never covering the trees with
the dense canopy they were longing
for And this failure only made them
work the more desperately. 1t was
getting colder and colder, and they
realized with growing dread what the
loss Of the oranges would be to them.
Nelly was gathering up an armful Of
grass and weeds, reckless Of the sand
spurs which clung to her fingers, when
she heard approaching footsteps. Look
ing up, she saw Bin Carr and his four
brothers.
Hello, Nelly" said Bill, rather sheep
ishly.
Hello"
"seen you uns' fires an thought we'd
come over an sort o. hep. Mighty
cold, amt hit?"
YES" Then, after an embarrassed
silence: "Well, why don't you 80 to
work? Plenty Of 1t here"
"shu! No use workin' that way"
contemptuously. smoke don't scasely
tech the trees. Sides, smoke amt
goin' ter scare this freeze. No, sir-eel
Hits too big. Say, Nelly, we uns ia
nlufnb sorry 'bout them melons an