Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-13
CHAPTER Z.
The Voyage Of the Ark.

The Heavenlies was late down to
breakfast next morning. owing. I cal'late.
to the loss Of Lord James. could hear
'em hailing each other. asking. whats
become of my golf stockingsT' and the
like Of that. Trouble seemed to be that
they had too many clothes. II they'd
been limited to one suit for Sunday and
a pair Of overalls to cover up the ruins
the rest Of the week. like ] was they'd
have got along better.
But they was rugged at last, and at
breakfast was as clipper az a pair OF
mackereI gulls. They commenced to talk
garden. Consarn 'em, / hoped they'd
forgot that.
says Van. "Scudder will bring rs loan
at three dollars a boat load. He says it'll
take about fifteen boat loads"
He does, hey?' says I. 'At three dol
lars per? That's generous OF him. Any
thing else?"
Yes. He is to continue to bring us
milk. We have decided that perhaps for
the present We had better not keep .
cow"
Small favors thankfully received. I
was glad that milking want going to be
added to the general joyfulness.
Il think that's a nice far-sighted deci-
sion," says I. Unless you could learn
your cow to eat seaweed, don't see"
vi, oCuQQeT COulQ DTlIl8 Ob nay says
Van. "And we could give the animal the
spare vegetables from the garden"
"'Twould be long time between meals
for the poor critter. I'm afraid" says L.
How much is Nate charging for the
MILK"
Mine cents a quart That's only one
cent more than you have to pay In New
York. and. when you consider how Tar he
has to bring it. I call it dirt cheap.
Well. twas about as cheap as the gar
d4v l;v~< h,,t Anst nnth
Were going to raise chickens, too"
says Hartley "Scudder SO Van says.
will sell us live Plymouth Rocks at ~
cents pound Skipper. you might fix up
the poultry yard In your spare ume
In my spare time. There was a Joke in
that but it want SO intended
Then Van Brunt began to preach pig"
Seems Nate had told him that the one
thing needed to turn Ozone Island into a
genuine natural life heaven was a pig.
in creation that was worth buying.
He showed it to me the other MORN
ing" says Van. The prettiest little
black and white fellow you ever saw.
because she came over, and she said he
was q dear. You might be repairing .
sly for him In your odd moments. SOL
My odd moments. and my even ones.
too. was pretty well filled up for the next
few days. The Heavenlies loafed and
superintended and smoked and fished and
ate. All had to do was to turn out
with the gulls, and cook breakfast, and
clear away, and wash dishes, and build
hen yards. and fix up a leaky pig pen:
and get ready them blessed gardens. and
sweep and dust. and dig clans. and make
beds, and get dinner. and sail boat, and
chop wood. and bundle up washing for
Nate to take to Hubby Ann. and scour
knives, and-and-well. there was plenty
more Seven or eight hundred odd jobs
have slipped nv memory.
The gardens was ready for planting on
a Wednesday. Nate fetched over the last
dory load of loan the night afore, and I
spread 1t afore got supper. The
chickens and the hog was to come on
Thursday / was to take the skin and
go after 'em, Nate being engaged to cart
a carry-al load OF boarders to Ostable.
Hubby Ann was to have the live stock at
the shore ready for me.
"How's the menagerie coming, Mater"
asked I'm cages or on the hoof?"
.Oh, I'll box 'em for you. SOL" he says.
THE hens in one box and the pig In an
young so he won't be no heft to you"
Wednesday morning the Heavenly gar
dening begun. One patch was for Van
Brunt and the other for Hartley. They
brought over by Scudders express and
charged for at undertaker's prices. The
Twins started in with a vengeance. /
showed em how. For once i was super
intendent and the job suited me fine
nothing would have tickled me more. I'M
less twas to turn in and take a nap.
Van takes one hoe and Hartley the
other Each OF 'em was actually round
shouldered from the weight of the seeds
in their pockets. They had cucumber
seeds and melon seeds, and land knows
what Wonder to me was they didn't
try oranges and pineapples. And it the
middle of July!
Now, Martini" says Van. Here goes!
Bet you fifty / get the first cucumber"
iii go you" says Martin. shucking
his jacket SOL, what do I do next?'
l showed him. / started 'em even on
cucumber beds. They hoed like they
went by steam. You never see such am
bilious farmers in your life as they was
Just then.