Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-18

person who could possibly be of help. Long walks
of inspection were taken. The teachers were in
groups from both sides-each with a different
teacher of course-to call upon neighboEng farmers
to learn all they knew on the subject and to get
their permission to gather the nuts ishould any
whom small party OF Polars Ned BY yesse Folsom
called, utterly refused his permission until Jane
Olcott, in despair. offered. to return him any nuts
they might gather on his farm .after5they had been
measured at the school And the offer ae-
cepted.
"The stingy old thingp JessSetsaid as she left
the house; 1--WE, half mind to kpick out all the
worm-eaten ones to give him.
II was fun to see the rival groups scouting the
country in search OF information. On one occa-
sion North and South group approached farm
house frst-only to find that ha- hour previously
1e rd aTose Of
ladies" not to tell anybody else what he knew
of course he could not say.
At last Saturday came, bright and crisp. I'm
Kitchen Kitchen had been drawn UPON for small salt and
-four bags. Helen Robbins and Louise Sinclair,
ripped up one end of a Small lounge-pilIow and
hopefully displayed them to encourage other South
gs ey what they had set for themselves as their
The group from South Hall. headed by Catha-
rne Stearns, with Lou Winslow leading the North
tstion Hail. Miss Caldwell had heartily entered
into the contest, and stood with watch IN hand At
the stroke of two she gave the word "GoP' and
that assemblage of girls scattered if bomb had
been exploded on the lawn Each side had recorded
the reports of each of it's scouting parties during
that week, and small groups had been assigned GER
tain covers in which to hunt and had been given
to repair after having exhausted their first assign
were known to both sides, and lively contests
being fought out in half dozen places at once.
make for tree unknown to the other side, 1t was
amusing to see some hold back, not wishing to dis
close particularly rich find to the others.
Jessie Folsom drew Mary Flanders to one side
Louise Sinclair and Alice Gordon came along.
Walk slowly Poly and let t those soa5s &c.
ehestnu-trees over by that big bouider and you
don't have to crack the burrs, either: found them
s seeg s Of
suspected something of the truth, and they held
started on run. Louise and Alice fearing lest the
Others might be after the trees they were assigned
passed them When they out of sight, Jessie
and Polly walked over to the boulder and began
What went on at score of other places within
a mile radius of the school can be imagined. Here
nuts side by side; over there group eneTsetcaiy
securing the ground for the easiest gathered before
might be in sight and who might have met with
poor luck at their trees.
Everywhere there was mad rush and intense
excitement. Helen Robbins. justifying South Halls
faith in her "dvining" powers. had at her first tree
shanter which seemed to reach 1nitless depth as
the growing weight of nuts stretched the loose wool
harvest had been underestimated, and every avail
able pocket was brought into requsition.
were made for the return Some struck across
country. regardless of mo trespassing" signs, in
the hope of being able to locate 'un-chartered
tree that had escaped the others, and so get fleet
ing FIVE minutes of especially rich picking. 49,.
The first to arrive at the school Lou Wins
low, bowed down with ton of nuts, it seemed
to reality but FIVE quarts the record OF the
proudly displaying their burdens LOUIS heart sank
within her she feared that each had more than
she Polly Flinderss big bag encouraged her, but
thereafter her spirits rose and fell the other girls
deposited their pickings the porch, either
side Of the steps; few minutes before fve-thirty
thrown herself piazza chair
Miss Caldwell was there to meet them, and at
once sent for John to brng his MEASURE from the
stable. In the meantime the chestnuts being
sorted from the hicsory-nuts.
When John arrived the measuring began-irst
with with S9uths harvest 1t seemed to the girls on
clumsy hands filled and emptied the wooden quart
meas s9Ts,. 49,. :,
huge piles of hckory-nuts impatient at Johns de-
hberateness, and then the quart measure for
the rest?"
But John had begun. and nothing would stop
him. .s.-,
"Thrteen-yes, mss-fourteen-but it's Asixteen
So they had to endure the agony of waiting.
Miss Caldwell and several of the girls kept tally
and a shout went up from the South girls when
John bad called off "eighty-four, and that's ALL"
First class in mental arithmetic stand up"
announced Helen Robbins
IF one quart of chestnuts equals four quarts
eighty-four quarts of hickory-nuts equal?"
"Twenty-one'
North's contribution was then measured and
showed but sixty-eight quarts, equivalent of
seventeen quarts of chestnuts
Then John began Souths chestnuts which
amounted to twenty@eight quarts, giving the total