The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-10
The EVENING STORY
Picking the Pears.
(By Donlad Allen. }

down with golden pears. There were
other fruit. trees on the place, but
this was the favorite one.
There was time when this tree
carried dead branches and worm
nests and looked as disreputabie as
an old tramp. 1t had yielded fruit
that no one could eat. Then MISS
Mamie Waterman had taken up tree
culture as fad. Her widowed moth
er had smiled and her brother Fred
had joked sarcastically at her expense,
but she had persevered. The tree had
been pruned, sprayed, mulched, ana
as carefully tended as an ailtng chic,
and it had gratefully responded. IL
bore bushels of pears this fall, and
every one OF them fit for q king TO
eat.
Tuesday was the day set for pick
ing the pears Brother Fred mad
agreed to climb up and handpick and
drop each pear into sheet held
ready by his sister and the cook. The
picking of the pears was to be sort
of family picnic. Alas Cor human
letter asking for the presence of the
mother and son in the city to sign
certain legal papers, and they had an
hour in which to get ready. Tomor-
row must do for the pears.
It was the cook who was respon-
sible for all that resulted. An hour
after the departure of mother and
son, she accosted the daughter with:
It's too bad about them pears.
Some of 'em are already overripe and
dropping off this morning.
But Fred had to go, you know"
was the reply.
But there's two of u.s.
"And what of it?''
why, while I'm too stout to climb,
can hold the sheet or something
We are alone about the place.
There'n be no man to call except
maybe tin peddler, and I can yell
at him before he gets inside the gate.
It's a shame to let the pears get too
ripe
But do you mean that I am to
climb the tree?"
Pears is pears, Miss Mamie. Pears
is big pears. Pears is luscious pears.
When I was a girl of twenty, as you
are. Well, should you want me, call
out"
Miss Mamie went out and surveyed
that pear tree from all sides. She
found her heart beating Easter. she
turned her eyes from the tree to
ladder resting against a shed. Broth
err Fred had had to admit that he
had been in error about the fruit tree;
why not gather it, as well, without his
help? The more she thought OF 1t the
more she favored the idea. 1t would
be thing to crow over when he re-
turned. Three bushels of golden pears
all ready for the preserving process,
and no thanks to you, sir!
Good gracious. but who are you
and what do you want?" was the ex-
clamation of the cook half an hour
later when a trim young man suddenly
appeared in the kitchen.
Don't you know me, Nary"
'Sakes alive, Miss Mamie, but
you've went and gone and done it,
You've got on your brothers clothesH'
Yes, and I'm going to climb the
pear tree while you hold the sheet.
had to put on these clothes to climb
r. All L.. 6@Frr
about It I'll have ghost haunt you
all the rest of your life. Come on"
Fifteen minutes later the ladder was
up and the pears were being picked
and Miss Mamie and the cook were
giggIing over it. Had the agricultural
department at Washington been fur
nished with statistics regarding the
event one of the paragraphs would
have read:
Miss Mamie moved about on the
ladder almost as well as her brother
Fred could have DONE" It was only
when she had stripped the branches
within reach and had to take to the
tree itself that she displayed anything
like timidity and awkwardness. But
that was partly because she had to
consider other things as well as climb
ing and keep calling down to Mary
every five minutes:
Don't forget to keep your eyes on
the gate. If any man should come to
He'd never live to tell of it. I'd
kill him on the spot. We are as safe
as If in the middle of the great Sa-
hara," said the faithful old servant.
Again, alas for human plans! A big
pear dropped, for the sheet went down
only as far as the cooks nose. and
that organ was bumped SO hard that
| the blood poured forth and the fright
ened woman deserted her post and ran
for the house.
1t was while she was applying cold
water that a young man suddenly
came around the corner of the house,
looked all around. and then let his
| eyes follow the ladder up the tree and
| shouted out:
| "Ah, there, old boy! Rang the bell
twenty times and no one came. Pick
, ing the pears, Ell? Quite pastoral.
Why didn't you wait for yours truly ?"
| For ten seconds Miss Mamie was
paralyzed Then it came to her like
a fash that Fred had told of his col
| lege chum who was coming to pass a
fortnight with him before they re-
turned to college together. He had
arrived a day or two sooner than was
expected, and he had arrived to find
F'red's sister dressed in one of Fred's
SUITS and up tree at that. The girl
was gasping for breath when Ronald
Wheaton, for that YVES the name. con-
tinued:
Lost your voice, old man, or aren't
you glad to see me? TIL bet a cookie
1 can hit you in the head with a pear
at the first shot. VIII you come down,
| or shall come up?"
CT am not-not Fred!" quavered q
voice from the limbs overhead
1.-The deuce you aren't! Where is
Fred 20
"He's@he's gone to town.
"Oh, and you must be his brother.
Strange he never mentioned you.
Well, I'm Wheaton. I've come to loaf
for q connie of weeks. I SuDDOSe Fred
will be back soon? Is your mother
at homer"
''N-no, SIR
ssAll gone but you, Ell? Well, can't
YOU come down and show me where
i I am to stow my traps? Don't move
Il about in that careless 1zav nr- you'll