Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1910-01-13
PICKING THE PEARS.
BY DONALD ALLEN.

Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
ary Press.
The big pear tree in the rear of the
Waterman manor house was loaded
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 az disreputable as an old
tramp. 1t hao yielded fruit that no
one could eat Then Miss Mamie
Waterman had taken up tree culture
as fad. Her widowed mother had
smiled and her brother Fred had joked
sarcasttcally at her expense but she
had persevered. The tree had been
pruned, sprayed, mulched and as care
fully tended as an ailing child, and 1t
had gratefully responded. 1t bore
bushels of pears this fall, and every
one of them fit for king to eat.
Tuesday was the day set for pick
| ing the pears. Brother Fred had
agreed to climb up and handpick and
drop each pear into sheet held ready
by his sister and the cook The pick
ing of the pears was to me a sort Of
family picnic. Alas for human plans!
Tuesday morning brought letter ask
ing for the presence of the mother
and son in the city to sign certain le-
gal papers, and they had but an hour
in which to get ready. Tomorrow must
do for the pears.
1t as,the cook who was responsible
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 drop
ping 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
I can hold the sheet or something. We
are alone about the place. There'll be
no man to call except maybe tin
peddler, and can yell at him before
he gets inside the gate. It's shame
to let the pears get too ripe"
But do you mean that am to climb
the tree?
Pears is pears, Miss Mamie. Pears
is big pears. Pears is luscious pears
When was 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 faster. She turned
her eyes from the tree to a ladder
resting against shed. Brother Fred
had had to admit that he had been in
error about the fruit tree; why not
gather it, as we'll without his help?
The more she thought of it the more
she favored the idea. 1t would be q
thing to crow over when he return
ed, Three bushels of pears all ready
for the preserving process, and nc
thanks to you, sir!"
Good gracious, but who are you
and what do you want?" was the ex
clamation of the cook half an houl
later when a trim young man sud
denly appeared in the kitchen.
Don't you know me, Mary?"
I "Sakes alive, Miss Mamie, but
you've went and gone and done it!
| You've got on your brothers clothesn
"Yes, and I'm going to climb the
pear tree while you hold the sheet.
had to put on these clothes to climb
in. but If you ever tell human being
about it I'll have a 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
giggling over 1t. Had the agricultural
department in 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" 1t 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 tc
consider other things as well as
| climbing and keep calling down tc
| Mary every five minutes:
Don't forget to keep your eyes or
the gate. If any man should come tc
catch me up here-!"
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 thai
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 tres
and shouted out:
"Ah there, old boy! Rang the bel
twenty times and no one came. Pick
ing the pears, eh? Quite pastoral
Why didn't you wait for yours truly?'
For ten seconds Miss Mamie was
iparalyzed. Then 1t came to her like 9
flash that Fred had told her of his col
lege chum who was coming to pass &
fortniaht with him before they ra