The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-02

deal to have been able to recall his
edict But he was too proud to do 90.
Secretly he thought . good deal Of
young Fleming.
Fleming had never crossed his line.
The two men passed without speak
ing. II Molly ever broke her prom
Use. the colonel knew nothing of 1t.
A week passed. He chafed 1T the
illness which kept him indoors. He
had obstinately refused to have his
crop picked. The commission men
were a bad a. the packers. he swore:
he would let the fruit rot on the
trees. and cut them down that winter
for lumber.
He knew that q second year Of fail
ure would mean bankruptcy. The two
dollars Lemaitre. the packer. offered
him would save him. But he was too
stubborn to make the compromise Of
$2.25 which Lemaitre reluctantly Of
fered.
That was in February. On the goth
of the month norther came sweep.
ing down through the middle West.
When 1t sent the temperature Of
Louisville to ten above the weather
bureau began to telegraph warnings.
When the colonel heard the telephone
ring it marked IL above in Nashville.
Molly told the colonel 90.
We'll get . gang and light
smudges." answered old Travers.
I'm going to save that CROP"
Then you'll sell, father?"
mo, I'll let 1t rot on, the trees But
I'll have the satisfaction Of letting it
ripen before 1t rots," he answered.
The telephone rang again. It was
20 above in Jacksonville, the lowest
known since the great freeze" Of '95,
which put back the orange area for
300 miles southwark.
Its 81 outside, father"
Almost Immediately Lemaitre called
him up on the telephone.
Colonel Travers." he said stifily.
''it's SO in Tampa. We might have
time to save half your fruit with
smudge-fires. I've got gang ready to
work at my expense II you'll sell at
dollar a box"
"Confound your impudence!" roared
the colonel. TELL him that, Molly"
Molly softened it somewhat. But It
was now IS on the veranda. Three
degrees lower and the frost would nip
the tender trees. Six or seven de-
grees, and not lemon would be worth
onxythfnD hut Aounp3nO IN tho
rind.
ITS too late to do anything" the
colonel groaned. But I'm not going
to let Lemaitre make penny out Of
me by any of his thievish tricks.
What's that in the groves, Molly"
Molly went out and returned. Moth
ing, father" she answered.
81 thought l heard q man calling.
You're sure 1t isn't Lemaitre's gang"
quite sure" she answered.
THE telephone rang again. It was
Lemaitre. your last chance, colo
MEL" he called cheerfully. II can get
. third Of your fruit picked before It's
damaged. It's SO outside my packing.
house. The gangs waiting. Fifty
cents . box"
Molly hung up the receiver in time
to restrain her father from doing him
self bodily damage in his effort to get
out Of his chair.
It fell to %, to 30. It fell to 26
that night before the norther disap.
peared. Next morning was bright and
warm. But the colonel knew that
his crop was irretrievably spoiled.
still. it's q comfort to know that
Lemaitre hasn't got any Of It," he So
liloquized.
In another week he was to be al
lowed upon his feet. Meanwhile he
learned that the frost had been gen.
eral throughout the lemon districts.
Prices had gone up 80 per cent. The
Lemon Growers association had roped
all the growers in the county and was
doing fabulous business. The short.
age had enhanced prices sufficiently
to bring afiluence to all who had been
forehanded enough to save their trees
by fires.
I'D have cleared $1,000, Molly"
said the Colonel wistfully to his
daughter.
When he was allowed out he limped
toward his lemon groves. As he an.
ticipated the leaves were willing from
the upper branches. But the trunks
wefe strong and sturdy. and the low.
er branches showed promise of re-
naming sound. The colonel was not
slow in discovering the reason. Round
the roots of the trees were wrapped
burlap protectors. And not q lemon
remained on the twigs.
Colonel Travers turned upon' his
daughter in fury.
who's been herer he shouted.
ITS that Internal Lemaitre. Where
are the lemons. Molly?"
Come here, father" said the girl.
She led him into the barn. There,
piled high from the door to ceiling,
were crates and crates of the fresh
fruit-e7.0oo worth. and not . lemon
spoiled.
And in the midst of the crates. bend
ing over them and examining the
fruit, was-Fleming!
The young man turned around upon
the astounded colonel.
Sorry to have disobeyed instruc-
lions. colonel" he said. but you see
I couldn't let you lose all that money
to crafty . within. So well, In
short, the day before the freeze. when
1t looked as though q norther was ex-
pected. got together . gang and
clipped the fruit for you. And I be.