, 1918-09-19
Keeping the
Chaperon
~
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)
By OSBORN JONES


Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per syndicate.)
william Rogers had been promised
a 'land army" of eight girls to help
pick his peach crop, and he was con-
siderably disgruntled when the POM
pous Mrs. Van Deusen arrived before
his farmhouse in her spotless dove
gray limousine with its spotless gray
liveried chauffeur and spotless gray
supply of labor was not forthcoming.
"Well, I can't say that l was espe-
cially stuck on the idea of having a
bunch of girls working in the orchards
from the first" he commented. But
you ladies who are boosting this idea
talked us farmers into the idea-and
besides the peach crop is bully this
year and there just isn't n mar to be
had now" He cast a look all but con-
temptuous at the two spotless gray
liveried ones and would have suggest
ed to Mrs. Van Deusen that by way of
showing her m~uch-vaunted patriotism
she might dispense with at least one
of these a~ble-bodied retainers, but Mrs.
Van Deusen was not interested enough
in any ones point of view but her own
to be at all likely to suspect his senti-
ments.
She explained patiently for the sec
ond time just wherein lay the hitch.
The army of eight girls had been Sc
cured. They came from the other end
of the state-they were 'good, strong,
willing girls" Mrs. Van Deusen vas
sure-and the chaperon had been Sc
cured and the cook on the horizon
and an order for the first weeks sup
plies made out by the chaperon had
already been delivered to Mrs. Van
Deusen's provision dealers. The trou-
BILE all lay with the absence of an
available house in which to shelter the
girls. Mrs. Van Deusen had really
worn herself quite out, and had used
gallons of gasoline securing the neigh
boring country for som sort of empty
house in which to lodge the girls. She
had thought ever of setting up cots
and other temporary furnishings in
one of the nearby school houses but
one was positively falling to pieces and
the other was already occupied by a
gang of Polack's who were keeping the
roads in condition for the army trucks.
1t must have been quite apparent to
Mr.. Rogers that Mrs. Van Deusen had
done her best and that If his peach
crop went to waste and the country
was thereby deprived Of that contribu-
ton to the general food supply, it
would not be in the least her fault.
Worst of it is, / counted on those
girls" commented the persistent agri-
culturist leveling his brown eyes on
Mrs. Van Deusen's fiabby face. II had
a chance to get some Polacks that I
could have housed in the sheds, but
you'd asked me to save the work for
the girls, so l let the chance Slip,
Well, you can't in the least blame
me- Mrs. Van Deusen drawled.
81 wasn't blaming you'll was just
wondering whether you had thought of
putting up the girls yourself. You are
n little down on the folks around here
because they won't move out and let
young girls take their houses = well,
there are no more than three in your
family and ! guess there are twenty
rooms in your house."
'sTwenty-eight," corrected Mrs. Van
Deusen automatically.
I'D fetch the girls every morning
and carry them back at night
Mrs. Van Deusen began TO grow
crimson at the suggestion. Perhaps
it had troubled her before but she as
,sured Mr.. Rogers that it was. "obvi-
ously out of the question"
'in let them have my own house."
declared Rogers. more in defiance than
as a result of a calm decision.
"Quite impossible-we are RESPONSE
BILE for the girls and obviously we can't
board them around promiscuously
smong the farmers"
But Mr.. Rogers explained that he
would set up a portable shack for him
self quite at the remote end of his
large farm and would surrender his
entire large old farmhouse to the girls
and their chaperon.
So Mrs. Van Deusen went away feel
ing that she had scored a triumph.
and took great pleasure in telling her
she had argued Farmer Rogers into
taking the step he had taken. BY the
next day at nine the portable shack
was on its way from the nearest city.
The girls were learning their task in
the orchard under the guidance of Mr..
Rogers one and only "hired man."
and the chaperon, Miss Phoebe Fer
ris. by profession If not by natural In
3 clination a public school teacher. was
working miracles In the old farm
house. Incidentally she was making
mental comments on the domestic ar
rangements of bachelors, but the
these thoughts were not unklnd you
could tell from the amused smile that
played around her mouth as she put
up white swiss curtains at the upstairs
windows. r~earranged heavy old pieces
nf ~furnif1ara md ndded a hnndrcd and