The Owosso times., 1918-11-29

william Rogers had been promised
"land army" Of eight girls to help
pick his peach crop. and he was con
sIderably disgruntled when the pom.
p0us Mrs. Van Deusen arrived before
his farmhouse in her spotless dove.
gray limousine with its spotless gray.
Iiveried chauffeur and spotless gray
livefied footman to tell him that the
supply Of labor was not Forthcoming.
"Well, can't say that / was espe-
cially stuck on the idea of having q
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 a man to be
had now" He cast look all but con-
temptuous at the two spotless gray
liyeried ones and would have suggest
ed to Mrs. Van Deusen that by way OF
showing her much-vaunted patriotism
she might dispense with at least one
Of these able-bodied retainers, but Mrs.
Van Deusen was not interested enough
In any ones point Of view but her own
tC 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 was
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 some sort Of empty
house In which to lodge the girls. She
had thonght even 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 IL his peach
crop went to waste and the country
was thereby deprived of that contribu-
tion to the general food supply, It
would not be In the least her fault.
worst of 1t is. counted on those
girls" commented the persistent agri-
culturist leveling his brown eyes on
Mrs. Van Deusen's fiabby face. IT had
chance to get some PolaclSs that /
could have housed in the sheds. but
you'd asked me to save the work for
the girls. SO let the chance Slip
''Well, you can't in the least blame
me-" Mrs. Van Deusen drawled.
II wasn't blaming you'll was just
wondering whether you had thought Of
putting up the girls yourself. You are
a 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."
"Twenty-eight." corrected Mrs. Van
Deusen automatically.
I'D fetch the girls every morning
and cnrry 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 1t was ''obvi-
ously out Of the question"
"I'll let them have my own house."
declared Rogers, more in defiance than
as a result Of calm decision.
"Quite impossible-we are RESPONSE
BILE for the girls and obviously we can't
board them around promiscuously
among the farmers"
But Mr.. Rogers explained that he
would set up 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 thnt she had scored a triumph.
and took great pleasure In telling her
associates in the patriotic work how
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 II not by natural In
clInntIon n 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 unkind you
could tell from the amused smile that
played around her mouth as she put
up white swiss curtains at the upstairs
windows, rearranged heavy old pieces
of furniture and added a hundred and
one touches to the place that were to
transform II to an Adamless Eden
from place that had surely been Eve
less but not surely an Eden. And the
cook was pottering over kettles and
pans 10 the old-fashioned kitchen,
grooming to herself the satisfaction she
felt IN doing this. her share. In bring
ing comfort to the eight girls now 10