The Press., 1918-12-26
Keeping the Chaperon
 ~
 By OSBORN JONES
tcopyrisht. 1918. by the Mcclure NsWHpn
 Der Syndicats-)

m sland army" of eight girls to help wack his peach crop, and he was con- adersbly disgruntled when the pom pOus Mrs. Van Deusen arrived before his farmhouse in her spotless dove may limousine with its spotless gray Inverted chauffeur and spotless gray nveried footman to tell him that the gupply of laboE was not forthcoming.
 'rwen. I can't say that I was espe- claIly stuck on the idea of having bunch of girls working in the orchards from the frst," 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 man to De had now" He cast a look all but con- temptuous at the two spOtless gray hyeried 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 an any one's 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 se- cuRed. They came from the other end uf the state-tLey were good, strong willing girls" Mrs. Van Deusen was Bure-and the chaperOn had been se- cured and the cook on the horizon and an order for the first weeks sup piles made out by the chaperon had already been delivered to Mrs. Van Deusen's provision dealers. The trou- ble 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 Rallons of gasoline securing the neigh boring country for some sort of empty house in which to lodge the girls. She had thought 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 KanR of POlack's who were Keeping the roads in condition for the army trucks. It must have been quite apparent to Mfr. 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 eontribu- tiOn to the general food supply, if would not be in the least her fault.
 ~worst of it is, I counted on those girls,H commented the persistent agrl- culturist levellpg his brown eyes on Mrs. Van Deusen's fiabby face. ''I had a chance to get some POlacks that l could have housed in the sheds, but you'd asked me to save the work for the girls. SO I let the chance slip"
 Awell. you can't in the least blame me" Mrs. Van Deusen drawled.
 "T wasn't blaming yOu-I 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 thrte in your family and I guess there are twenty rooms In your house"
 s-Twenty-eIght." corrected Mrs. Van Deusen automatically.
 SPd fetch the girls every morning and carry them back at night"
 Mrs. Van Deusen began to grew crimson at the suggestion. Perhaps lt had troubled her before but she as- sured Mir. Rogers that 1t was "Obvi- OusIy ont of the question"
 aI'lI let them have my own house" declared Rogers, more in defiance than as a result of a calm decision.
 Quite impOssible-we are respOnsi- ble for the girls and obviously We can't board them around promiscuously among the farmers"
 But Mir. 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 ehaperOn.
 So Mrs. Van Deusen went away feel ing that 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 it's way from the nearest city. The girls were learning their task in the orchard under the guidance of MF, Rogers one and only hired man" and the ehaperon, Miss Phoebe Fer. ris, by profession if not by natural in- cllnatiOn a publEc 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, rearranged heavy old pieces of furniture and added hundred and one touches to the place that were to transform 1t to an AdnmlesS Eden from q place that had surely been Eve less but not surely an Eden. And the cook was pottering over kettles and pans In the Old-fashiOned Kitchen erOonirg to herself the satisfaction she felt In doing this. her share. In bring ing comfort to the eight girls now ir the orchard
 Mrs. Van Deusen did not forget heI responsibility and. though she did not forget that Mss Ferris was all Oi thlrty-five and did not miss an OppOr' tunlty to tell her associates that she was a ''plain little mOtherly body who would be safe anywhere" still she hoy cred around the farm with what seem ed to Mir. Rogers to be unnecessary frequency. He could see quite clearly that she was going to take full per sOnal credit for the bumper crop ot peaches his orchard was yielding, and she did seem to forget entirely that by the arrangements he was making he was paying very full value for the amount of labor he received. She ap- parently forgot that the rent of his house had been a gift since he paid the girls wages that did not take into ahafknF@ Annnrs