The Sun. [volume] (Price, Utah) 1915-1932, 1919-03-14
Keeping the
Chaperon
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per rYndicateD
O0
BY OSBORN JONES

William Rogers had been promised
land army" Of eight girls ~ help
pick his peach crop. and Do was con
sidcrably disgruntled when the pom
pous Mrs. Van Dcusen arrived before
his farmhouse in her spotlcss dove
gray limousine with It's spotless gray
liveried chauffeur and spotlpss gray
liveried footman 10 tell him that the
supply ~ labor was not forthcoming.
"well. can't say that ! was cspe-
cially stuck on the idea of having a
buncn Of girls working In the orchards
from the FIRST" he commented. But
YOU ladies who are boosting this idea
talked MS farmers into the idcu-ahd
besides the peach crop Is bully this
year and there Just isn't man 10 be
had now" He cast n look all but con-
temptuous NJ the two spotlcss gray.
livericd ones and would have suggest.
ed to airs. Van Deuseu that by way Of
showing her undetermined patriotism
she might dispense with nj least one
Of these nble-bodicd retnincrs. hut Mrs
Van Dcusen was not Interested enough
In any ones point 81 view hut her own
20 be nj M likely to suspect his scnti.
ments.
She explained patiently Tor the sec.
ond time Just wherein lay the hitch.
The army ~ eight girls had bccn se-
cured. They came from the other end
81 the Nnte-they were good. strong.
willing girls" Mrs. Van Dcuscn was
surc--und the chnpcron had been Sc
cured and the cook on the horizon
and an order for the first weeks sup
plies made out by the chnperon had
already been delivered 90 Mrs Van
Dcuscn's provision dealers. The trou.
bic nll lay with che absence Of m
available house In which tu shelter the
girls. Mrs. Van Dcuscn had really
worn herself quite cut. and hud used
gallons Of gasoline securing the neigh
boring country fnr some sort of empty
house ~ which 90 lodge the girls She
had thought even uf settling up cots
and other temporary furnishings In
ono ~ the nearby school houses hut
one was positively falling 10 pieces aud
the other WIS already occupied by a
gnng Of rolnck's who were keeping the
roads IN condition Tor the army trucks
II must have been quite apparent To
Mr.. Rogers that Mrs. Van Dcu-"n had
done her best and that n his peach
rrop went tn waste and the country
WIS thereby deprived Of Tint coniribu.
ton ~ the general food supply. IL
would not hc In the least her fault
Worst Of II T.. I counted on those
girls commented the persistent agri.
culiurisi ir,'linr his brown eyes on
>Irs. Van D.uspns hnbhy face. II had
chance to get somr Polncks TINT !
could have housed In the sheds, hut
you'd asked me ~ suyc the work for
the girls. ~ I LEI the chnncc slip"
swell. YOU can't IN the least blame
me-" Mrs. Van Dcuscn drnwlcd.
II wasn't blaming ypn--I was lust
wondering whether you'hnd thought ~
putting NJ the girls Yourself You ARE
little down On the folks around here
becnus. they won't move out and let
/ young girls take their houses go well,
there are no more than three In your
\ family and ] guess there ur" twenty
rooms In your house"
'Twcnty.cight," corrected Mrs. Van
| Dcuscn automatically
I'D fetch the girls every morning
nnd carry them hack nc night"
Mrs. Van Dcuscn began a. grow
crimson nt the suggestion. Perhaps
II had troubled her before hut she as
surcd Mr.. Rogers that II was "nbyi-
ously out ~ the question"
"rll LEI them have my own house.
declared Rogers. more In defiance than
as n result OF calm decision.
4 "Qulte imposslblc-wc are RESPONSE
bile for the girls aud obviously We can't
hoard them around promiscuously
among the farmers"
HUT MFR. Rogers explained that h
would set up n portable shnck Tor him
self quite nt the remote end ~ his
large farm aud would surrender his
entire large old farmhouse 10 the girl'
and their chapcron.
SO Mrs. Van Deusen went AWAY feel
ing TINT she Ind scored a triumph
and took great pleasure In telling hel
associates IN the patriotic work how
she had argued Fnrmer Rogers int
taking the step b. had taken. By th'
next day ne nine the portable shacl
was on It's way from the nearest city
The girls were learning their task II
the orchard under the guidance OF Mr.
Rogers one and only "hlred man,
and the chaperon, Miss Phoebe Eel
rls, by profession n not by natural In
cllnntion public school teacher, wa
working miracles IN the old farm
house. Incidentally she was maxim
mental comments on the domestic an
rangements OF bachelors. hut IN
these thoughts weretnOt unklud so
could tell from the amused smile tina
played around her mouth ms she pu
up white swiss curtains NJ the upstalr
windows, rearrnngcd heavy old piece
Of furniture aud added hundred an
one touches 10 the place that were {
, transform II 10 an Adamlcss Eide
from "a ulnpe that had gurplV hDYu Ttvt