Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-07-01
Apples in the Gar
den of Eden
By FREDERICK HART

The dusty stranger paused in hi
stroll along the highway and lookei
interestedy over the fence into thu
apple orchard. The laden trees glOwet
with their burden of red and COLDER
fruit in the afternoon sunlight. Here
and there in the trees the forms o.
men, basket-Iaden, showed amid the
branches. But the dusty stranger was
not watching the men. What hac
caught his eye was slim figure claC
in overalls and a great straw hat thai
fitted about the orchard, directing
urging, overseeing the work, and now
and then taking a hand at the picking
The baggy garments made the gender
of this figure indeferminafe; but the
clear voice with which she exhorted
the pickers left no doubt that it was
a girl, and, thought the dusty stranger,
if the voice was any criterion, re-
marakaby pretty girl too. He con-
tinued to watch, hoping that she would
turn his way.
Presently she did. and he was con-
sciOus of pretty, piquant face. some
what tanned, with a saucy nose and
dark, shining eyes-the whole making
an ensemble that the informal cos
tune only set off to better advantage.
| He regarded her from his distance
with frank look of admiration; but
he was greatly surprised when she
made a gesture in his direction and
called to him.
"Herep The voice was imperious.
'Do you want work?"
"Yesi" replied the dusty stranger,
though one minute ago work had been
rarthest from his thoughts.
Then come on and get basket and
help pick" she said. "a dollar a day
md your board"
The dusty stranger climbed the fence
with alacrity, looked about till he
found basket and, singing it on his
shoulders, proceeded to climb the near
est tree, where he was Immediately
busily occupied in filling his basket
with the luscious fruit that hung all
around him. Below, the girl heaved a
sigh Of relief as she watched his eff
forts. "That's just about all the men
we'll need to get the crop in in time for
the market" she thought. "What
blessing that that tramp came along
Just then hope he stays ~
She might have set her mind at rest
on the last point, though she might !
well have been disturbed on other
grounds had she known what the dusty !
stranger was thinking as he filled his |
basket.
"She's the prettiest thing I've seen
in years" he was rumina 'lg. "And |
the way she bosses this Job is a
miraclel VIII stay? Well, l |
should rather think so! A dollar a
day and board That's III Wait |
till l tell the boys that :" And he
chuckled to himself as he svlng down |
to empty his basket and ascend again.
AS. evening fell the app e-pickers
came down from their tree, emptied
their baskets on the piles Of truit that
lay about the orchard, and returned to
the farmhouse. There, after Il supper
such as the dusty stranger had not
eaten in years. they turned in for the
night Most of the pickers, their days
work done, fell at once into the deep
sleep of thoroughly wearied men; but
the dusty stranger lay awake for
awhile and watched the moon, which
he could see from his window, slowly
climb the sky. Finally he, too, fell
asleep. with the face of the ruler of
the orchard before his minds eye and
her voice in his ear.
In the morning they were at 1t
again, and all that hot day they
toiled. The work was hardly begun,
for the orchard was a large one. A
week of hard work, however and the
end was in sight. The dusty stranger,
sitting in the fork Of gnarled old
,ree of sheepnoses, meditated regret
fully on this fact, which would neces-
state his leaving or getting other work
IN the place.
u went into this thing for lark"
lie thought. And I'll be hanged if I
haven't gone and fallen In love with |,
Ter. And she thinks I'm a tramp
Ihere's nothing TO do but make her
'mploy me around here some more"
But Fate, who keeps a watchful
we oTer her favored ones, interfered
It this point. AS the stranger leaned
ar odt along a branch to pick an I
specially fine pippin that hung just II
ut OF his reach. his watch slipped
rom the little pocket where he kept
and fell to the ground below. For U
1nately it landed on a thick tuft Of
raSs, and so saved itself from de- &
ruction; but the silence of its fall Il
lade its owner unconscious of its Q
'Ss. He picked on. unaware that his Il
roblem was within seconds of its So 81
ltiou. h
To his tree came the girl intent
n giving word of commentator TO
MS hobo who worked so industri-
usly. The glitter of gold on tbe
round caused her to stoop and pick
P the watch. It's back had flown 81
pen from the shock of the fall ana