Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-17

ferred the simpler name upon hi5
simple lips. - :. $50. :. !.
WHEN the snow thinned and disap-.
peared. and new grass pushed
greenly up through, the brown that
clothed the fields. she was stronger
than she had ever been. Her arms
were rounding. her figure assuming the
proportions for which II. was designed,
and her color no longer required exter-
nal application. ......
When Johnny took Moore into his
own orchards and showed him how to
apply the dormant spray aud, how to
search out tue borers in the base of
the trees and kill them with a bit Of
wire or with plug OF poisoned cot :,
ION. and all the other mysteries of
orchardry. Lucy like to go along. and
learned to do these tasks as well as
johnny and better than her father
did. The trees throve and put out a
great burst of bloom, and all the hill,
side was aglow with color. Lucy be-
gan to see hope of release from this
long bondage here. When the apples
We're sold, IL the market was good,
Johnny thought; they might make five
or six hundred dollars in a year. -
Then one midnight she awoke shiv-
ering in q sharp blast from her open
window, and drew ffeshr blank cts
over her. and lin the morning there
was white frost, on the ground, and
Johnny came UP the hill with a phifo-
sophie smile upon his face. Moore
met him at the, Kitchen door 80.
Well" said Johnny. slomly. . we
won't do well this year.. This frost
has pipped them. Il guess not beaf-
ing will give your trees chance to
get. a better start"
Moore accepted the calamity with
mild protest. Said blankly: mo ap-
pies. Why. I've got to. have. some
thing -. ....
But Lucy. was not. so. mild. From
the the kitchen behind her, father she
pushed past him and out upon the
porch. her eyes ablaze NO apples:'7
She cried. in a voice like. a scream.
why not?'
This frost has killed them" said
Johnny, his eyes hardening.
" She almost sprang at him. heat on
his broad chest with her fists, and
tears streamed down her face. "YoI
fool! You fool" she cried "There've
got to be apples. There've got to be.
You said there would be! .AYou said
If we worked there would be! II we
sprayed the trees! Oh. you make me
sick. with your lies, Oh, I hate this
farm! hate the damned trees"
Johnny surprised her. He took her
by the shoulders, gripping them till
she WINGED. sop It, Lucy" he COM
manded. -
Il WON'T she cried Let go OF
BE still your Noise" he said,- no
more loudly. than before. But the in
sistence In his voice constrained her,
and she began to weep, bitterly and
slumped against him, shaken and
half fainting.'
You can't talk that way. he told
her. ITS no way to talk. You got
to be sport. It's part Of the BUSH
ness, Lucy. Now you go in the house
and wash your face and help with
breakfast. 1 want to talk to your
father. Go along"
Her father watched her, and his
face was white with surprise and
CONSERVATION. But Lucy turned and
went obediently into the house. and
he looked after her and looked at
Johnny Dree. and Johnny grinned, a
little sheepishly.
you see." he said, ignoring what
had happened. Thing Is, you can
raise some: garden stuff and some
chickens and things. and get along.
We're due for a good year next year"
Walter Moore nodded. That's all
right" he assented. and looked again
at the door through which Lucy had
gone. But I'd like to shake hands