Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-09-28
AFTER THE
GUARD HAD
DESERTED

them, studying the faces and
l. figures through shrewd, halfshut
eyes and making an almost I'm
perceptible motion toward one here
and one there and another yonder
He was wedding out his help and do.
ing 1t impartially and imperlously as
was his wont, The foreman walked,
by his side, noting
After the owner jumped into his
automobile and shot away the fore.
man went among the hands delivering
the sentences. Presently he ap.
preached slight girl who was past.
ing labels on cans, She had been
watching through the corners of her
eyes and whltened little as he
stopped by her side.
~ go, too" she said, anticipating
him. 81 saw 1t in the way old Half
Cent squinted his eyes at me- When
do go?"
"You may work out the day."
"And not come back? All right.
But you know, Mr.. llalstead, that I'm
the best worker you've got In this de-
partment. I'm small but pa says It's
all muscle and knots. I've never been
sick a day In my life and never get
tired, and never shlrk when your back
Is turned, like some do, And-and L
like the work | do 1t amt just the.
number of cents II brings In"
81 know, | know" little YEARLY.
But you understand how it's tried
to say something for your tablemate
Rosa, and you noticed how Mr.. Barkes
whlrled and looked at me- II I wasn't
for so many depending on me I'D like
to be going myself. but" He drew
himself together sharply, glanclng
about to see II any of the others had
overheard. "You-Of course, yOu'll
never hint to anybody that I'm dIssat.
ished. Clara, I'm not. can't afford
to be-"
you've known me too long to say
that, Mr.. Halstead," said Clara gently.
81 guess we're all In the same boat.
If things had been all right Tom and
I'd have been married long ago"
The foreman nodded sympntheti-
cally. "How's poor TOm?" he asked.
"Mending slowly, but still on
crutches It's been over six months
now and the first two you know, we
didn't think he'd live That's more
of Half Cents work. Tom was his
best picker and in the hurry he kept
Tom rushing days and half the nights
and then sent him up into the top Of
that big Seeding York to get the stray
apples the other plckers had left And
do you know" two red spots burning
in her cheeks, "that from the time
Tom fell and was carried home old
Half Cent has never sent to inquire
after him once and he stopped Toms
pay the very Jay he was hurt"
tits been pretty heavy expense
to Tom" sympathized the foreman
He'd saved nearly enough to build
a little house on the LOT he bought,
and that's gone, and he still owes the
doctor some. I've been saving up to
buy furniture and dishes, and this is
my last day, Yes guess we're all
in the same boat. You've got six to
look out for, and Rosa's sold the COW
and calf she's earned Oh-hol Say,
think there's any danger OF a frost
tOnight?"
mot the least The thermometer
has been rising for the last two hours
In face, | believe the 'chard boys are
planning for a dance down the Wiley
tonight"
Better not let the owner hear of
It," said Clara, shaking her head. ut
would cost every last one of them his
job It's foolish to leave the orchard
during the period of frost danger to
the blossoms"
"No danger tonight" declared the
foreman, mot In the least"
And so thought Clara when she
went to her home through the I'm
mense blossom-laden apple orchard
after her work was done. The air
was almost mild and the night was
clear and calm, with myriad stars in
the sky, which showed as she passed
beneath the trees Down each alter.
lOW "GIC luuhh ODJtNlb
thnt looked like beasts OF prey In the
semldarkness OF the underfolinge.
But they were not They we're guards.
more than thousand stoves. filled
with crude petroleum and covering
200 acres Of blOssOmlng promised
fruit Near the far side OF the orch.
ard and only few rods from the little
house where Clara lived with her
father was the guard house. Here
twelve men slept fully dressed In
hunks. during the ten days or so OF
danger to the blossoming trees When
the nights were clOudless, still the
cold sometimes dropped dropped. I'm
I'll II nenred the danger point Then
II rang bell In the guardhOuse
awakening the men. The twelve
rushed forth with lighted torches and
raced along the open stoves. touch
Ing each. until the great orchard was
like a mighty army blvouaeklng with
thousand cnmphres And Just as
soon as the petroleum 1ared up It
raised the temperature five or six de.
grees In half IN hour and enveloped
the orchard In dense blnck smoke
like n cloud II was u bnttle OF de.
fense-to save a possible SlOO.O00
worth Of fruIt But tonight the TEN.
peraiure was rising and there was TO
be no frost 50 the twelve trusted men
pi the home guard were stchllnR nway
through the orchard to dnncP
Clara could not sleep tonight
md anyway. sleep IA MOI matter. FOR
she was not to work on ito morrow.
In The uwrnii9 CN. nHps would com