The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-07-13
AFTER THE
GUARD HAD
DESERTED

GO by d. Walshi

VIE owner walked swiftly among
them, studying the faces and
L figures through sllrewd, half-ssuf
eyes and making an almost i'm
and one there and another yonder
He was wedding out his help and do
ing 1t fmpartially and imperiously, as
was his won't The foreman walked
by his side, noting.
After the owner jumped into his
automobile and shot away tile fore
man went among the hands delivering
the sentences. Presently he ap
preached a slight girl who was past
ing labels on cans. She had been
watching through the corners of her
eyes and whitened a little as he
stopped by her side.
II go, toO," she said, anticipating
him. 81 saw ii 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.. HaIstead, 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 day in my life and never get
tired, and never shirk when your back
is turned, like some do. And-and
like the work do. Ii amt just the
number of cents ii brings in"
II know, know" little YEARLY.
But you understand how tbs. tried
Rosa, and you noticed how Mr.. Barkes
whirled and looked at me. If I wasn't
for so many depending on me I'd like
to be going myself, but" He drew
himself together sharply, glancing
about to see if any of the others had
overheard. "You-of course, you'll
never hint to anybody that I'm dissat-
istied. 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 Sympatheti.
cally. slows poor TOMB" he asked.
Intending 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 pickers 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 tie very lay he was hurt"
'It's 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
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. Ohio! Say,
think there's any danger of a frost
tonight?''
mot the least. The thermometer
has been rising for the last two hours.
In fact, believe the richard boys are
planning for q dance down the valley
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
nate row were round black objects
that looked like beasts of prey In the
semidarkness of the underfOliage.
But they were not They were guards,
more than a thousand stoves, filled
with crude petroleum and covering
200 acres of bOssoming 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
til II neared the danger point Then
ii rang q 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 mighty army bivouacking with
thousand campfires And just as