"Farmer——?"
"Workin' in the vineyard at Gaskill's."
"Oh, I see. Do you like it?"
"No," she said dryly. "I just do it for my health. Don't I look sick?"
Peter wasn't used to having people make fun of him. Even as a waiter he had managed to preserve his dignity intact. But he smiled at her.
"I was wondering what had become of the men around here."
"They're so busy walkin' from one place to another to see where they can get the highest wages, that there's no time to work in between."
"I see," said Peter, now really amused. "And does Mr. Jonathan McGuire have difficulty in getting men to work for him?"
"Most of his hired help come from away—like you——But lately they haven't been stayin' long."
"Why?"