The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-05-06
THE SQUIRE'S APPLES

Z
"such pretty apples" cried Linnet
Dessoir, ecstatically. "With red checks,
just as if fairy pencil had painted them,
and delicious, bloomy strcaks here and
there! I should like to copy them on a
plaque or panel Or something, if only
one could be sure of reproducing those
delicate tints of rose and white!"
"Wel', declared" said Rose Hebron,
the country cousin, whom she was visit
ing, laughing with merry, thrush-like
laugh, as the two girls sat on moss
enameled boulder under the boughs of
the lady apple-tree, with here and there
yellow leaf huttering DREAMY down at
their feet. "Who would dream of such
poetical description applying to the ap-
Piles that grow in Squire Sandford's Or
chardW
"Wasn't it good of him to allow us to
gather them3" said Linnct, trimming the
side-leafets off a lovely branch of yellow
goldcn-rod.
Il shall not believe that they are alb
solutcly ours though" declared Rose,
'until see them in the old appleb;n at
home"
"Why notT'
ooh, Squire Cedric is ecccntric." Rose
answered, carclessly.
"Cedric4 Is that his namc"
eyes. Isn't it an odd relic of the
Saxon times?" laughed Rose.
"1t's very romantic name" remarked
Linnct, wrinkling her brows. in pretty
consideration Of the cpithet.
''He isn't romantic" observed Rose.
"Isn't he? But why not'"
"He's 50 old! Thirty, at least!" Rose
responded, with an emphatic nod of the
head.
"Horrid ogrem said Linnct, who was
in her seventeenth year. "Comc, Roscy,
let's go home. Pm as hungry as a canni-
bal! Gathering apples is such hard work r'
She skipped ahead, with her yellow
trcsses floating behind, like stray strands
of sunshine, and her white dress ruslling
over the drifts of perfumcd leaves that
carpeted the path.
Rose followed, with affcctionatc eyes
of admiration.
''What is the difference between nc
and LinnetW she asked herself. "My
dress is white also; my hair is as golden
rs hers. Why is it that she is like a
dancing sprite-I, plodding human be-
ing?'
Poor little Rosy! She did not realize
that Linnet Dessoir had grown up in an
altogether different atmosphere; that Lin,
net had unconsciously modelled her dress
from the graceful robes which her father,
the artist, kept to drape his lay-fgurcs
that her eye had been trained, her taste
cultured, in every possible point.
"He's only poor struggling artistn'
Farmer Hebron had been wont contcmp-
tously to observe, when he saw his broth
er-in-law's name among the lists special
ly honorcd by the Academy of Design.
Giles good follow enough" Eugene
Dessoir airily remarked, when his agricul
tural connection happ ned to be men
toned. "But he hasn't an idea be
yond his own fat cattle! He don't live
he only vegetatcs!"
Linnet, however, the bright, mother
less young beauty, was a great favorite Of
the kind-heartcd Hebrons; and when she
had SO enthusiastically admired the beau
tiful pink and white lady-applcs on Squire
Sandford's tree, Mr.. Hebron had gone Sc
far out of his way to ask the squire for a
barrel.
"Just to please the little girl" said he
"She thinks deal of pretty things"
"She is quite welcome" said Squire
sandford, with, formal politcness. 81
you will send barrel to the tree to-mor
row, Mr.. Hebron, it shall be filled fo
your niece"
And when the squire said this he pict
ured in his minds eye the aforesaid nice,
as romp of eleven or twelve, will
shingled hair, frcckles and prcternatural
ly long arms.
All night long Linnet Dessoir dreamed
of the lady-apples, and when the SUI
rose, sphere of rubbed fire, above tn
eastern hills, she jumped out of bed an'
dressed herself with haste.
81 can't sleep another minute" saic
she. '1t's just the very sort of mornin;
to walk out across the woods and look a
the lady-apple-tree, with the little sprin!
gushing out so close to its roots, and tn
. blue asters, and thickets of golden-rod
by the stone fence. | won't wake Rosy
Rosy was up late last night, putting la
} bells on the ounce jelly. I'll let he
sleep, and go by myself"
But Miss Hebron was no more of lag
/. gard in the morning than was her cit
cousin. At seven precisely she knocke,
IS at Linnet's door, but the bird had flown
: GLOW provokingr said Rose. 'Bu
I'll follow her. She must have gone t