The Portland daily press., 1886-06-18
That barrel of APP

Squire Sanford or not. That barrel of APP
pies is minew
And as Rose drew near, she could see this
dimpled young Amazon resolutely defending
the barrel of apples, with her single strength,
against Squire Sanford and!his stoutest farm
laborer.
She stood there, with one Slight hand on
the red-checked fruit, which was trimming
over thesbarrel hoops, and before her the tall
squire and his herculean aid-de-camp were
helpless. i o,.,,,o;n % nooif-
cally began the squire.
81 will allow nothingw declared Linnet.
81 repeat, these apples are mine! Touch
them at your perilf'
Thus far the young he roine was conquer
or But alas In that very moment OF Veto
ry Nemesis was at hand. There was the dull
sound of trampling hoofs, then sullen bel
low, and Ajax himself, bursting through
weak spot in the fence, was upon them.
Linnet Dessoir collapsed, so to speak, at
once. She forgot her heroism, her dignity
everything but her danger, and flew to
Squire Sanford, shreking:
''Save mel save mel"
L he ldIl1 HdIlu bllC
but Squire SANFORD never quailed, but held
her resolutely in his arms.
''Do not be afraid" he said, almost as II
he had been speaking to frightened child.
Nothing shall harm you, little one
For an instant, things looked very black;
then Squire Sandford spoke gently once
more.
$40 not hold my arm so tightly" said he,
''let me get at my revolver. | must shoot
the brute. No, don't be so terrified. Did
you not hear me say that nothing should
harm your"
And then the problem resolved itself as
problems often do Ajax, butting his huge
head against the barrel of lady-apples, sent
them rolling in all directions, and caught his
horns in the barrel itself, effectually blind
ing him.
He set of at a wild gallop down the hill,
believing as he went and there he met his
fate in the shape of two OF three men with
running moose ofrope and good stout chain.
"Hello, petw shouted Farmer Hebron's
voice. "What's the matter? She hasn't
tainted, has she, Squirrel"
And Linnet, realizing that she was safe,
blushingly withdrew from Mr. Sandfords
Sleltering arms, and ran to her uncle.
81 am so much obliged to you, sir" she
whispered. "And please-please don't mind
what said about the apples. You are quite
welcome to them
"Hey? Apples? said Mr., Hebron. ''Why,
Linnet, didn't you know that l carted the
barrel of apples that the Squire gave you
last night
Linnet grew crimson all over, and fled to
Roses faithful breast for consolation. IL
shall never dare to look that man in the
face again. she bewailed herself. sob,
dear-oh dear, what must he have thought
of me?"
But of course Mr.. Sanford considered it
only right and proper to call that evening,
and inquire how Miss Dessoir found herself;
and really, the meeting was not half as en-
barrassing as Linnet had fancied it would
be.
They had a good laugh about Ajax and the
apples; and Linnet confessed how dreadful
ly frightened she had been.
"And with reason" said Squire Sanford.
There was a second or two in which we
were in very serious danger
''BuU III you Will forgive ul6 dDOub tlio DIP
ples?" said Linnet, with pretty coaxing
earnestness.
"Oh, yes, will forgive you about the APP
PIES" Squire Sanford laughingly returned.
And in that moment Linnet thought what
very pretty color his eyes were, and decid-
ed that he couldn't possisly be thirty years
old.
isn't it strange" said Rose Hebron,
shat we have lived neighbor to Squire Sand
ford all these years, and he has never been
more than ordinarily polite to me? And
here comes Linnet and quarrels with him at
five minutes notice, and calls him all sorts
of names, and now they are engaged to be
married. and l am to be the bridesmaid.
mot at all strangep' said Miss DeSsoir.
$50 me it seems as nice and natural as pos
sible, But you are mistaken about his age,
Rosy. He is only twenty-nine. And if he
were hundred aud twenty-nine, l should
love him all the same"
"Of course" said Rose; ''that is what all
engaged girls say"