Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-09-21
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER q, 1881
SATURDAY EVENING! !
A Fascinating Story that Ends
Economically.
SCENES UNDER THE APPLE TREE.
Pretty May Gri'rson is Tempted b.
villain to Danish Her First Love.
Who Comes al Last.
SCENES UNDER THE APPLE TREE.

She stood under the apple tree II
the little patch Of gr' und that was
all the garden the small house he
hind her could houst. Pretty May
Grierson, she was called; but ns sh,
stood looking out into the road, ant
picking to pieces n sprig of appl'
blossoms, there was that in hcl
beauty to make the heart ache.
She was hungry; she was almost
desperate. The large, brown eyes
whose natural expression was all
gentleness and timldity, were bright
and eager, the face was thin and
white, the lips parched with fever.
"Just Il mile to the riIer," she
was thinking-"one little mile
and once under the waves, rest,
peace and oblivion"
Out upon the soft summer air
there came from the window be-
hind her n hollow cough. As she
heard 1t her face softened and n
rush of tears filed her eyes.
"I could not die and leave him.
All! the way Is hard, the cup IL bit
ter, but l will walk over the one and
drain the other for his sake-only
for his sake. IL will be only for II
little while, and then there Is still
the river"
She was not yet nineteen, and the
way before her was to lead to the
church, the cup to be drained, her
marriage, and for her wedding por-
ton she was meditating suicide.
Does II seem exaggerated? l will
tell you her story, and you may
Judge. Her father, Paul Griersop,
had been II successful artist, and
May was his idol, after his wife died,
years ago. May had been carefully
educated, and upon n groundwork
of useful knowledge her father had
reared fairy palace of music, poe
try, and painting. Without being
rich, they had plenty, and they had
travelled fur and wide with II COM
panion May had loved from n baby,
her fathers pupil and namesake,
Paul Grierson Hall, distant cousin.
When May was seventeen and
Paul five years older, the young ar
tist joined an exploring expedition
To make sketches, and the trio sepa.
rated. That was the first heart
wrench. They We're all in Paris
when the parting came, but n few
months later Mr.. Grierson's health
began to fail, and he became home
sick.
The unv cottage In Hamilton
smallest Of villages his Inherit
anoe from his mother, and he came
10 II 10 die; for consumption grasp
ed him In iron folds, and while he
struggled with sickness the bank In
which We're all his savings failed,
and save for the cottage and It's FUR
niture he was destitute.
Then began that fierce discipline
OF life that had robbed pretty May
Grieson's cheek of It's bloom and
driven her step by step over the
rugged road Of poverty aud suffer
Ing To the boundaries of desperation,
She sewed for the villagers at
starvation prices: she carried her
fathers pictures To the great city,
nine miles away, walking one way
always, but rarely finding sale.
She saved and starved 10 give food
aud wine to the invalid, and at the
hast, in sheer despair, she resolved Ia
marry Cuthbert Holmes, from
whom her soul shmnk in positive
horror.
IL WAS useless To write 10 Paul.
wandering In Central America, aud
" hose letters to Paris We're forward
ed; before he could come they would
be dead nom hunger and privation.
Cuthber Holmes WAS rich, aud
had fallen In love with May In the
church choir, lie had a deep bass
voice, aud had supported her clear
soprano week after week, till she
woke IN him desire 10 keep her
ever beside him, his wife aud mis-
tress of his large, handsome house.
lie was a coarse, illileraie man; aud
there were rumors that his
dead wife died of an obsolete |