Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-05-12
Eve and the Apple
BY owen oliver.
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1--we and an apple overcame an an
u cestor of mine. He would not have
wanted the apple, he said, but for
Eve. That was exactly my case.
Eve lived at No. 80 and l at No. "a.
am not sure where the apple lived,
but it was at one of the two. 1t hung
on a high branch over No. 52's gar
den, but it fattened on the soil of No.
81, for which paid rent.
1t was Eve, of course, who called
my attention to it. L heard her voice
through the open window. She has
an attractive voice.
'oh, look, motherl" she cried.
''There is my apple"
Hush, dearl 1t isn't your apple at
oil. 1t belongs to the people next
door"
He isn't people," objected Eve. 1
am q bachelor.
Anyhow, the apple is his"
us it?" She tossed her head. She
has graceful way of tossing her
thead. "Then he shan't have it. Mr..
Layton gave it to me every year"
Mr.. Layton was my predecessor. "You
know he always lent me his ladder to
get It," 1 felt inclined to offer my
ladder there and then, but the time,
like the apple, was not ripe.
As the summer went on the apple
grew in size and beauty. Eve watched
the apple, and / watched Eve. She
was so nice to watch that 1 did not
offer her the forbidden fruit. re-
garded it as q hostage for her regu-
lar appearance.
Look at its rosy cheeks, motherl"
she used to say, teasingly. of it gets
'much bigger it must drop" She
made motions expressing rapture.
Eve, dear" her mother protested,
"you know it isn't yours"
ut would be if / had a ladder"
Then she would give merry little
laugh. She has charming way of
laughing.
The apple still hung on, however,
and grew and grew. In the dusk of
evening Eve tried to.reach 1t with a
clothes prop-at least it looked like
Eve. l knew it was a clothes prop.
because she let it drop over my wall,
and 1T smashed three panes of d Gu
cumber frame. Next morning she
happened to be in the garden, so 7
returned it with grave ceremony.
lin afraid it broke something"
she apologized.
mot in the least" I assured her.
TIL tell Mary Jane not to standsit
up against your wall again" she prom
ised mendaciously.
After that the apple blushed more
furiously than ever. 1t was so ripe
that it was marvellous how it held on.
l heard her say. She was probably
unaware that had climbed up one
night and secured it with fine wire.
Next she tried knocking tennis balls
at 1t. Of course, she never went with
IN couple of yards. picked up nine
balls next morning and restored them
TO her.
81 thought they. were windfails
from my apple tree" said, and she
fed indoors.
Il believe he was laughing at me-"
heard her tell her mother. 'Novy. I
will have it."
mo, no, dear! 1 forbid YOU to
touch it. It's no use looking like that,
Eve. I shnal be really cross with
you"
When 1 came home that evening tho
apple was still there, in all it's glory,
but when it grew dusk I noticed ma
neuvers With the prop going on once
more. Finally I heard cry of tri-
nmph, and the rustic of her skirts as
she ran indoors. Then went ost.
climbed the tree, gathered about
gallon Of apples, and sent them in
with a note.
Dear Madam: trust you viii accent
few apples from my tree overhangfng
your garden. as ] notice that there is only
one upon your side.
II have. however. special reason for de-
zlrlng that enc: May enter your garden