The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-26
The Old Apple Tree.

The Old Apple Tree.
was disappointed in my friend. We
had arranged to spend the day on the
river. I had not met him for years, not
since our Balliol days, until l saw him
again after seven years al the varsity
sports in the early spring. Than eight
| or nine Of US, all old Baliol men. dined
together. and we had refreshing talk
over all that had occurred while I was
| away in Canada Six years Of it 1 had
| there. and when I returned was sur
prised to find so much alteration IN
everything and everybody. But dear old
Fry was the same as ever, stanch and
genuine and generous. When I met him
| in Lombard street a fortnight before,
it was he who had suggested and set
| tied the details OF our trip on the river.
1t was to be on June 10. and we were
to have had a long. healthy, exhi .arat-
ing day. with plenty OF hard exercise
and a long chat about old tnes-old
| chums that we were
| The day came and 1 was in river-rig
at the boathouse agreed upon hat an
| hour earlier than we had mutua ~
| fixed. But Fry did not come. The half
hour went, and another, and another. L
know OF nothing mora irritating than to
| have TO hang about for another fellow TO
| turn up when one is alone like that. At
| last, I got note by his servant If he
had sent a wire, 1 should have had his
message sooner, but old-fashioned cour-
tesies still characterize Fry, and he sent
! his groom eleven miles with a long note
/ of explanation and apology.
| His excuse for not coming seemed t.
me a iirnsy one. His wife's father hal
| fixed a sudden meeting OF family trus
tees, and afterward ne had to see his
sister on business OF consequence relat-
| ing to a trust
! of old Father Thames" The hackneyed
words, as I thought of them, were in
| themselves a comfort, and as I padded
on I thought how gay heart wants no
| friend
1 was now in lovely backwater more
| beautiful than the Thames itself. The
bankside flowers were more abundant
and nearer 10 me-indeed, they hedged
me about.
The water was clearer, too-wonder-
| fully clear It was! Padding slowly
along between the lawns, 1 looked into
| the depths Of the water, with all its
wealth and wonder of plant growth, the
! waving forest of submarine weed, where
1 could see shoals of perch. startled by
my paddle. darling into the shadow of
the weed.
Whilst thus engrossed, bending my
head over the side of the canoe, in VII. ch
1 continued to drift slowly along, 1 fail
ed to notice how narroly the creek had
become, until suddenly I found myself
close to lady lying on a lawn-so close
that I was almost touching her. She
was quite at the edge of the grass,
which sloped to the river. Half a dozen
cushions were about her-her book lay
open, its leaves kissed, as bef1tted the
pages Of a poem, b ythe zephyrs. 1 had
never seen so glorious picture, nor one
that burst upon my vision so suddenly.
She was in something white and dainty,
her hat was hung on a branch. and the
old, gnarled tree under whose shade she
reclined was covered with apples Her
hair was tangled and golden and her
eyes full of light and laughter.
For while 1 sat staring at her in be-
wilderment. Then 1 stammered, Where
am II"
Her answer was perfectly calm, but It
was not chill; no, her voice was so soft
that the simplest words she uttered were
melody
You are in my fathers garden" she
said.
you are trespasser."
But she smiled as she said It, a smile
that showed two rows Of pearl, spark
ling in the sunlight that dappled her
face.
And your" I said. I know not what
said but soon I asked her name, and
she told me it was Eve
And this is Paradise" I answered,
looking through the leaves Of the old
apple tree at all the beauties Of the gar
den
Then we talked. OF what? OF every
thing. OF solitude, of friendship, of
books;I fear, OF Canada-and love.
Then she babe me go, and 1 could not.
Nor would I If l could; and when at
length/I obeyed her and was about to
go, she babe me stay.
SO l stayed and soon had moored my
canoe and stood upon her lawn. 1 can
not tell how 1 Of all men-modest almost
to bashfulness-could have done so, but
1 did.
OF the flowers that grew wild there by
the waters edge I made her a crown,
and this 1 put upon her tangled golden
hair. She was my queen there ard
thenceforth forever; and so I told her,
the poets aiding me.
Two roses that I had not seen before
doomed on her face, and she ran away,
light-footed and 1.-THE of limb over the
lawn into her fathers house.
But l could not leave; | could not |
looked for her, but she did not come.
Once, 1 saw the curtain of a window
drawn aside and her face peering out
upon me, but she would not come again.
Well, I stsyed-that was all. How I
had the impudence to do so 1 cannot
tell-but I could not go
She was a lons while indoors. I heard
her at the piano. I knew it was hey
touch, though 1 had never heard ner be-
fore, but I was confident il was she
Besides. now and then the piano stopped
suddenly, and l saw by the movement
of the window curtains that she vas
peeping to see whether 1 had gOae.
At last I grew ashamed of my intru-
sion, and, STOPPING from under the fruit
covered branches Of the old apple tee,
l went TO my canoe, unfastened its
moorings, and was about to withdraw
But, as luck would have II, just a. [
was about to get into the canoe, she
came out to me across the lawn. He-
gesture 10 me was that ! must 20. I
Of all PROPHECY Eve" sad pas
s.onateiy, you do not know M, nor
who I am, nor / you; but 1 know h
shall love you forever Your heart is ny
Eden. Do not shut the gates or this.
my earthly Paradise. l must must sc
you again and I will, say that I may
She looked down ard blushed.
May T. I faltered.
She did not reply. But her silence VAS
a better answer than words.
when
Tomorrow