Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-06-27
EVE and
an APPLE.
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Eve and an apple overcame an an
cestor of mine. He would not have
wanted the apple, he said, but for
Eve. That was exactly my case.
Eve lived at No. So, and l ut No.5i,
I am not sure whero the apple lived,
but it was ct one of the two. it hung
on high branch over No. 52's gar
den, but it fattsl on the soil of No. 81,
for which I paid rent.
1t was Eve, of course. who cnlled
my attention to it. / heard her voice
through the open window. She has
an attractive voice.
"Oh,, look, mother!" she cried.
''There is my apple.
"Hush, dear! 1t isn't your apple
at all. 1t belongs to the people next
door,"
HE isn't people," objected Eve. I
am bachelor.
"Anyhow, the apple is his"
SIS lt?" She tossed her head. She
has graceful way Of tossing her
head. "Then he shau'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." I 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 aud beauty. Eve watched
the apple, and I Watched Eve. She
was so nice to watch that I did not
offer her the forbidden fruit. I re-
garded it rs hostage for her regular
appearance.
''Look at its rosy cheeks, mother!"
she used to say, teasingly. "lf it gets
much bigger it must drop" She
made motions expressing rapture.
"Eve, DEAR" her mother protested,
'you know it isn't yours.
cit would be if I had q ladder. )"
Then she would give q 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 it with a
clothes prop-at least it looked like
Eve. I knew it was q clothes prop,
because she let it drop over my wall,
and it smashed three panes of n
cucumber frame. Next morning she
happened to be in the garden, so I
returned it with grave ceremony.
sI-I'm afraid it broke something, "
she apologi7ed.
"Not in the least" I assured her.
''I'll tell Mary Jane not to stand it
up against your wall again." she
promised mendaciously.
After that the apple blushed more
furiously than ever. It was SO ripe
that it was marvellous how it held on,
I heard her say. She was probably
unaware that 1 had climbed up one
night and secured it with fine wire.
Next:she tried knocking tennis balls
at it Of course, she never went
within couple of yards. picked
up nine balls next morning and re-
stored them to her.
81 thought they were windfalls
from my apple tree. said, and she
fed indoors.
81 believe he was laughing at me, u
I heard her tell her mother. "Now,
I will have it.
"No, no, dear! I forbid you to
touch it. It's no use looking like that,
Eve. I shall be really cross if you
do"
When came home that evening the
apple was still there, in all its glory,
but when it grew dusk I noticed
maneuvers with the prop going on
once more. Finally I heard cry of
triumph, and the rustic of her skirts
as she ran indoors. Then I went out.
I climbed the tree, gathered about
gallon of apples aud sent them in
with note.
"Dear Madam trust you will
accept few apples from my tree
overhanging your garden. rs notice
that there is only one upon your side.
'I have, however, special reason
for desiring that one. May I enter
your garden to gather it? Yours very
truly, FRANK NEWTON.
In few minutes Sarah Ann re-
turned with Mrs. Parker's thanks, and
IN assurance that she would be
pleased for me to gather the apple
whenever liked. So. after putting
the ladder over the wall, went round
to their front door and knocked.
was shown into q coZy sitting-room
Mrs. Parker received Inc very pleasant
ly, but Miss Eve was rather quiet, n!
young lady should be.
"You will be surprised at ny
bothering you about single apple,
! I said. "The fact is I want it for som'
one who has particularly admired it.
''We have noticed, "sald her mothe
with side glance at Eve, "that it il
| a;npnlarly fine annie :"