Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-04-17
Short STORY
Of the Dav
THE ENCHANTED APPLE.
BY Morris Forker.

Dick Jordan sat in the restaurant in
Glasshouse street eating boiled NUT
ton and vegetables and drinking "bit-
ter out Of a pewter tankard. From
time to time he turned to a copy Of ,ne
Gazette which lay folded beside his
plate; but for the most part he was con-
tent to enjoy his meal and his thought
particularly the one blissful thought
that his Lucy was to meet hitl that
evening. have a little dinner with him
and then join him in a visit to the
theater Rapturous prospect! Celestial
anticipation
Presently a dark man entered and
sat down opposite him. He was
dressed in the fashion, but his long
black hair, lustrous brown eyes, and
massive features suggested Oriental
origin. He summoned the waiter and
in a deep rumble ordered his meal
Dick looked up and the man looked at
him and smiled.
Il see you are reading an article on
Morocco" he said. 81 have just re-
turned from that land and could tell
'Indeed!" said Dick, with no desire
at all to be drawn into conversation
with a stranger.
Eyes: | am Denzil of Morocco. My
mother was Spaniard, my father an
American. have been in the
Shereef's Court for twenty-three
years"
"Yon don't say SOL" said Dick, feel
ing horribly bored
Listen, and l will tell you a story
that l think will interest you"
Fire away, but cut it short, if you
don't mind, as I am due back at the
Office in ten minutes said Dick.
"a year ago this very day." began
the stranger, slipping his wine, "a man
came to the sultan's palace, DESTROYS
of an audience of his majesty. He was
admitted into the presence, and there,
falling before the sovereign, said: I
am old and gray, and of the august
line of Belisarius. My death is at
hand, but ere l die l would fain pre-
sent a gift to the Son of Heaven He
thereupon drew from under his robe
an apple-quite an ordir ary-looking
One-and handed it to the king, saying.
very slowly and solemnly, Eat of that
apple, and your majesty will remain on
earth, in your present youth and
strength, till the Day of Doom, peren-
nially beautiful and perennially hap
py.'"
GO on" said Dick
The sultan" continued the stran-
ger solemnly, took the apple and
bade the old man go in peace"
and did he eat it?" asked Dick,
with a smile, thinking the man the
loveliest liar he had yet encountered.
He turned the matter over in his
royal mind for many days, and finally |
concluded that after a hundred or two
hundred years of earth the sleep of the |
grave would be very sweet Then he
called the creature whom of all the |
world he most tender1y loved-his ia
vOrite wife-and said to her: Delight /
of my eyesi Here is a gift from heaven.
Eat of this apple and you will remain
CI4 cal III 4O16hSI, DIS beautiful as you
are at this moment And the sultana
fell at his feet and said, Lord and
Master, am thy servant and took
the apple and retired to her apart
ment"
"Of course she ate it," said Dick.
mo, she also shrank from accepting
SO far-reaching a gift But there was
one in the palace whom she loved more
iearly than she loved the sultan. and
she came to him and told him the .
strange story. Placing the apple in
lis hand, while the tears poured from I
Ter eyes, she said: Take it and eat
t, and be happy here on earth forever.
or who knoweth what fate awaiteth us
'eyond the grave That man sits be-
ore you"
Great Scott" gasped Dick, now be- :
inning to believe. =
But the sultan came and slew her 2
Nth his own sword and drove me from b
he land. Heaven knows | only E
7anted to die with her, but he dared V
ot redden his blade with the blood of L
n American" /.
But the appetite apple! What of J
hat? Have you eaten it,"
The stranger fumbled for moment n
hen produced a rather small red and n