Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-04-17

thought of himself; then he asked
cautiously:
suppose were TO cut it in halves
and share it with my sweetheart,
how would it operate them"
In that case you and she would re-
main as you are for a certain period, !
between six and seven hundred years, .
remaining young and in full possession !
Of all your present faculties and feel
ings."
Then why didn't you share it with
the sultana?"
Because l have only learned that
since. Now I have but one wish-to
die"
There was a pause. The stranger
took little more wine. Dicks eyes
were fixed upon the apple Suddenly
the young man said:
is what you have told me honor
bright?'"
The strangers answer was a glance
so stern that the young man felt
shriveled up with shame. When he
had recovered his composure, he said
that if Mr.. Denzil really did not want
the apple. and if he was sure there
was no one else upon whom he would
rather bestow it. he should be only
too delighted to take it. Six hun
dred years of bliss with Lucy. The
thought was ecstasy. And thereupon
the stranger handed him the apple in
| silence, then finished his wine at a
draft, paid his bill, and with courte-
Gus inclination of the head. walked
slowly from the place and disappeared.
| At O'Clock that evening Dick and
his sweetheart were sitting in AS
tors having dinner. His manner had
been highly excited all through the
out some such sentence as eve are
all right. darling," or You are all
right, and so am I. No need for us
toworry!" Meanwhile Lucy had
noticed something "bulgey'' in the
pocket of his overcoat as it lay
across one of the chairs; but when she
asked him what it was he had merely
answered, Never mind, my dear
You'll know presently. Well have il
together You are all right. So an
l. Ha, ha." Lucy accordingly made III
her mind that it was some beautiful
present for her, and gradually hel
curiosity became a gnawing thing.
She sent him out to buy an evening
paper on the pretext that she wished
to see something in the society
column. The instant his back was
turned her hand was in that pocket
and in another moment she was gaZing
with unmitigated disgust at the apple
Wrapped up in all that paper, too,'
she said to herself angrily. "T1
teach him to play such silly pranks.
And forthwith she proceeded to gull
it down, eating it as fast as she could
By the time Dick returned it was
gone. Not a stalk nor a pip even re
manned.
What makes You SO red?" asked The
; young man, smiling, as he laid dow1
the paper and resumed his seat.
Eating apples, perhaps" retOrteC
Lncy.
Dick made a dash at the pocket Il
was empty. The apple! The applet
he shrieked, and every one turned
and stared at him. Where is it?''
Il have eaten it," replied the girl
out of his mind.
Eaten it! Not all of it?" he
screamed. tearing his hair.
Every blessed bit" He gave {
CHASTITY yell For goodness sake ST
down. Look at the people"
But Dick only cried at the top of his
, voice. miserable girl! That apple
Belisarius. 1t had supernatural
!, qualities. You'll live Oh earth for
ever now, while II will perhaps die
tonight"
A man who looked like doctor step
ped from the crowd that had gathered
round poor Dick, and said to him
quietly:
Forgive me, sir. I could not helr
hearing you. May | ask whether you
received that apple from a dark man
: giving the name of Denzil?"
II did," blubbered Dick. "Denzil OF
Morocco"
"And did he say it was the only such
apple in the world?"
''Of course he did," answered the
wretched youth
quite so. 1t may perhaps reassure
you to know that Denzil of Morocco is
a harmless lunatic who has never been
outside America, and has this fancy
| of giving apples to strangers, telling
them always the same fantastic story.
He gave me one last week. You need
not be ar all alarmed either for your
self or for the lady"
Dick looked at the man. then at
| Lucy, then at the crowd, and gradually
blush suffused his countenance. It
| began to dawn upon him that he had
acted like a pretty considerable fool,
| All the same he wasn't going to let
the doctor see how he felt
THANK you, sir" he said, and the
man bowed and quietly walked away.
The other persons also returned to
their seats, most of them laughing,
and resumed their interrupted meals.
But Dick sat still. There was
thunder on his brow. At last, with
great effort, he said to Lucy, in a
low voice, Lucy"
yes"
Il appear to have made myself bit
of an ass; a bit of an ass"
Dick and Lucy are married now, and |
you never see an apple on their table
in any form, though Dick has a pas
sion FIR annie nuddino and Ircv