Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-10-03
But she did not conclude her

'Why, I couldn't help that, could
I?'' she asked. And the thing was
done IN less time than it takes to
tell it.
But she had only picked one APP
pie, the nearest, when his lady loves
voice came to them through the
trees, calling him by name. And
there was a sharp note in her voice
(like the taste of an unripe apple)
which told them what she saw.
eff you put me down before I've
picked the four I'll never forgive
you,' said the lady of the apples;
so he held her till she had them all,
though the task was robbed of
full half of the delights he had an
ticipated.
Now" she said, when she was on
her feet again, ''go quickly. o, poor
you!"
"She'l cast me off" he said
81 should-if I were she!"
And then he turned in haste.
''But if she does, come back to
mel" she called after him.
'Weil-and what? Be quick!"
"And I'll give you bite of an ap
ple-if there's any left!" see
laughed.
The girl he was engaged to had
seen it all, and forthwith renowned
her right to that connection. She
seemed to have seen even more than
all, considering what it amounted to
when she went over it in the woods.
bred, she told him, would be his
e1 :,
ruin, declaring she would have none
of him.
you are free" she said (by no
means for the first time), "and I
know exactly how you will use your
freedom
81 hope you'll have the opportun-
ity of using yours WELL" he said,
stung into retort at last.
81 might have known!" she cried.
go, what have I been saved! Every
fresh face"
$50 few faces are fresh," he said:
and that was really unkind, for she
had a sallow complexion.
81 am not going to argue it any
MORE" she declared, having herself
talked the subject bare. "Go!"
And he went. But he was a gentle
man, and previous to going he had
tried his best to soothe her annoyance,
even to frankly owning that-from
her point of view-she had cause for
it. He had tried to close his ears to
the echoing voice, his words to. the
laughing face, of the girl he had left
under the apple trees. He did all he
could to shut out the sweet, sudden
vision of freedom. or release from a
captivity which had always irked him.
1t was not his fault in the present
that his past faults were accounted
unpa rdOnable. He only went when he
was certain that he was powerless to
rerivet his chains.
He was not a poetica1 young man,
but some verses the lady who had re-
Enouished him was fond of quoting
came to him as he wandered back to
where the cause of the mischief ESQ
he devoutly hoped) still awaited him.
He waited, on his part, until he was
quite certain that she was there, I'M
til he stood in front of her. and then
he repeated verse out loud:
Where the apple reddens. never pry-
Lest we lose our Edens, Eve ard l."
$50 she has sent you adrift?' said
the girl seated under the apple tree
But Ewes all right"
He flung himself beside her.
"'Eve's all right, he echoed. "God
bless her! You haven't finished the
apples?"
NO. you're just in time. Here's
whole one left" And she passed it
to him. That's the prettiest side,''
she said, pointing; 'you may bite it
there"
"Really?"
ct seems a ceremony BETTING the
OCCASION she said.
There" he said. as he handed the
bitten apple back to her. "But 1 knew
| what was good for me the moment I
! saw it. before ate of the fruit
"You are keeping closely to the orig
! inal" she said.
"'Eve is all right" he repeated.
Dear, I love you! Am 70"
He bent towards her. They were
so close under the shelter of the old
apple tree that she could hear his
heart beat. he could hear hers.
Her cheeks were redder than the
apples, and there was strange. new
note in her clear voice. wait" she
said; Il thought I could deceive you
but I can't. l saw her there before
1 let you-seize me-"
He did not speak.
81 know she does not love you; she
almost said so. She said things about
you to me she never could have sale
if she truly loved you. l believe she
loves some one else better. I must
not tell you why think it, but do"
Still he did not speak.
81 knew felt sure-that you die
not properly love her."