Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-10-13

| tine 0OJectlveS n0O Deen SuppIIeO ZOE
him) of the improvident. comfortable
farmhouse where he and his mother
and the girl ne was engaged to were
staying as paying guests. but he saw
no reason in this why he should not all
mire her for the qualities he did not
need to have supplied for him.
II came out meaning to say a hun
bred things to you." he said, at last.
land 1 cannot think Of one"
| II came out meaning to pick-well,
several, not hundreds quite. Of apples, "
said she, land can't reach one"
''There is something might do for
you," he said Selling his opportunity.
or trying to seize It. For, try as he
would, neither could reach an apple.
II tell you what-that lowest branch
there; 1t has four beauties on 1t. If
you We're to-" She looked up at him,
smiled. looked down again, pensively
up at the coveted branch, with side
long glance like flash at him. and
then down once more. But she did not
conclude her sentence.
III you would let me-if you'd only
let me lift you up" he said, suddenly
inspired. you could reach them your
self, couldn't you?"
"Ah! That would do 1t, wouldn't it?
And / want them SOL"
Then l may?"
Certainly not! I'D rather-go with
out the apples"
Il am much stronger" he said. How
II seized you against your willy,.
"Why, couldn't help that. could 2"
she asked. And the thing was done in
less time than 1t takes to tell 1t.
But she had only picked one apple,
the nearest, when his lady loves voice
came to them through the trees, call
ing him by name. And there was a
sharp note in her voice Qike the taste
Of an unripe apple which told them
what she saw.
III 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 anticipated.
Now" she said, when she was on
her feet again, "go quickly. o, poor
your
She'll cast me off," he said.
II should-if were she!'
And then he turned In haste.
but. II she does. come back to mew
she called after him.
overland what? Be Quicky
"And I'll give you a bite of an apple
If there's any left" she laughed.
The girl he was engaged to had seen
1t all, she said. and forthwith re-
nounced her right to that connection.
She seemed to have seen even more
than all, considering what it amounted
to when she went over 1t In words.
Low tastes and the society of the ILL.,
bred, she told him, would be his ruin.
Then she tossed him over to ruin, de-
claring she would have none Of him.
You are Free" she said (by no
means for the first time), land l know
exactly how you will use your free
DOM"
II hope you'll have the opportunity
Of using yours as WELL" he said. stung
into retort at last.
81 might have known" she cried,
20, what I have been saved! Every
fresh face"
$50 few faces are fresh" he said;
and that was really unkind, for she
had sallOw complexion.
X am not going to argue It any
more" she declared, having herself
talked the subject bare. "Gow
And he went But he was a gen.
tleman, 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 1t.
He had tried to close his ears to the
echoing voice. his eyes to the laugh
ing 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, Of release from a captivity
which had always irked him. It was
not his fault In the present that his
past faults were accounted unpardon-
able. He only went when he was GER
tain that he was powerless to rerivet
his chains.
He was not poetical young man.
but some verses the lady who had re-
linQuished him was fond of quoting
came to him as he wandered back to
where the cause Of the mischief $50 he
devoutly hoped still awaited him. He
waited. on his part, until he was quite
certain that she was there. until he
stood in front Of her. and then he re-
peated a verse aloud:
where the apple reddens. never
pry-
Lest we lose our Edens, Eve and l."
$50 she has sent you adrift?" said
the girl seated under the apple tree.
But Ewes all rightv'
He flung himself beside her.
Ewes all right" he echoed. "God
bless her! You haven't finished the
apples?"
"No-you're just In time. Here's a
whole one left" and she passed II to