Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-10-08

1n6Te Is something might 90 Tor
you," he said, Selling his opportun-
ity, or trying to seize it. For, try as
he would, neither could he reach an
apple.
81 .ell you what-that lowest
branch there; it has four beauties on
it. If you were to-" She looked
up at him, smiled, looked down again,
pensively up at the coveted branch,
with sidelong glance like fash
at him, and then down once more.
But she did not conclude her SEN
tence.
eff you would let me-if you'd only
let me lift you up" he said, suddenly
inspired, you could reach them
yourself, couldn't you?''
"Ah! That would do it, wouldn't
It? And 1 want them sol"
"Then I may?"
Certainly not! I'd rather go
without the apples!"
81 am much stronger" he said.
will?''
"Why, I couldn't help that, could
II" 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 sharp note in her voice
| Oike 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 II cast me off" he said.
81 should-if I were shell"
And then he turned in haste.
"But if she does, come back to
mel" she called after him.
"Well-and what? Be quick!"
"And I'll give you a bite of an ap-
ple-if there's any left!" she
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.
Low tastes and the society of the ill
bred, she told him, would be his
ruin. Then she tossed him over to
ruin, declaring she would have none
of him.
''You are free" she said (by no
means for the first time), land
know exactly how you will use your
freedom
81 hope you'll have the opportun-
ity of using yours as 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 unlind, for she
had a sallow complexion.
II am not going to argue it any
more" she declared, having hersel1
talked the subject bare. "Go!"
And he went. But he was a gentle
man, and previous to going he hat
tried his best to soothe her annoyance
even to frankly owning that-fron
her point of view-she had cause fol
it. He had tried to close his ears tt
the echoing voice, his words to tn,
laughing face, of the girl he had lef
under the apple trees. He did all b,
could to shut out the sweet, suddel
vision of freedom, or release from
captivity which had always irked him
1t was not his fault in the presen
that his past faults were accounted
objectionable. He only went when h
was certain that he was powerless t.
rerivet his chains.
He was not a poetical young man
but some verses the lady who had re
+ linquished him was fond of quotin.
came to him as he wandered back t
e where the cause of the mischief Is
: he devoutly hoped) still awaited him
He waited. on his part, until he wa
v quite certain that she was there. ur
til he stood in front of her. and the
q he repeated a verse out loud:
Where the apple reddens never pry-
1 Lest we lose our Edens, Eve ard II
r $50 she has sent you adrift?'' sal
e the girl seated under the apple ire,
: "But Ewes all right"
q He flung himself beside her