The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-29
OF LITTLE RED APPLE

!
involuntary heresy that included the
/ whole sex except his mother. Equipped
I by nature and training to shine in So
ciety. he had begun by running the whole
gsmut Of its possibilities and ended by
/ believing that there was nothing IN it
HIS healthy imagination and romantic
spirit were dominated by his disciplined
mind, and. though he didn't admit IL
even to himself he was coming TO the be-
| lief that the only satisfying occupation
for wise man Of vigor and ambition Is
! work. He was coming to regard himself
81 seriously that IL became quite impos-
kstbie for him 10 think OF women without
4 smile Of depreciation. One by one he
had put a hundred 70 the test-his test
and his well considered verdict in each
case had been There's nothing TO her. -
He had now spent a whole summer IN
Clare, quasi-fashionable resort IN the
fruit region, and had catalOgued and
double crossed" every woman he had
met there Then, just as he was about
70 leave for the city, he saw a young
oman who set him thinking She was
| beautiful without the aid of any tricks of
fashion. Her personality so dominated
both milliner and modiste that Owen,
cCnnoisseur that he was, didn't know how
she was attired He saw her walking
along the street with speed that was
swift without haste, and as he watched
her face he felt something OF the old
alteration of his salad days coming into
his eyes. At the corner she stopped 10
talk to a brown-faced country woman.
perhaps a farmers wife, and as Owen
passed them he heard her say: I'm go
ing tonight. Mrs Krauss VIII you see
me off? Oh, thank you It's the II
O'Clock. I'm so disappointed" That was
all he heard. The voice was as gentle and
penetrating as the luminous eyes. He
mOped all afternoon, but took the bus
for the II o'clock train.
She was in it with Mrs. Krauss when
it called at the hotel. Conkling sat in the
far corner and tried to see her face in
the half-light. She was talking. Il just
hate to leave without those apples, she
was saying. They're out at Skaters
place-seVen miles-the bYst, the only
good crop I've seen this trip. But the
hateful old thing wouldn't sell them or
even give me an option unless I planked
down fifty. dollars. No; Monday will be
too late. / saw Peale & Seed's buyer up
at the hotel today. He's securing Mich
igan for apples, and he'll have Skaters
before / could get back
Don't worry, Miss Pauline" said the
other woman. I'D loan you the money If
had it. Perhaps if you hurry back"
"Oh, no. 1 know how quick that other
buyer isl could just cry"
And as they neared the depot Conkling
INTO a ball between her hands. He got
out first aware of an absorbing desire 20
be of service to Miss Pauline. She had
alighted and said good-by to her friend
before he had collected his wits suffi-
GENTLY to help her out of the bus. He
was awed by this fascinating woman.
because he now knew that she had bet
ter excuse for living than lawn parties
and cotillions. He knew her name was
De- .toA Oh, .Iett ur,G tn,
trouble. As he stood there watching her
she suddenly gasped, MY valise!" and
ran to the end of the platform. He was
quickly beside her, his hat in his hand.
4 left my valise in the bus" she said.
Would you, could you
He was gone like lackey, and in two
minutes she was taking the little trav
cling bag from his hand. THANK you
very much. Mr."
"ConkIing," he said.
My money was In ii. I don't know how
to thank you. Goodness, here comes our
train. Are you going"
as this yours. too? found it in the
bus. And he held out a little red apple
But she laughed a little sadly and said
You may keep it, Mr. Conkling. Are
you going on this train?" She raised her
voice and spoke close to his ear so that
he might hear above the kissing engine.
NO" he said, putting the apple in his |
pocket and helping her up the steps as
the train grosned away. She bowed |
again and he held his hat in his hand |
till she was out of sight. Then he went |
to the hotel. counted his money and got |
the night clerk to cash a draft. In fifteen |
minutes he was sitting in hired buggy /
driving through the night to Skaters |
farmhouse, seven miles away. He got I
-f,-~-, fHr,fr nd : f,~Fa
man. who came TO the door with a light 1
Ia one hand and A shotgun in the other. |
Tonkling explained that he had to leave /
town in the morning and had come 10 I
buy apples. The DUtchmsn chuckled The I
price was $3.50 per barrel for the whole /
ot, 800 barrels The fashionable young I
nan haggled, argued, simulated for the 1
lrst time in his life. He began 10 real
re that there was chance FOR elo- /
luence wit and mental activity even in
apple buying He ''Jewed down the
'srmer till the price was agreed at 81. 90.
md congratulated himself on having
probably done better than Miss Pauline
" any woman could have done.
WAS there q lady here this after
loon?" he asked as the farmer scrawled
bill OF sale.
yah laty dere vas vich mein epples
III would by Won tree dollar forty. aber
The didn't hef dose feefy tollars cash
nonig"
did you get Her name2"
ZACH nein, did nit got id. She vas Won
sheecago by de eppel pizness."
Conkling was disappointed. He had
loped to get Miss Pauline's name But
Re paid $50 as an earnest and told the
)utohman TO ship the apples 10 his Chi
q 90 address with a bill-lading and draft
% follow.
He had almost reached the Union sta
ION next day before he could figure out
asible plan 10 get his apples 10 Miss
pauline. But he was inspired with an
.nwonted enthusiasm and when he got
nto his cab ne told the driver 70 take
i'm TO newspaper office There he
wrote out this advertisement: For sale,
10 barrels OF perfect Wine-ssDs from
ihafers farm. near Clare, Mich. Quick
srgain. X Sc
He got fifty or more answers the next
ay and threw ali bat one IN the waste
asket. II read: * 50. Dear sir II
ou can call with sample at my Office
Il Futurity Building, I viii make al
Ter. Pauline Davis. agent.
She was sitting AZ her desk. more radi-
mt than ever, when he walked in with
be little red apple in his extended hand. ]
why. AIr. Conkling. You didn't buy I
hose
Yes. Miss Davis. bought them. You
..But you're not IL the apple business"
ooh. mo- just happened 10 overhear b
our conversation in the bus that night Z
nd Z wanted 90 help yen ouc
But Z kuew yol must have been swim Z
led. Did you pay more than Two fry
Ionest Row. Mr- Conkiins7 She smiled
rgeuiousIy. then laughed With delight as
q He'd.
$50. miss Oriv tv-0-forty. WIN vou ]
sBe them OF ~ hands - once
Take theu od yefIr hands2 Why. III r
.arn the MONS nLth EoI--