The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-01

his assailant before being. struck, but
now found the gardener lowering over
him with murderous look on his
face.
viii you tell me what this means.
Henry" asked the victim.
Yes. sir. I have finally found how
to grow four-colored apples. 1t has
been a long time, but have struck it
at last. 1 hope to have fifty bushels
on the market this fall
well let's hear about it,
"All the apple trees are now in bios
som. The red ones are all right, and
the yellow ones are all right, and l
have found way to make the blue and
green ones all right. 1 have simply to
sprinkle them with the blood of man
wearing side whiskers. A drop of blood
to a blossom will do the trick, and once
the apples start to growing that way
they will continue. Let US exclatm
Eureka!"
side-whiskers that were the envy of
Wall street and matter of joy to him
self. Whenever you saw the colonel
you saw his whiskers. He might forget
his Communication ticket now and then,
but never his whiskers. The two were
one and inseparable.s He didn't like the
gardeners reference to those sacred OBJ
jectS. 1t smacked of familiarity, and
there was a covert threat behind the
words. He was at first inclined to blus-
OUT dnOIn0T lOOk lIllO TIE SdEdCHCk
face satisfied him that the man had
become crazy. He therefore changed
his tactics and quietly said:
''All right, Henry. we will go up to
the orchard and experiment am de-
lighted to find that you have achieved
success at last
But how can you go when I want
your blood2'' asked the man. You see,
you are the only man around here with
side=whtskers-.1 the coachman or the
lo but 1oTy
haven't, you know. They are fine ones,
Colonel-fine ones.
And Chapman bent 6own and tender
ly caressed the iron gray side-whiskers
that f1oated away from each cheek and
were gently stirred now and then by
the June breezes blowing into the open
door. Never had another man on this
earth except the barber dared to lay
his sacrilegious hands on those rever-
enced objects of the money center Of
the world.
But we will look up some one else, -
said the cofonl as he felt a sinking
of the heart II know of several men
with de-whiskers and will coax one
of them home with me tomorrow"
But I must have the blood today,
colonel. Resides, for this first experiment
we must have the. incest kind OF wis.
kers Therf is n9thas IT the Res state r6e
How soft they are! How luxuriantly they
Your blood is all right, and the first
bushel of four-colored apples shall be de-
posted on your grave.
"But 1 want to see the trees you have
selected 1 may decide to make some
changes"
'arhe trees are all right, colonel. Here
is a knife to open an artery. and here
is pan of catch the blood What shall
/ do with your whiskers after you are
dead? 1t seems a pity to bury 'em like
so much horsehair"
you blamed fool but this has gone
far enough" exclaimed the colonel go
ing to the other extreme. "Unbind me
at. once. or III have you sent to prison
TT won't do,ss4 replied the gardener
with a shake of his head. and taking up
a knife he had made ready for the pur-
pose. "You are as, anxious for the four
colored apples as / am, and you mustn't
bring all our labors to naught. Here
goes for the blood
The colonel began yelling for help, and