Evening journal., 1909-07-30
FO1Er-COIOred
....HpPIeS S.


Colonel Gresham, stockbroker, turn
ed gentleman farmer TO produce new
varieties Of fruits.
Nature grows some two-colored ap-
pies, but when you ask her to add two
additional colors she wants time to
think the matter over. Every expert
ment was a failure, but that only made
the colonel and his gardener the more
determined, especially the gardener
1t was his duty as an employee
to give his master all his ideas but he
made an exception in this one case.
He clung to It with logged obstinacy,
but he kept it as secret as the grave.
He might have chung to It year or so
longer had not the colonel become Inn
patient He said something one June
day about giving up the experiments,
and the gardener replied that he would
have some news for him next day. He
asked the broker TO come home an
hour earlier than usual and to come
directly to the large farm barn.
At the hour named the colonel was
there. He had scarcely entered the
barn when he received a crack on the
head that made him unconscious for
the next quarter Of an hour. When he
came to he had been stripped of coat,
vest and tie and was bound hand and
foot. He had not caught sight Of his
assailant before being struck, but now
found the gardener lowering over him
with a murLerous look on his face.
"Will you tell me what this means,
Henry7" asked the victim.
Eyes, SIR. / have finally found how
to grow fcur-colored apples.--It has
been a long time. but / have struck
It at last. / 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
have found a way to make the blue
and green ones all right l have sim
ply to sprinkle them with the blood OF
a man wearing side whiskers. A drop
of blood to a blossom will do the trick,
and once tie apples start to growing
that way they will continue"
Now. the colonel had a growth OF
side whisl1ers that were the envy OF
Wall street and a matter of Joy to
himself. Whenever you saw the colo
mel you saw his whiskers. He might
forget his Communication ticket now and
then, but never his whiskers. The
two were one and inseparable. He
didn't like the gardeners reference TO
those sacr4d objects. 1t smacked Of
familiarity, and there was a covert
threat behind the words. He was at
first inclined to bluster, but another
look into the gardeners face satisfied
him that the man had become crazy.
He therefore changed his tactics and
quietly said:
"All right, Henry. We will 60 up to
the orchard and experiment. am de.
lighted to find that you have achieved
success at last"
"But how can you go when 1 want
your blood?" asked the man. "You
see, you are the only, man around here
with side whiskers. If the coachman
or the butler had 'em, that would do
but they haven't, you know. They are
fine ones, colonel-fine ones"
And Chapman bent down and ten
derly caressed athe iron gray side
whiskers that foated away from each
cheek and were gently stirred now
and then bv the June breezes blowing
into the open door, Never had another
man on this earth except the barber
dared to'lay his sacrileglous hands on
those reverenced, objects Of the money
center of the world
"But we will look up some one else
said the colonel as he felt sinking OF
the heart. Il know of several mer
with side wniskers, and will coax one
OF them home with me tomorrow"
But l must have the blood today
h colonel Besides, for this first expert
ment we must have the incest sort OF
whiskers. There is nothing in the state
Of NewiYor;S to, compare with yours
The papers have said so over and ovel
again. How soft,they are! How lux
uriantly they grow How the breeze
toys with. theml. Your blood Is al
right, and the first bushel Of four-color
ed apples shall be deposited on YOU
grave"
But l want to see the trees you
have selected may decide 20 make
some changes"
1.-The trees are all right, colonel
Here is a knife to open an artery, and
here Is a pan to ocatch the. blood. Wha'
shall do with. your whiskers aftel
you are dead? 1t seems a pity to bury
'em like so much, ,horsehair."
"You blamed fool, this has gon'
far enough exclaimed the colonel. go
ing to the other extreme. "Unbind me-
at. .once. .or.Pllshavei you sent to prison