Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1910-03-18


ther?" asked the stranger.
mo There were no witnesses. But
fpthgE Is MS innocent AS yM ior Az
!: Gretchen thought shessaw thesnnn's
pale face grow little palef, @
"And Is he believed 10. 'gullty2"
"Some people think so because, he
comes up here at times and sits luhder'
the tree They say that somc1hing
draws murderer back 10 the scene Of.
his crime" :N y
Gretchen saw the stranger tTerNlf.
Her mind was absorbed In her tatleris.
trouble. which also kept her dnd her
lover apart. This made her garrtl bus.
She kept on:
'I've tried TO persuade father not to
come up here. But he will in spite OF
all can do
Doesn't that look as II he were
guilty?" asked the man.
"No. 1t seems TO me that he ex-
poets to meet the real murderer here.
And IL It's true that murderers must
revisit the scenes OF their crimes per-
haps father will find him here some
day"
The man hurriedly turned to go.
Gretchen noticed that the hand he re.
moved from the fence was trembling
like a leaf In the wind.
won't you have an apple" she
asked.
"No, no. nor Then, suddenly check
ing himself. he added: "Thank you. my
girl. never eat apples. They're sour
and hard"
"These are not. They're sweet and
Juicy" She moved toward him. hold
ing out one of the apples she had
plucked from a lower branch of the
tree.
"No. no, no." repeated the man. star
ing at the apple as If there was some
! thing about II to be dreaded.
Gretchen looked at him in astonish-
ment. Then. as If TO show him that
the fruit was harmless, she raised II
to her mouth. took big bite and held
the exposed pulp up for him TO see.
Down at the farmhouse Herman
! Zeltner heard wild cry. 1t seemed
! TO him that II came from the direc-
ton of the lone apple tree. Bounding
up the incline. in another moment he
came in sight Of his daughter. A man
was standing on the other side OF the
fence holding to the top.
Take it away" cried the stranger
"Theres blood on It. It's from his
veins. 1t has grown up through the
trunk and has got into the apples"
Gretchen stood speechless. Sudden
ly her father dashed up to the stran
ger. leaped the fence and. grasping
him by the shoulder, forced him down
into a kneeing position.
"You fend. You killed him and left
me TO suffer for your crime! What
do you mean by blood from his veins
Where did you bury him? Under tho
treeY
Yes" gasped the man, his terrol
ut the blood stains. as he supposed
them, IN the grated apple dominating
his terror Mt being accused of the
crime
Zelner called for assistance, ant
some Of his farm hands came running
toward the party.
There is the murderer" he said
'IIc killed the peddler and has burieC
him under the apple tree. Brinl
spades"
Spades were brought, and the bod.
of the peddler was eXhumed Iii
murderer refused TO look ON 1t. cover
ing his face with his hands.
80 you took a grated apple 70
blood stains, did you?' cried Zeltnel
white with rage. THANK heaven. VIII
prompted me 10 put red apple on thl
tree. for heaven, who sent you bac
here. must have led me TO furnish ia
( means to draw out your confession.
| Then to the others, "Take him ava
I to jail"
D When the man had gone Zeltne
questioned Gretchen as to how 1t ha
n occurred, and when he found that sh
: had been the instrument by which
s had been freed from the incubus tha
had been resting upon him he too
d her in his arms and wept tears {
It joy.
a aThe good book says" he cried "thi