Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-03-03
FORBIDDEN
FRUIT s


to Mrs. Nickell's ring. a.s
"Apples?" echoed Mrs. Nickel. paus.
Ing in the act of laying down her pack
ages. What apples?"
THE apples" explained Hilda, com.
prehensively. "They are in the eel
lar already and he opened them and
they are very good. ate one"
"FIilda," said Mrs. Nickel. sternly,
who Is he and what apples did he
open and what on earth are you talk
ing about?"
Hilda bestowed upon her employer
plying look and checked off the
nouns on her red fingers. "The ex-
press wagon man, he brought bar
rel Of apples this afternoon and put
them downstairs and took the cover
Of because l asked him. He was
very nice man. The apples are red"
It seemed that this was as complete
and detailed an account of the barrel
of apples as the Nickel family was
destined to obtain from any source.
When Nickel came home from work
| the family gathered around the mys-
terious barrel and considered it.
There was on it no mark or tag
and the broken boards of the cover
Hilda had tidily thrown into the fur
mace when the expressman took them
off. She did not know what express
company the man worked for, but she
explained in detail that the man had
| black mustache and handsome cor
kv,N, h Ia n 0nn1nd
stared them in the face.
Say, they are good" said Nickel,
when he had bitten into one. "They
remind me of my boyhood days!"
Richard" demonstrated his wife,
I'VE shouldn't eat them. They aren't
ours!'
well, we've got 'em, haven't WEI"
demanded Nickel, taking another.
1--WE didn't knock down anyone and
take the barrel away from him by
main force, did we? These apples
! were thrust upon US against our will
and intend to have revenge on some
body. Besides. they're taking up
storage room"
In a day or so Mrs. Nickel grew
used to the presence of the barrel OF
apples and, the mystery remaining
unsolved, she deserted the paths OF
rectitude and joined her husband and
Hilda in their depredations. The
Nickel family had apples baked for
made into pies and buildings for din.
ner, and Toasted off them at mid.
night. They really were particularly
juicy, toothsome apples. Nickel had
gone over all the people he knew in
the country and had definitely de.
cided that not one Of them would loos.
en- up sufficiently to present him with
a barrel of fine fruit. Besides most
of them grew potatoes instead of ap-
pies. It was very odd
Nearly two weeks after che arrival
of the barrel the woman next door
called.
Isn't 1t funny how things get lost?"
she remarked to Mrs. Nickel as she
fastened her furs to go. I'VE ordered
a barrel of apples from the farm near
our summer cottage and the farmer
insists that he shipped them nearly
three weeks ago and we haven't got
them yet! And he has our money!
I'd give a good deal to know where
that barrel is! Have you got head
ache, Mrs. Nickel? Your face is so
flushed"
Il can tell you where that barrel
u.s." her hostess said, when she got her
breath. 1T is down in our cellar this
minute and nearly half the apples are
eaten up!"
It took Mrs. Nickells some time to
recover from the embarrassed gloom
into which this little episode plunged
them. Though the family converse
ton was tactfully steered away from
such topics as apples and orchards,
and though everybody developed a
sudden preference for oranges and
dates and grapefruit, apples by sheer
force of repression ruled in the minds
of all Of them. The woman next door
was disagreeable person and she
had accepted NickelPs liberal concili-
atory check for fruit eaten with an
air Of righteous condescension and
disapproval that was hard to bear.
It was probably some occult connec-
ton with this secret sorrow that led
Nickel to do as he did little later.
When he had left for business that
morning Mrs. Nickel had reminded
him that they were to have a small
dinner party that evening and that
he was to bring home some flowers.
On his way for the flowers that
night Nickel paused before the at
trRctiye window of big fruit store.
The window was work of art and
In the center was a mound OF the big.
gest. reddest, most luscious apples one
might hope to see in hundred years
AS he gazed Nickel had an inspira-
ton. Why would not centerpiece
Of this fragrant fruit with few ferns
twisted in be far more original and
artistic than the conventional flowers?
He went in and ordered two dozen
Of the apples. They made a bulky
package and he began to regret the
purchase as he fumbled in his change.
pocket. How much?" he inquired.
They are 20 cents apiece" said the
clerk. #
''Murder!" cried the startled Nick
ell-and dropped the bag. NJ |
Bruised apples will not sell, the
fruit store man firmly explained to
Nickel, who insisted on returning his
purchase when the fruit had been col.
lected from all over the floor. So he
paid the $3.50.
Nobody mentions apples in the Nick
ell family now.