The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-20
Gontinued.)


Daughter of Eve, 1 will be any
thing you like I'm obliged for the ap-
pie, and 1 apologize for having enter
ed Eden uninv1ted.''
It's not my Eden. Nobody invited
me- But it's not too much to say that
these apples are grand
Pm glad we're both in the same
boat I'm trespasser myself. I don't
even know the name of the owner
But If you have had only one apple
two more are coming to you If you fol-
low Atalanta's precedent
Il don't follow precedents, and I've
forgotten the name of the boy who
threw the apples in ther-Eace It
doesn't matter, though. Nothing mat
tiers very much
Her hands acIasped her knees. Her
skirt was short, and was conscious
that she wore tan shoes. She con-
tinued to regard me with lazy curl
osfty- She seemed younger than at
the Asofando. Not more than eight
cen times had apples redeemed on the
bough in her lifetime. She was even
sienderer and more youthful in her
sweater than I'm the snowy vestments
of the AsoIando. Her hair, which in
the glow of the lamp at Asolando cash
desk had been golden, was today bur-
nished copper and was brushed straight
back from her forehead and tied with
q black ribbon.
II quite agree with your philosophy.
Nothing is of great Importance"
$50 it's not your orchard 2" she asked.
aaThe thought hatters me. I own no
lands nor ships at sea- I'm. Chin
ney doctor, and if necessary I'll apollo
gize for it,
You needn't submit testimonials. I
take the swallows out of my own
c1lfmneys-''
That requires a deft hand, and Pm
sure you're considerate of the swal-
lows"
+rYou may come up here and sit on
the wall If you care to- I saw you
driving in a trap. 1 hope your horse
Isn't afraid Of motors. Motors speed
scandalousIy on that road
Il am not in the least worried about
my horse. Tvs borrowed. AS you re-
marked, this is a nice orchard. like
it here"
IF you are going to be silly you will
md me little inclined to nonsense"
shall we talk of the Asolando? I
haven't. been back since I. saw you
there, and yet-let me see, isn't this
your day there?"
She seemed greatly amused, and
her laughter rose with fountain
like spontaneity and fell, a splash of
musical sound, on the mellow air of
the orchard. She had changed her po-
sition as Joined her, sitting erect and
kicking her heels laziIy against the
wall
Mr. Chimney Man, something terri
bic happened just after you left that
afternoon. I was bounced, fred-I lost
my job
sfIncredibIei I'm sure it was not for
any good cause. can testify that you
were model of attention-you were
Surprisingly discreet. You repealed me
in the most delicate manner when l
intimated that should come often on
the days that you made the change
THE sad part of it was that that
was not only my last day. but my first!
had never been there before, except
for nfbble now and then when I was
In town But couldn't stand it. 1t
was like being IN Jail-fn fact 4Tthink
fail would be preferable. But I'm glad
I spent that one day there. They dis
pensed with my company because re-
marked to one of the silly girls who
are making the Asolando their Iifework
that I thought the English pre-Ra-
phaelites had carried the dish face
rather too far. The girl to whom I ut
tered this heresy was so shocked she
dropped teacup-you know how brit
tie everything is in there-and l came
home You were really the only ad-
venture 1 got out of my day there.
And L didn't find you entirely satisfae-
tory
Thank you, Francesca. for these
condolences And having lost your po-
sItion you are now free to roam the
hills and dream on orchard walls.
Your scheme of life is to my liking /
can see with half an eye that you were
born for the open and that the walls
of no prison house can ever hold you
again.
She nodded a dreamy acquiesence.
Then she turned two very brown eyes
full upon me and demanded:
what is your name, pIease?'
! mentioned it.
-=And you doctor chimneys? That
sounds very amusing
I'm .-lad you like it, Most people
think it absurd
What are you doing here? There's
not a chimney in sight"
-Oh. / have a com mission in the
nefghborhood Hopefeld Manor. You
may have heard of Miss HOLSTERS
place.
of course. every one knows of her.
and now that l think of it, it was
she about whom you asked in the Aso-
lando that afternoon. You wanted to
low what she said about the tea