Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-05-01

the aviator was apprehenSive Of q
breakdown. for suddenly the motion
changed. the machine dipped down.
ward. and phineas gasped thankfully.
for his arms were rigid and bloodless
and his hands We're numb.
He opened his eyes and glanced
downward as the machine, settling
heavily to the left. descended. He saw
a sparsely settled country, a white
farmhouse in the midst of trees. They
were just above the treetops now. and
it was evident that the aviator intend.
ed to alight beyond the farmhouse. AS
they passed " the orchard the nero.
plane settled close to the treetops. and
Phineas' dangling feet brushed the top.
most branches. Then suddenly they
caught in q twist of strong shoots, and
his stiffened fingers were jerked from
their hold. and he fell. crashing into the
top Of an apple tree.
The aeroplane. relieved Of his weight,
righted itself, and the aviator, quite
unconscious of the passenger he had
carried, sailed away out Of sight.
Phineas' fall had been broken by a
thick growth of young shoots at the
top of the tree. Under his weight they
had writhed together, sustained him
for a moment until his arms could en-
circle a branch, and then he was Jared
to safety. his feet wedged in a crotch
of the trunk. Breathless and dishevel-
ed, he leaned painting there until a
sharp exclamation from the ground be-
low attracted his attention.
Gracious sakes alive! What are
you doing in my apple tree?" called a
feminine voice.
In spite of the fatigue that followed
his wild fight through the air and the
reaction after his miraculous escape
from death. Phineas experienced a
thrill. for the voice of a woman lent
a flavor of omanc to the first real
adventure of his prosaic life.
Il will explain when I come down."
he said, with as much dignity as he
could assume under the circumstances.
He descended gingerly to the ground
and faced a slender, blue eyed woman
who Wore a blue cotton gown and a
white apron. The sun sifted through
the thinning leaves and dappled her
brown hair with warm color. She
pointed down at the ground with one
shapely, sun tanned finger.
Man, man! See what you have done
to my Sweetheart apples!'' she said
despairingly.
Phineas looked down at the golden
globes strewing the ground. Now he
understood the rattling volley of thuds
that had followed his arrival in the
tree.
I'm very sorry. ma'am," he said so
sincerely that Augusta Hale believed
him.
They should have been picked by
hand" she grieyed. leaning over to ex
anime a bruised apple.
And l picked them with my feet
said Phineas whimsically.
PLEASE tell me what you were doing
there" Her face grew suddenly grave,
and she continued, Surely you were
not helping yourself to- She paused
in embarrassment at Phineas' startled
attitude.
Mercy. no! l fell out of an aero
plane" he explained, involuntarily
glancing upward.
She stared ~incredulously and retreat
ed a few steps.
Phineas smiled. Its a fact, MAN,
and he told her in a few words of the
strange adventure he had taken part
in. He showed her his blistered and
bleeding hands and ~substantiated his
tale by pointing out the aeroplane
which was passing overhead on it's trir
back to the testing field. Miss Hale
was fain to believe him after she had
viewed the crushed top of her choicest
apple tree.
isn't it wonderful?' she asked as
she led the way to the farmhouse.
ITS the most wonderful thing thai
ever happened to me-" declared Phin
cas-. whose mind was leaping from in
cident to incident of the bewilderine
day. To him the most significant thing
Of all was that he should have faller
in and out of the Sweetheart apple
tree right at the feet of pretty Miss
Augusta Hale.
Miss Hale bound his bleeding hands
with the same skill which marked ev
erything she attempted. Phineas foun(
himself watching her with growing ad
miration as she proceeded to make hin
comfortable Oh the sunny piazza of the
farmhouse, where they were present.,
joined by her mother. Phineas Learned
that Miss Augusta was the man Of tn
household and that she directed til,
farm work and made field and orchard
and dairy and poultry yard pay hand
somely. He remained to supper, ant
before he left she had accepted hi
invitation to visit the aviation field tn
next day with him.
AS Phineas Berry passed through tn
orchard to take a short cut out to tn
railroad station ne paused under tn
Sweetheart apple tree and pulled GU
his penknife. He looked at the trunI
longingly. He wanted to place his I'M
tails there as he had seer boys cary
their names together with their sweet