Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-13
Evening Story
THE FORBIDDEN TREE.
0y "dI TIA NVCOUI1UC1I-V TTTTd1II3.
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate

20 joy! Luck! The greatest ever!"
Lila half chanted as she burst into
the living-room, her arms piled high
with crab apple blossoms.
Miss Mellen looked severe. She
could not for her life get used to this
exhuberant young thing, which never
disputed her edicts, yet had it's own
sweet will and way through a certain
fine residence. Miss Mellen had not
wanted flowers indoors-they messed
things dropping-she was the pattern
of neatness. Therefore, she had made
excuse of not despoiling the borders.
Flowers looked much better on the
parent stalks, she had assured Lila.
Besides, taking folk out to see them
rather broke up the formality of the
early coming together BY time all the
women had exclaimed over peonies,
bleeding heart, sweet williams and co.
lumbine, to say nothing Of envying the
promise of the richly budded rose
boughs, they had found their tongues
and were eager to be sociable.
Lila had left the excuse no stem to
stand on. She laid down the blossom
sheaf, signing happily, and saying;
81 found them in the pasture across
the stone wall-tree's there all to its
lonesome-so nobody can mind"
Much you know" Miss Mellen
cried in agitation. "Why!"-that's the
tree nobody is ever allowed to touch.
1t was the last thing old Madam Win
slow planted-her son let's everything
flowers and fruit, go to waste"
90! am sorry So sorry" Lila
broke in. Il wouldn't-not for any,
thing-I must take them straight
back"
NC! l wouldn't like that" Miss
Mellen said decidedly. Maybe he
won't notice-Hardin Winslow l mean.
If he never knows"
Butt shall know" Lila interrupt
ed, her tone exactly that of her aunt's
niece.
Miss Mellen snuffed softly the deli
cate fragrance 1T does seem pity
to throw them away-so sweet they
are" she murmured. Lila looked at
her 81 shall not throw them away"
she said. THAT would be cowardly."
Here the phone called insistently.
Miss Mellen answered. In a wink
arms, and was running down the gar
den. At the boundary of it her cour-
age faltered-she had yet to cross the
paddock to reach the stone wan. She
had not yet seen this devoted son
rumor had painted him for her as
somber-almost rude. Suppose he mis-.
understood-took her innocent ravag.
ings as bid for his acquaintance.
Men we're so odd about things-espec-
tally bachelor men, rich and much pur.
sued! Insensibly her step lagged-by
time she came to the WALL she was
hardly moving Therefore an observer
some way off might we'll think her
stationary.
Hardin Winslow was coming to see
the crab apple tree. Me who planted
it had been everything to him-mother
friend, comrade, barely sixteen years
his elder. He had never ceased to feel
a mad resentment, that they had been
cheated of long years they should
have had together. She had been al
together radiant, a creature Of whim
and impulse. Setting the tree thus
lone was typical-she loved to dress
and trick out waste places. He should
never forget, how, at the tree planting
she had visualized it later-the
wreathy dropping boughs pink against
the lichened stones.
Lila had not really marred it-she
had done her ravagings gently-stil
he missed certain very pendulous
! boughs whose tips had caressed the
! wall. Looking across it he saw in the
dazzle Of early sunshine, something