The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-21

anything Alaskan which has broken
for some time. ] think you are a very
nice person to interview. after ALL"
wait! l don't want you to use a
word of what I've told you"
Miss Appleton's clearly penciled
brows rose inquiringly. Then why
didn't you keep still?"
You asked me. l told you because
you are Dan Appleton's sister, New.
ertheless | don't want it made pub
lie"
Lets sit down." said the girl. with
a laugh. ITO tell you the truth.
didn't come here to interview you for
my paper. I'm afraid I've tried your
patience awfully." A faint flush ting
ed her clear complexion. II just came,
really, TO get some news of Dan"
Hes perfectly well and happy, and
you'll see him In a few days"
Miss Appleton nodded. $50 he wrote,
but ] couldn't wait. Now, won't you
tell me all about him-not anything
about his looks and his health. but lit
tie unimportant things hat will mean
something? You see, I'm his mother
and his sister and his sweetheart"
O'Neil did as he was directed and
before long found himself reciting the
details Of that trying trip up the Salm-
on river. He told her how he had
sent the young engineer out to run the
preliminary survey for the new rail
road and added: He is In a fair way
to realize his ambition of having you
with him all the time. I'm sure that
will please you"
And 1t is my ambition to make
enough money to have him with me-
she announced With an air of some
Importance she continued: I'll tell you
a secret. I'm writing for the maya
zines-stories"' She sat back await
ing his enthusiasm. When she saw
that it was not forthcoming she eX-
the idea
Il congratulate you, OF course, but
"Now, don't tell me that you tried 1t
once, OF course you did. | know it's
a harmless disease, like the measles,
and that everybody has ii when they're
young. Above all, don't volunteer the
information that your own life is full
of omance and would make "A splen-
did novel. They all say that
Murray O'Neil felt the glow of per
sonal interest that results from the dis
covery in another of Il congenial sense
of humor.
81 didn't suppose you had to write
l.. -tl aIA,, .,ll $40 500, h.l a.,
vested your fortune and were on Easy
street.
"That was poetic license. | fiction
lied slightly in my report to him be
cause | knew he was doing SO we'll"
Then your Investment didn't tcTr
out fortunately"
Miss Appleton hesitated. you seem
to be a kindly, trusting person. I'm
tempted to destroy your faith in hui
man nature"
"Please don't"
Yes, l shall. My experience ma!
help you to avoid the pitfalls Of higl
finance. Well, then, 1t was a very sa,
little fortune. to begin with, like n DO.
in grammar school-just big enough Il
! be of no assistance. But eve Il boys
size fortune looked big to me. ! want
ed to invest it in something sure-nC
national bank stock, subject to the dan
ger Of an absconding cashier, mind you
) no government bonds with the possibil
ity Of war to depreciate them, bu'
l something stable and agricultural, will
. the ineXhaustible OF nature
: back Of it. This isn't my own Ian
guage. ! cribbed 1t from the apple
1 man"
: apple manT'
Eyes. He had brown eyes and ,
silky mustache and "A big irrigation plaI
[ over east OF the mountains. You gave
, him your money and he gave you
} perfectly good receipt. Then he plant
! ed little apple trees. He nursed then
} tenderly for five years, after which he
turned them Owe to you with his bless
J ing and you lived happily for evermore
} At least that was the idea. You coulC
not fail to grow rich, for the water al
ways dubbed through his little ditch
e1N ~ wv 'Sh ~ " op'A
things. | used to love apples. Ant
then there was my name, which seem
ed a good omen. But lately I've con
sidered changing Appleton to Berry
e or 'Plummer or some other kind 0
fruit"
81 infer that the scheme failed.
O'Neil's eyes were half closed wit
amusement.
Yes. 1t was a good scheme, too, eX
l cept for the fact that the irrigation
ditch ran uphill and that there WASH
any water where it started from an,
that apples never had been made t
grow in that locality because Of some
thing in the soil and that brown eye
Betty's title to the land wouldn't hol
1 water any more than the ditch. Other
wise I'm sure he'd have made a sue
cess and I'd have spent my declining
years In q rocking chair under the fall
ing apple blossoms, eating pippins an
Jonathans and Northern Spies. can
bear to touch them now. Life at IN
boarding house is one long battl