The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-08-17
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Apple Blossoms.
BY EARL REED sILVERs:
(CopyriEht, 1917, by the Mcclure
Nswsnauer Syndicate.)

=
,FIE scent Of aple blossoms perVao-
ed the orchard, bringing TO Anna
j Smith poignant memories o. q
late afternoon three years ago Waen
81 that very orchard Edgar Gillian had
said his last good.by. The scene came
hack 10 her with startling Vividness;
the pink.White blossoms making YER
table blower OF each low.hangtng tree
the Undiscovered seat In the very cen
ter Of It all, and Edgar standing before
her, his sun.browned face suddenly
white, a look OF infinite pain In his
frank blue eyes. Anna sank down upon
the bench and covered her face with
her hands.
She and Edgar had grown up to-
gether. Living on adjacent farms, 1t
had only been natural that Edgar
should drop over Of an evening to slt
q the broad porch Of the Smith resi-
nee. Their relations had always
been impersonal, more like brother and
sister than girl and boz friends, and
Anna had begun to look upon EDGAR
very much as II he had been her broth
er.
The Gillian farm was one OF the
most prosperous in that section OF the
state; the Gillams themselves were all
that could be desired socially, and Ed
gar, as the only one and heir, was
much sought after by the girls OF the
village. He was tall, outstanding
young man, with light, curly hair which
invited stray fingers, and blue eyes
which looked at one with a fearless
frankness which was almost discon'
eefting.
But there had been a deep hurt IN
those eyes when he had last said good
By TO Anna. The day had started OF
much GS other days, but at noon Ned
Howell had phoned over from the vii.
lage and had asked Anna If she would
SO auto riding with him that afternoon.
Anna, rather flattered by the invita-
ton, had accepted. Ned had been East
to college for three years and was
spending his first vacation in his home
town. He had gone from Glendale a
rather nice young chap, looking for.
ward to college as place for study ana
companionship. But during his fresh
man year he had found that study was
only small part Of the life OF the uni
versity, and he often drifted into the
kind Of companionship which is too
often associated with undergraduate
atmosphere, In other words, he had
"fallen in With the wrong crowd and
had become fast" His vacations had
been spent mostly in fashionable sea-
shore resorts, but after his junior year
his father had insisted upon his return
to Glendale, for a week at least. Aud
SO lie had come back with his college
pipe, his Haunting ties and his big
red racing car.
Glendale hadn't known exactly what
to make of him. The older people had
looked him over rather obviously and
had suspended judgment; the young
fellows who had always nourished vi.
sions Of New York and Broadway took
him up eagerly and listened open
mouthed to his tales OF social adven.
ture; men like Edgar had shaken his
hand and marveled at his clammy grip,
and had thereupon placed him in his
proper category. But the girls, spying
him first as he raced by the church in
his car one Sunday morning, had in.
stantly proclaimed that he was won.
derful," and had hoped in their heart
Of hearts that they might some time be
his companion in that big red car.
Anna had first met him after prayer
meeting. He had come in the car EVIL
IDENTIFY in search of amusement, and had
sat in the back seat, bored expression
on his willful face. Anna had glanced
at him out Of the corner Of her eye ana