The Mena weekly star., 1918-01-03
SHE THREW APPLES
By c. B. LEWIS.

Among the happy hearts out in . certain country district that August day were two hearts not more than mile apart, which were probably happier than any other two.
 One belonged to Miss Ruth Gordon and the other to Clyde Belmont. Miss Gordon was a teacher in the public schools of the city and had been in- vited down to The Cedars to pass the month of August with friends.
 MT. Belmont was a junior partner in department store and had three weeks in which to take needed vaca- ton.
 At nine o'clock on that morning men toned Mir. Belmont sat on the veranda of a manor house belonging to friend and smoked a good cigar and heard the robins and bluebirds singing. This was novelty to him.
 Miss Ruth wasn't on any veranda. She was out in the orchard instead wandering over the grass, which had been dewy three or four hours before. She felt like young colt, and she al- most made up her mind to climb one of the apple trees. She was visiting her friend, Jane Craven. It was Jane who led her into trouble. She picked up apples and began te throw them at a tree. and. of course. Ruth followed the example. They were in part of the orchard bordering the highway, and such apples as missed the tree at which they were thrown fell into the highway.
 There were plenty of apples on the ground, for the worm had been getting fin his work during the hot days, and it was great fun. The girls were still throwing when young man suddenly appeared before them, coming from the highway. He held his punched handkerchief to his left eye and there was pretty fierce scowl on his face. Neither girl had ever seen him, and they stood with apples in their hands to see what errand he had come on.
 A few minutes before this episode Mir. Belmont had finished smoking hIs cigar. He did not feel like walking. but when the auto came around and the chauffeur said he was going to the village, four miles away, the junior that he would go along, and he took q seat in an easy and contented manner. He was enjoying the scenery and try ing to drive the price of fall hats out of his mind, when a bird came sailing out of tree at his face. That is, he struck him in the left eye and fell at his feet, he saw 1t was an apple-not yellow harvest apple good to eat at any hour of the day, but a dried-up. green specimen. It was solid, though, and he felt that eye swelling in less than minute. It had been deliber- ately thrown at him.
 Mir. Belmont wanted to know who had thrown that apple. and the why's and wherefore of it. He leaped from the auto and penetrated some bushes, and To, he stood before two good-look- ing young ladies, where he had ex- pected to find farmland or two or three bad boys. He was expected to say something, and, after recovering from his surprise he stammered out:
 "Some-some one threw an apple. and it hit me in the eyei"
 'Yes, we were throwing apples" re- piled Miss Ruth, who stood nearest him. II threw one with all my might. It missed the tree and struck out, and am very. very sorry"
 But he shouldn't have been passing just at that moment" protested the other girl, in rather impudent tones.
 Perhaps not" caid Mr. Belmont, oe- ing a little indignant.
 "Oh, yes, you should" answered Miss Ruth. You had a right on the road, of course am afraid we were very careless. Won't you come and have the eye treated?"
 T thank you, but-but--"
 And Mir, Belmont got out of the fix by walking back to the road and ask ing the chauffeur to take him back to his friends house, where he found treatment. That eye turned black and blue. and for the next ten days Mir. Belmont had something new to care for. Then he rode out, and who should he meet but the two girls driving in an opposite direction in their auto. Miss Ruth looked her sympathy. She asked half dozen questions about that eye, and vowed that she could never forgive herself. Why couldn't the apple have struck the chauffeur instead? There was a little more talk and then they drove on.
 Once more before each one returned to the city the junior partner and the school teacher met, and affairs pro gressed we'll with them. The black and blue left that eye, and it was as good looking an eye as the other, and both eyes could see that Miss Ruth Gordon had very pleasant personality. It wasn't three months later, and after several calls at Ruth's house. that the junior partner made bold to say:
 Ruth, you extended your sympathy for my black eye which you created. That wasn't all the havoc you did that day, however, and I am going to ask you for sympathy for my wounded heart"
 And, of course. Miss Ruth was very, very good to him, and the dry goods business continued to be very prosper. | Dus. Copyright, 1917, by the Mcclure Newspa<
 per Syndicate)
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