The Washington herald., 1920-12-26
An O. HENRY STORY
XIII, : The Sphinx Apple.

Twenty miles out from Paradise,
and fifteen miles short of Sunrise
City, Bfldad Rose. the stage-driver,
stopped his team. A furious snow had
been falling all day. Eight inches it
measured now, on a level. The re-
mainder of the road was not with
out peril in daylight, creeping along
the ribs of a bijou range of ragged
mountains. Now, when both snow
and night masked its dangers, fur
ther travel was not to be thought
of. said Bildad Rose. So he pulled
up his four stout horses, and deliv-
cred to his passengers oral deduc-
tions OF his wisdom.
Judge Menefee, to whom men
granted leadership and the initiatory
as upon silver salver. sprang from
the coach at once. Three of his fel-
low passengers followed, inspired by
his example. ready to explore to OBJ
jurgate. to resist, to submit, to pro-
coed, according as their prime fac
tor might be inclined to sway them.
The fifth passenger, a young wo-
man. remained in the coach.
Bildad had halted upon the shoul-
der of the first mountain spur. Two
rail-fenceS ragged-black, hemmed
the road. Fifty yards above the up
per fence. showing a dark blot in
the white drifts. stood small
house. Upon this house descended
or rather, ascended-Judge Menefee
and his cohorts with boyish whoops
born Of the, snow and stress. They
called: they. pounded at window and
door. At the inhospitable silence
they waxed restive: they assaulted
and invaded the premises.
The watchers from the coach
heard stumblings and shoutings
from the interior of the raSaged
house. Before long a light within
nickered, glowed. famed high anG
bright and cheerful. Then came run
ming back through the driving
flakes the exuberant explorers.
More deeply pitched than the clarion
even orchestral in volume-the
voice of Judge Menefee proclaimed
the succor that lay in opposition
with their state of travel. The one
room OF the house was uninhab bited
he said, and bare of furniture; but
II contained a great fireplace; and
they had discovered an ample store
of chopped wood in a lean-to at tho
rear. Housing and warmth against
the shivering night were thus as
sured. For the placation of Bildad
Rose there was news Of a stable
not ruined beyond service, with hay
in a loft near the house.
Gentlemen" cried Bildad Rose
from his seat. swathed in coats and
robes. tear me down two panels
of that fence, 50 I can drive in.
That is old man Redruth's shanty.
I thought we must be nigh it. They
took him to the foolish house in
August"
Cheerfully the four passengers
sprang at the snow-capped rails.
The exhorted. team tugged the coach
up the slant to the door of the
edifice from which. midsummer
madness had ravished it's proprietor.
The driver and two of the passen-
gers began to unhitch. Judge Men
efee opened. the door Of the coach,
and removed his hat.
81 have to announce. Miss Gar
land" said he, the enforced sus-
pension of our journey. The driver
asserts that the risk in travelling
the mountain road by night is too
great even. to consider. 1t will be
necessary to remain in the shelter
of this house until morning. l beg
that you will feel that there is
nothing to fear beyond temporary
Inconvenience. 1 . have personally
inspected the house, and fnd that
there are means to provide against
the rigor of the weather, at least.
You shall be made as comfortable
as possible. Permit me to assist you
to alight:" ~ 5-.
To the Judges side came. the, pas
senger Whose pursuit4 in life was
the placing of the, Little Goliath
His name was Dun
woody; but that matters not much.
In travelling merely from PARADISE
to Sunrise City one needs little or
no name. STILL. one who would
seek to divide honors with Judge
NadisonrL. ,Menefee deserves a cog
peg upon which Fame may
hang a wreath. Thus. spake, loudly
and. buoyantly, the. aerial miller:
= Guess you'lr have to climb out of
the ark, Mrs Mcfarland. This wig
wan aipt exactly the Palmer House,
but 1t turns snow, and they won't
search your grip for souvenir spoons
when you Leave. We've got fire
going; and we'll fix you up with
dry Trilbys and keep the mice away,
all right, all right"
One Of the two passengers who
were struggling in a melee of
horses. harness, snow, and the sar. 4
castle injunctions of Biidad Rose,
called loudly from the -whirl of his
duties: 'Say!s some of. you
fellows get Miss Solomon; Into the
house, will you? Whoa. there, you
brute" ,.~
;. Again must it be gently, urged that,
In travelling from Paradise to. Sum
rise City-an accurate name is. prodi-
gality. When Judge Menefee-sanc-l
TONED to the act bys his gray shair.l