The Washington herald., 1920-12-27
An O.HenryStory
The Sphinx Apple.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

What a charming story" said the
lady passenger. in fiute-like tones.
A little silence followed. except
for the wind and the cracking of
the FIRE.
The men were seated upon the
floor, having slightly mitigated its
inhospitable surface with wraps and
stray pieces of boards. The man
who was placing Little Goliath
windmills arose and walked about
to ease his cramped muscles.
Suddenly triumphant shout came
from him. He hurried back from a
dusky corner of the room, bearing
aloft something in his hand. 1t
was an apple-a large, red-mottled,
firm pippin, pleasing to behold. In
a paper bag on a high shelf in that
corner he had found it. 1t could
have been no relic of the lovewreck.
ed Redruth. for its glorious sound
ness repudiated the theory that IL
had lain on that musty shelf since
August No doubt some recent
bivouackers, lunching in the DESERT
ed house, had left 1t there.
Dunwoody-again his exploits de-
mand for him the honors of nomen-
clature-faunted his apple in the
faces of his ellow-marooners. See
what I found. Mrs. Mcfarland" he
cried, vaingloriously. He held the
apple high up in the light of the fire,
where it glowed a still richer red.
The lady passenger smiled calmly
always calmly.
What a charming apple" she
murmured. clearly.
For Snara I,,aoo
felt crushed, humiliated, relegated.
Second place CALLED him. Why had
this blatant, obtrusiye, unpublished
man of windmills been selected by
Fate Instead of himself to discover
the sensational apple? He could have
made of the act a scene, a function,
a setting for some impromptu, fan
ciful discourse or piece of comedy
and have retained the role of cynos-
ure. Actually, the lady passenger
was regarding this ridiculous Dun
boldly or Woodbundy with an ad-
miring smile, as IL the fellow had
performed a feat! And the wind
mill man swelled and gyrated like
a sample of his own goods. puffed
up with the wind that ever blows
from the chorus land toward the do
main of the star.
While the transported Dunwoody,
with his Aladdin's apple, was re-
ceiving the tickle attentions of all,
the resourceful jurist formed a plan
to recover his own laurels.
With his courtliest smile upon
his heavy but classic features.
Judge Menefee advanced, and took
the apple, as il to examine 1t, from
the hand of Dunwoody. In. his hand
1t became Exhibit A.
"A fine apple" he said, approving
ly. Really, my dear Mr.. Dunwindy,
you have eclipsed US all as a for
ager. But I have an idea. This
apple shall become an emblem, a
token, symbol, a prize bestowed
by the mind and heart of beauty
upon the most deserving"
The audience, except one, ap-
plauded. Good on the stump, amt
he? commented the passenger who
was nobody in particular to the
young man who had an Agency.
The unresponsive one was the
windmill man. He saw himself re-
duced to the ranks. Never would
the thought have occurred to him
to declare his apple an emblem. He
had intended, after IT had been d.
vided and eaten, to create diversion
by sticking the seeds against his
forehead and naming them for
young ladies of his acquaintance.
One he was going to name Mrs. Nc
Farland- The seed that fell off
first would be-but twas too late
now.
The apple" continued Judge
Menefee, charging his jury, ain
modern days occupies. though un-
deservedly, a lowly place in our
esteem. Indeed, 1t is so constantly
associated with the culinary and
the commercial that 1t Is hardly to
be classed among. the polite fruits.
But in ancient times this was nor
so. Biblical, historical, and mytho-
logical lore abounds with evidences
that the apple was the aristocrat of
fruits. We still say the apple of
the eye when we wish to describe
something superlatively precious.
We find in Proverbs the compari-
son to apples of silver No other
product Of tree or vine has been
SO utilized in figurative speech. Who
has not heard of and longed for
the apples Of the HesperideSr I
need not call your attention to the
most tremendous and Significant IN
stance Of the apples ancient pres
tige when its consumption by our
first parents occasfoned the fall of
man from his state Of goodness and
perfection"
Apples like them," said the
windmill man. lingering with the
objective article. ARE worth $3.50
a barrel i'm the Chicago. market"
eTo Be continued.)