Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-17

melville became interested in the ap
pie trees stuck in their little iron
ratings, and they were all crazy to
hear about Cunt Raphael Cabrera's
theory of the trees affecting the lives
of his children. Up to that time |
had always told people who visited
the town that the real points of in
terest were the Civil War monument.
the bonneville park and the ruins
of the old Harrison home that was
struck by lightning the day after old
Harrison put up lightning conductors.
the agent for the conductors being
nearly lynched by the Harrison family.
who chased him out of the town. 1t
was the first lightning conductor ever
put up in bonneville. and it saved d
lot of money for people who, up to
then, had thought old Harrison
smart chap.
Now l began to tell the visitors
about Count Raphael Cabrera's tree
horoscope. that being the name Smith
ers. the banker. called ii. and ! found
lit interested them lot more than
the monument or the park or the old
Harrison home. 1t suited me when
they took an interest in it. The Har-
land place was twice as far as any of
the other points of interest. and as I
got a dollar an hour l didn't keep
Count Raphaers attractions behind
ia fence. But ! thought I ought to
ask the count if he disliked strangers
coming out to look at the trees.
Count" ! said, I'D hate to pull up
with stranger in the trap if ii would
annoy you.
You bring as many as you like.
Ed he said. They're welcome to
come and look as much they like.
| 1t was you who brought me here. Ed"
he went on. and I'm grateful to you
for bringing me out here. | hit here
under my own olive trees, and I'm
supremacy happy"
| They weren't olive trees that he was
sitting under at all. They were horse
chestnuts. but the count had a limit
ed education when ii came to trees
and growing things.
| Two drummers went out with me
| one day. and when they We're coming
back after listening to the count. one
of them said to the other. Jim, what
1 do they do in SPAIN"
| Throw bulls" said the other. land
our little friend on the farm is no
amateur. let m" tell you
! Then another baby was born but
Mrs. Cabrera. or the countess. as the
count called her. died before she could
! hear the little one cry. The baby
| was girl. and she WIS christened
i1neZ. and her apple tree. which fol-
lowed that of the twins, Maria and
Eugenia, came close up to the road.
! = = = x
! !NEZ is the girl / spoke about as
= being the only person that was
dark, with great big eyes that always
looked as if they saw something Won
derful coming up the road. And she
had lips like red hollyhocks with the
dew on them. And a skin all satiny,
so that you wanted to stroke it to feel
ilf IT had bloom on it that would rub
on on your fingers. People would
stop and look at her on the road when
she was very small girl. and they'd
ispeak to her when they wouldn't take
any notice of Alphonso and Isabella
and Maria and Eugenia. Granny Har
| iand was proud of her. too, and the
lcount said she was more like his fam
lily than any of the others.
| Then. when 1neZ was about three
years of age, the count got up one
swinter morning a minute or so before
the sun came up. and promptly took
cold and died. leaving the care of the
five children on Granny Harland
If Granny Harland knew nothing
about scientific farming like her hus-
band dabbled in she knew bit about
scientific management. and the way
she fought to bring up those five chill
dren made the whole COUNTRYSIDE sit
up and take notice. Sometimes, when
i would drive out along the road and
see her Shaving away in the corn
patch. | wished ! had broke Count
RIA phaei Cabrera's neck on the day !
first drove him out to the Harland
iplace. If l had known then that
would be saddlne five youngsters
Ionic that old woman, who had had
trials enough with a husband who
Twas trying to make corn and potatoes
'grow in ways that they had never
been taught to grow IN before. I'd