The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-29
Eoening Story
Crabapples and Love.

ssHeIlo!'' hailed Ben Tompkins, as
he slowed his speedy little boat to
stop at Jane Dale's back fence.
Good morning. Ben" said Jane Sc
dately, from the stepladder where she
was standing as she broke off clusters
of crabapple blossoms. She might not
have known Ben was going after
shrimps that morning, but the creek
that ran past Ben's orchard followed
it's course to the bay and touched
last of all James land. 1t was a beau
tiful day-blue sky. a fresh wind, rae
ing clouds birds singing and the air
was sweet with blossoms.
TOO early for shrimps." she called
to the bronzed young man in the boat.
He srinned sheepishly. Il know it
just going to scout around the bay
going over to the island to look
after my nets md lobster pots. Come
aIong?'
Not today-Fm busy" she evaded.
His glance sharpened. Don't pick
your blossoms, jane
why not? They're mine" People
did say that Jane Dale was too OUT
spoken Sometimes Jane (secretly)
believed them. 4 love the smell
they're so delicately SWEET" She
buried her fair face IN the pinkish
bloom.
Cant have your blossoms and fruit,
too--how about crabapple jelly
later?" He eyed her shrewdIy
Jane flirted a careless hand at him
II will remember the fragrance of the
blossoms and do without the jelly"
she retorted-
"Humph! Wasn't there some poet
chap that said if he had loaf of
bread he'd sell it and buy hyacinths
or daffodiIs, or something foolish? I'll
bet that before night he'd be around
trying to sell his posies for a bowl of
bread and milk-bang it all. Jane,
you're laughing!" he ended wrath
fully.
You are so funny, Benjamin.
SHOWS over" he retorted gruffly
as he started his engine. You will
find out some day, Jane, that I'm
right about several things, such as
saving some of your blossoms for the
fruit time and not wasting love by
playing with it too long!"
What will happen if I do-thate''
she called, her voice cool and thin and
provoking
why as he bent over the engine
ana then suddenly Strengthened up and
raced ner, why, some day when you
are ready to take love seriously you
may find it has become tired of wait
Ing and-gone ont" With a clatter
and fuss the little craft Ieaped for
ward and disappeared around the
bend of the creek.
James voice came to him across the
intervening space. II hate YOU, Ben
Tompkins," and when he heard it the
grim smile faded from his face and
LETT him looking very anxious and
tired.
Jane descended her ladder deliber-
ately and looked at the spray of crab
apple blossoms in her hands. She laid
them down and went to the waters
edge, where the little tree leaned over,
and dipped some of its pink blossoms
In the tide. An old flat bottomed boat
was moored there, its rotten painter
tied to round stone on the bank BY
standing in the boat Jane could easily
reach the other blossoms, and the
apples on those lower limbs never
amounted to anything, after all OF
course she would never let Ben know
that she needed his advice. She
stopped down into the skiff and
reached for the branches The boat
moved under her weight and the old
line snapped. The ebbing tide
snatched at the sl1iff and swung it into
the current and in n moment they
were rocking down the creek at an
increasing speed. Jane had Topped
down into the bottom of the boat
a single oar there might be used as
rudder. Jane was handy about
boats. All she could do now was to
keep the nose of the old skiff in mid
stream and hope to see some man or
boy along the shore.
No one was in sight. The boys were
all at school and tho men were busy
m their gardens or had gone out on
lAC DeAS aS Den AOAiAphAilS 4leO
Ben Tompkins. If it hadn't been
for him this would never had hap
pened- How glad Jane was that she
had refused to listen to his tale of
love! She had always put him off
with a Jest or IN excuse. He was a
tyrant-an unbearable tyrantl HJane
grew so indignant musing over Bens
faults that she forgot her peril until
suddenly the boat bounded out of the
creek and ventured- out upon a very
green and nasty looking bay
Over in the southwest the sky was
darkening and somewhere thunder
growled. Along the horizon lightning
flickered internationally.
Jane detested thunder storms.
The boat floundered around off