Putnam patriot., 1928-08-16

are roses In western Florida that drop
red dew, like blood. Tradition says
they have sprung out Of the graves OF
women and children who had been cru
Ielly murdered by the Indians. The
Micah Rood--or "Msxe"--apples which
were grown in Franklin and still
found in Connecticut are deliciously
sweet, red Of skin, with snow-white
pulp, and have red spot, like drop
of blood, near the core; they are some
times called bloody hearts,"
A slender pack peddler came to the
town in the afternoon Of a quiet sunny
day, having a load Of knicknacks and
attractive jewelry. On the following
morning the peddler was found dead
beneath an apple-tree on the Rood
farm with his pack rifled. Suspicion
pointed at Rood. and while nothing
was proved against him, he became
gloomy, solitary and morose." He
was never disposed 10 take counsel of
others, but now kept his own counsels
more faithfully than ever. He became
poorer and poorer, and his farm yield
ed less and less as naturally neglect
ed farm would do. When the apples
ripened on the tree that spread its
branches above the peddler's body, the
neighbors shook their heads, and whis-
pered the more, for in the centre Of
the apple was drop of the victims
blood. They said that the dying man
had invoked a curse against his muir
derer. Micah Rood died soon after
the ripened fruit fell. saying nothing
that the villagers might wish TO hear.
His tree and its strange fruit may still
be alive, however, hundreds of or
chards have received gratis from that
tree, and there is queer mystery
about the red-heart apples, whose APP
pearance somehow confirms with stor-
les Of its original owner having sold
his soul TO the devil for a pack full Of
gold. The legend Of Micah Rood dates
from 1893, year after the dreadful
calamities at Salem, Mass. Perhaps
the most pleasing was a tale by an old
woman, who was capable of making a
good story for the entertainment of
newcomers or visitor at her fireside.
She claimed to have learned about the
awful" death Of Micah Rood from her
father on the day after the happen
ing. She was small child at the
time her father came into the house
and gave an account of its occurrence
possibly her memory was at fault on
her story may have changed with the
years. iM..
Died "Awfully"
One author has said that in coun-
TRY town record was found NOV. i6,
1850, Micah Rood died awfully" The
town clerk was questioned as TO the
circumstance. was unable 60 tell, but
referred the inquirer to a Revolutions
airy veteran and an aged widow re
nowned for stories she remembered of
colonial times. The last named per-
sonage was visited by the stranger and
his GRAND made known.
"Have | ever hern tell how Mike
Rood died? | remember all about il
the same as though II was yesterday,
though | was very young. IL had been
kinder snowin' and rainin' all day. and
father had been TO town, and when he
got back he shivered and said, There's
the awfullest thing happened you ever
heard off
: 1ilu tell US. what It u.s. said moth
or, while was all ears.
Mike Foods hung himself on that
'arly apple tree there's been 80 much
talk on
Dtu ne leave ConIeSSiOns
"'Not's | heerd on. He must have
done II in the night sometime for in
the morning he was cold and stiff as a
log
Father went oat wiping his eyes,
and ran to grandmother, who was
sittin' in her armchair before the fire
and hidin' my face in her apron began
to cry.
There amt nothin' TO be scared
on, though | guess many feared Mike
when alive
"swhat forf' 1 asked.
"You see, we'd just been In the
midst of the French and lnjun war
and folks was afeared of their own
shadders. Mike was strange chap.
and nobody knew exactly what 10
make of him Some thought he warnt
avery cunnin'. others that he had wit
iaplenty, only odd. He lived alone with
Ibis mother, poor widder. His father
was killed few years afore, hghtin'
French and lnjuns, arter which all the
sperit Mike had was turned against
the French. GM 8 -
l"tIn the fall of $50 a peddler come
To town. bringin' all sorts of forrin no
tons. and everybody set TO wonderin'
who he was aud where be hailed from.
KN Tell No Tales
" Il know said Mike. he's a
Frenchman and spy. that's what;
and | dare say he come straight down
from Canada. fButf Mike whispered
to hiSself, dead men tel no talesl
Likely as not, mother'd like some of
his stuff.
| "Nothin' was ever seen of the for
rim peddler arter he went TO Widder
Rood's that night. and there was some
whisperin' around as though Mike
might have used him rough; but afore
winter was over everybody would have
done talkin'. only Mike wouldn't let
the peddler rest.
"'What makes the blows on the
Early apple tree look so red this
spring. he would ask the children on
their way To school That was one of
Mikes foolish questions. And why
didn't the old robin come back 10 her
tree this year? There amt another
such crotch fer nest in the whole or
fchard when the apples were ripe
the first Of August, the children went
up one noon 10 beg sonic The an
/ s,lae tn s,i~ap fhie vaorf Milo aatt