60 GOLDEN DAYS 



figure that stood within the doorway. 

 Another traveller had come to the house 

 of Misery. 



The stranger's voice was harsh. " Your 

 time has come, Misery. Are you ready ? 

 Are you ready now to follow me ?" 



" My good friend," said the old man, 

 " you should know that I am always 

 ready, for I have nothing to take out ot 

 the world and nothing to leave in it ; and 

 yet before I go hence even I have one 

 lingering wish — I would eat once of the 

 fruit of my apple-tree. Surely you who 

 are so kind cannot refuse me this !" 



The stranger laughed. *' Oh, Misery^'' 

 he said, " there are others who have asked 

 a greater thing than this — one cider apple ! 

 — and here it lies amidst the clustered 

 apples in the grass. The storm has stripped 

 the fruit from your frail apple-tree." 



Then Misery with a trembling finger 

 pointed. " Pity," he said, " an old man's 

 last request. The storm has left one 

 single apple still unbruised upon the top- 

 most branch." 



The stranger laughed again. " If that 

 is all," he said, "one small crabbed apple." 



