aming them for young ladies of his acquaintance. One he was going to
name Mrs. McFarland. The seed that fell off first would be--but 'twas
too late now.

"The apple," continued Judge Menefee, charging his jury, "in modern
days occupies, though undeservedly, a lowly place in our esteem.
Indeed, it is so constantly associated with the culinary and the
commercial that it is hardly to be classed among the polite fruits.
But in ancient times this was not so. Biblical, historical, and
mythological 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
comparison to 'apples of silver [88].' No other product of tree or
vine has been so utilised in figurative speech. Who has not heard of
and longed for the 'apples of the Hesperides [89]'? I need not call
your attention to the most tremendous and significant instance of the
apple's ancient prestige when its consumption by our first parents
occasioned the fall of man from his state of goodness and perfection."

[FOOTNOTE 88: apples of silver--_Proverbs_ XXV: "A word fitly
spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of
silver."]

[FOOTNOTE 89: apples of the Hesperides--the eleventh labor of
Hercules was to retrieve the golden apples of Zeus,
which were guarded by a hundred-headed dragon and
by the Hesperides, daughters of Atlas]

"Apples like them," said the windmill man, lingering with the
objective article, "are worth $3.50 a barrel in the Chicago market."

"Now, what I have to propose," said Judge Menefee, conceding an
indulgent smile to his interrupter, "is this: We must remain here,
perforce, until morning. We have wood in plenty to keep us warm. Our
next need is to entertain ourselves as best we can, in order that the
time shall not pass too slowly. I propose that we place this apple in
the hands of Miss Garland. It is no longer a fruit, but, as I said,
a prize, in award, representing a great human idea. Miss Garland,
herself, shall cease to be an individual--but only temporarily, I am
happy to add"--(a low bow, full of the old-time grace). "She shall
represent her sex; she shall be the embodiment, the epitome of
womankind--the heart and brain, I may say, of God's masterpiece of
creation. In this guise she shall judge and decide the qu