xml - Groovy, XmlParser, addNode, inserting a array of elements

Question

I have a loop below to create an array of variables on my XML. The issue is that for the first time it is running, it is including all my rows at the first occurrence in my output array. Any comments are welcome. Many thanks!

pqpwp*.appendNode('PostalAcc', values[0])
pqpwp*.appendNode('CloseAmt', values[1])
pqpwp*.appendNode('Rates',)
def rates = ltrData.PqPwp.Rates
def values = ["Under 0          0.10%   0.08%      0.10%","Under 1          0.10%   0.08%      0.10%","Under 2          0.10%   0.08%      0.10%","Under 3          0.10%   0.08%      0.10%"]

for (int i = 2; i<10; i++)
{
    if (values[i])
    {
        rates*.appendNode('Rate',)
        def rate = ltrData.PqPwp.Rates.Rate
        rate*.appendNode('Column1', values[i].substring(0,14))
        rate*.appendNode('Column2', values[i].substring(15,23))
        rate*.appendNode('Column3', values[i].substring(24,31))
        rate*.appendNode('Column4', values[i].substring(32,42))
    }
}

actual xml output

      <ltrData>
        <PqPwp>
          <PostalAcc>910060121</PostalAcc>
          <CloseAmt>514.17</CloseAmt>
          <Rates>
            <Rate>
              <Column1>Under ?1      2</Column1>
              <Column2>   0.10%</Column2>
              <Column3>  0.08%</Column3>
              <Column4>     0.10%</Column4>
              <Column1>?1 plus       3</Column1>
              <Column2>   1.39%</Column2>
              <Column3>  1.11%</Column3>
              <Column4>     1.40%</Column4>
            </Rate>
            <Rate>
              <Column1>?1 plus       3</Column1>
              <Column2>   1.39%</Column2>
              <Column3>  1.11%</Column3>
              <Column4>     1.40%</Column4>
            </Rate>
          </Rates>

xml output desired

      <ltrData>
        <PqPwp>
          <PostalAcc>910060121</PostalAcc>
          <CloseAmt>514.17</CloseAmt>
          <Rates>
            <Rate>
              <Column1>Under ?1      2</Column1>
              <Column2>   0.10%</Column2>
              <Column3>  0.08%</Column3>
              <Column4>     0.10%</Column4>
            </Rate>
            <Rate>
              <Column1>?1 plus       3</Column1>
              <Column2>   1.39%</Column2>
              <Column3>  1.11%</Column3>
              <Column4>     1.40%</Column4>
            </Rate>
          </Rates>

Answer 1

the fixed code is below, hope someone else needs it :)

        if (values[i] != "")
            {
            def rate =  rates*.appendNode('Rate')
            rate*.appendNode('Column1',values[i].substring(0,14))
            rate*.appendNode('Column2', values[i].substring(15,23))
            rate*.appendNode('Column3', values[i].substring(24,31))
            rate*.appendNode('Column4', values[i].substring(32,42))
            }    
        }