Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-23
The BUNCH OF VIOLETS.

LOuuly rang Tic Dell dG MISS Evans
door, one morning, and Maud Evans,
peeping out, saw small boy standing
on the steps whom she seemed to recog-
nize. Not waiting for Jane, 1.-The only
servant in the establishment, Maud ran
gaily down the stairs and opened the
door. The boy smiled in recognition,
and handed her the box.
-Please, ma'am. was to give this to
Miss Evans; you're she, amt you?"
"Yes. Mr.. Howard, your employer,
sent you, l supposeY'
ayes. miss. He said as how there
was no answer"
"Very we'll"
Closing the door and running up to
her room, she opened the box, and,
taking out an elegant bouquet of flow
sers, stood and looked at them with
a tender look i'm the brown eyes as if
she were thinking more of the giver
than gift.
$50 he has come back" thought
Maud, land will be at the party to-
night. since he sent me thess. won
der IL he will repeat what he was going
TO say when we were interruptedY
Whatever the unfinished sentence
was, 1T must have been something very
sweet to Maud, for she stood there
turning the flowers round and round
IN her hand, with happy look in the
bright eyes, till she heard her mother
call:
MAUD Maud Where are you, child t?
i wish you would come and help me
with this head dress; 1 want to wear
it tonight"
Mrs. Evans was widow. Her hus-
'band had died five years before, leav
ing her with one child, the Maud of
my story. People had thought Mr..
Evans a wealthy man, but it was found
after his death. when everything was
settled, that his widow would have a
very limited income. She knew it
would not go far in trying to keep up
appearances and live in the manner in
which they had been accustomed. So,
. Icing sensible woman, she had re-
moved with Maud to a small cottage
t1at had been left them out of the
wreck, taking with them what was
suitable of their furniture, and one
servant, faithful Jane, who had been
with them many years, and who de-
.claIed she would never leave them.
They had many kind friends who
did not leave them at their change Of
fortune. Judge B and wife were
attached friends, the judge sending
his carriage to take them to and from
places'0f amusement, when they chose
t. attend, and the judges wife kind
ly matTOniZsd Maud whenever herr
mother Was unable to go.
The party of which Maud had spok-l
EN- was to'be at the Judges house that
evening. They had been very gay
that winter In NJ, parties ard balls
following in rapid succession. Maud
had / Q to SEVERAL, and had met Drank
Howard. young lawyer. He had
sought he; society on every occasion,
and WAS evide2tly in love with the lit
tie beauty.
The week before there had been a
brikl mt party at a wealthy banker =.
Maud had met Frank there, and they
had sCrolled into the conservatory To-
gether. Standing there beside some
curious tropical plant he had been tell
ing her of, he felt such love fon her
.surging up in his heart that he felt he
must tell her-must know If h;B, love
was returned.
"Maudp' said he. She looked up
quickly-looked up to encounter such
a look of passionate love that ksr eyes
sank beneath it. Maud, do you
know"
But the Geutenoe was destined
never to lee finished, for into the con-
serEatory bounced young fOp with
Itan-colored hair and mustache. "And
he was so delighted to find Miss Evans!
Ibid she know the band was playing
the waltz she had promised himT"
Young Howard glared as if he would
like to annihilate him on the spot
Maud, feeling in no amiable mood
could do nothing but accept his prof
.fered arm.
After that, there had been no OppOr
'tllnity cor the pair to speak tOgethe
alone that evening; but as Maud stOo'
with-several others, bidding their host
ess goodnight, Frank had, in answe
20 some invitation extended to bin
answered that he would be unable t
attend, as he should be obliged to leav
ytho city on business for week.
When Frank returned from his bus
ness trip. he found invitations await
ing him To several merry-makings, an
among them one for the party Z
Jude BIS that evening. He kne'
that Maud would be there, and, beir
rather an impatient young ma
thought he would not risk another Il
corruption, but would write and te
her Of his love.
Seating himself at his desk, he pr
laeded to indite the momentous epistl