Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-06-30
OUNCE BLOSSOMS.
How Patty Captured a Bouquet
and n Heart.

ahAa AhoNNAA AhAhNt hitto hhA bAOo~
somed unusually full this spring.
Like tossing pillows of pale pink, the
laden boughs hung over the old stone
wall, showering rosy petals down at
every breeze; and Patty Price stood
still with little ecstatic exclamation
of delight as she came TO the turning i'm
the lane.
"Quince blossomsl" cried Patty, clasp
ing her hands together. "Oh, | must
have some TO model in wax flowers"
For Patty was city schoolma'a am,
out for n fortnights holiday, and
she cried over the violet-spangled
meads, laughed In sympathy with the
| gold-orbcd dandelions, and kissed the
little downy goslings in the most in
sane manner or at least so her coun-
try cousins thought, And she had never
seen a ounce blossom before, and to
her artistic eye it was like a poets
dream of beauty.
She was not unlike human ounce
blossom herself, this dove-cyed, pink
checked young heroine of ours, as she
stood there with the wind blowing back
| the strings of her white muslin sun-hat,
and her rose-colored lawn-dress 1utter-
ing softly.
Nonsense" said Miss Araminta Al
len, her cousin, who had seen the annu-
al marvel of ounce blossoming ever
since she was a child, and cared moth
ing for it, And they're ON Mr. MAYER
ict's land, too, and he's such an dicfui
old bachelor"
"lle could not eat me up, could he, II
| Gtnln fatv0N 1a1
Patty. Just for my wax flowers. And
there Is ladder, too, all ready for mel"
Yes" said Araminta Allen, looking
rather apprehensively around, "it's Mr..
Mavericks ladder His man is sticking
broken bottles on the top of the wall. +"
"llorrid old savagel" said Patty.
"Tho children climb over So" cx-
planned Araminta, land steal his stand
ard roses and prize Strawberries, and
break of his oleander boughs."
Then why doesn't he give the poor
things all they want?" Indignantly de-
manded Patty Price. 1.-THE idea of an
old bachelor living all alone in that
paradise of place, and grudging a few
strawberries or n rosebud to the chill
drenl Araminta, I'll tell you what.
~ kcAbk W lhNN u pAk bAANi Vi AAAOoN
quince-b blossoms"
"oh, Pattyw
why not? can just run up the lad
der and get them before your old cur
mudgeon comes out with his broken
bottles and mnn-traps"
"Please, Patty, don't think OF such
thingl" breathlessly demonstrated Ara
minta Allen, who had been inoculated
from her youth up with the belief that
Albert Maverick was the grand mogul
Of Westbrook, and Peter Mackenzie, his
gardener, was his grand vizier.
you're not-dtrdid ?" said Patty,
opening her blue eyes very wide.
Yes, l am" acknowledged Araminta.
~ am mott" cried Patty. And, like
bird, she 1uttered up the ladder, scaled
the heights of tho garden wall, and in
another minute had both hands full of
pink and white ounce blossoms and
buds.
"Oh, dear mer' cried Araminta. 81
told you so! There's somebody coming!"
And away she ran, vanishing into the
hedge just as old Mackenzie came
around the corner Of the wall, with
n, Ill OF steaming tar in one hand and
has, 'et Of fractured bottles in the other
And pst as Patty would have with.
drawn Ia sr forces in good order, he null
lified her 'etreat by briskly pulling the
ladder away.
"I'ye rot W. the noo!" said he, ex-
ultantly' $50 'ou're the bad little las
sic as has broke u our rhododendrons
off"
"I've never touche 4 them!" cried Pat
ty, half terrified, half indignant
"Remember Ananias' and sapphiry'"
said old Mackenzie, solennly'
Put that ladder back!" said rat
ty, holding on 20 her bloomy treas
ures.
Nae" said old Mackenzie, u VIII
nae do that, until I've reported TO my
master"
And away he trudged 10 the house.
whore Mr.. Maverick was reading lar
lyle" in great hammock under inc
vine.shadod veranda.
1--WE caught her, Meegter Mauverick!'
said he.
"Caught whom?" said Mr.. Maverick,
frowning n little at the interruption, as
he turned the page.
"The girl as steals our flowers"
"WhereP"
up on the garden WALL"
"Why doesn't she get down again?"
"BecTmse I've token the bit ladder
away" exultantly answered old Peter.
Mr.. Maverick smiled grimly. LET
her stay there then, until she asks par
don and promiNes good behavior for the
futurel" said he, and relapsed instantly
into "Carlyle."
Old Peter went back, chuckling TO
himself. a.
AHA, bairny," Iaid he, my master
says ye're 10 spesr his pardon and
promise never TO ste al flowers againi"
81 WON'T" cried In dignant Patty.
'Suit yourself, suit yourself" said old
Peter; and he went 10 work at some
tulip bulbs with the most barbarous
indifference. And there sat pretty
Patty on the wall her little feet hang
ann down. aaOuE WIZ aQasYglslsles