Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-24

flowers from the sunny roadside. N1- nette sent shrin petition towards her before anyone could interfere:
 "Ladyl Ninette wants one. A white one."
 A large white japonica came flutter- ing through the air, falling directly into the child's lap The ''flower-lady," as Ninette called her, kissed her hand to the small beggar, smiled at tho child's scream of gratitude, and then placidly turned her back on the disabled cart.
 "Who is she, John?" Nora asked, lean ing over the dashboard to note progress.
 "Miss Fairbanks"
 And her name is Ida?"
 "IIow did you learn so much in such a short while2"
 He was tightening Q knot with his teeth. Mrs. John laughed maliciously. She was busy fleclxing the dust from Ninette's soiled plumes with her hand kerchief.
 "I heard you call her Ida, my dear"
 "You have sharp ears," said John, looking at her without any confusion, as he resumed his place in the cart and took the reins from her hand. "I told you that we knew the Fairbanks"
 intimately, should judge. But what was she doing sitting on the public readable with that big basket of cut flowers at her feet? How very strange it lool1cd"
 'She sells flowers, I am told"
 And was sitting at receipt of custom. Ah!"
 ''In point of fact" said John, with some asperity, ''she was not on the pub lie road. 1t seems the boundary fence has been moved, and the old road is now in the Gleuburnie grounds. We are trespassers. I fancy she has to get the flowers off the premises without the old mans knowledge"
 "Then the old man. as you call him, is not an amiable old man?" Far from it. He is an internal old churl. But haven't we had about enough of the Glenburnie people for this once?" Not by half. On the whole, think am going to find the Fairbanks alto gethcr the most interesting people about White Cliffs" It was not the words themselves, but a certain tenseness of voice and manner, which removed them from the realm of simple feminine curiosity. John felt unaccountably irritated by her manner. Nothing pleasant occurring to him to say, he lapsed into grave revery, which lasted until the gate of White Cliffs was l close in front of them. Suddenly he shook himself, very much after the fashion of big New | fortably dampened. He flung off his | depression with visible physical effort, and with it the feeling of incxplicable | .ls seFn To bs right hand from the whip and rcins and slipped his arm about her round waist. ! There was no one to see. "Norrie," he said. coaxingly. don't let the child make Q display of that where"
 "Why?"
 "Because flowers like that bloom no. where but at Glenburnie." ! "Wcll?"
 And mothers dislike for everything connected with that namc is not to be reasoned down. That white japonica would irritatc her tremendously"
 ''Icd rags and bulls, and so forth, 8 said Nora, lightly Some of these days will get you to give me the history o1 the Lorimer- Fairbanlzs feud. I think fcuds are delightfully."- interesting. Sc aristocratic and clannish, you know"
 It was one of her 1iippant days. John was distinctly conscious of certain re current periods of lightness in Nora's maEncr that rcpelled him. There were days on which nothing seemed worth g enrious thought to her. To-day was one
 them.
 He got down to open the big gate
 When he turned towards the cart again she, too, was upon the ground, holding
 up her arms to Nincttc.
 "Ncver mind driving into the yard
 John. Ninctte and l know very wei
 how to use our own feet, and we have
 not had half enough of this glorious
 sunshine. Ta-ta."
 With Nincttc's tiny hand clasrcd il
 hers, she started back over the roa(
 they had just travelled at so brisk q wall
 that Ninette's short legs could onl, } compete with it at full run.
 John Lorimcr looked after her in mo l mentary surprise, then, with that un reasona bleness which inclincs the aver age man to take his i'll temper out O
 the nearest and most helpless thing a hand, he curled the long lash about hi horses Hanks and sent him flying to wards the stable yard. "You goes too fast, auntic," sai
 Ninctse, somewhat jerlSily. "Ninctt is tired"
 } "Does not Ninette want to see tn . beautiful flower-lady again?' Nor asked, without slackening her speed
 But in another second she came to ful il stop with an exclamation of disappoint n ment:
 "Ah! we are too late" Along the dusty roadway a mule wa !. lazily shambling. On his back ber
 old negro was mounted, his two knott n hands claspcd about the basket Mis }. Fairbanks had been guarding. From b' d heath the damp Spanish moss brilliar t hues and penetrating fragrance e ! capped.
 eI Nora stood still and waited for hin IF When they were abreast she held U |. one hand commandingly: l. "Cabbages to sell, uncle?" she aslse d in a clear, high voice. A "No cabbage, mistress"
 Onions, potatoes, turnips?" IT. "Only cameliers, violets and swe e olive, young mistress" N No,-a vnala o c;orv, AR int or