The morning call., 1893-06-18

1t takes something more than mere joke
to faZe Johnny, and he didn't pay any at
tentiOn to US, but fixed up type-box and
filled it with dirt and set it out on the
wiDdow-sill and put three plants in it
Mac christeDed it the hanging garden of
Babylon. and declared that he recognized
In the small green occupants of the box
some vegetable he had been Acquainted
with in the days of his remote youth
You 60 away" said Johnny. you don't
know anything about it-yOur head runs 10
a peak like a circus tent. Why, there's a
bud on one of them now, and when you 60
to the theater with that red-headed girl of
yours and want pan sy to wearyOu shan't
have so much as a smell of one, not even If
you go down on your knees for IT,"
l don't know much about plants, but !
should think that those particular ones
came very near being killed by kindness.
for the care and pains exercised about
them would haYe sufficed TO run a ranch.
The printshop was hardly large enough
to hold him when that bud finally bios
somed. He was just wild all day, and
every few minutes had to go and look at
it, and he could hardly tear himself away
to give any time to his work. and the fore
man threatened to come down on him like
the Medes and Persians. and fire the whole
thing into the alley if he didn't quit his
foOling and attend to his business.
1t was a pretty flower, one Of those that
the top that look Ike purple velvet.
Tie next morning, however, Johnny met
US with blood in his eye; the panSy was
gone, and lie thought sUme Of the men had
taken it to tease him. Every one of US
avowed our perfect innocence in the mat
ter; but he wasn't convinced. and If he had
been larger | believe he would have tried
20 whip the whole force on the chance OF
finding the guilty party. He didn't have
much TO say TO US for several days, but he
- ~, -
when new bud showed signs Of opening
he got friendly again.
This time it was a big blue one, with a
little yellow spot in the center, and he was
delighted at the idea of every plant having
differently coIOred flowers, for by this
time the third ona had white bud.
Maginnis aud Johnny are the only ones
who have Keys to the office, Johnny being
supposed to open up and get swept before
time To go to work, but he does not always
make ii. That night he said he had lost
his key and asked Maginnis for his The
foreman dldu't say anything. he just
handed 1t over. but suspected at the time
that the boy just did it 10 be sure that no
one could get in to steal that pansy. He
saw everybody safely out of the Office and
locked the door carefully. but, alas for the
1railty of human hopes, when be came
back IN the morning a forlorn stalk still
grew on the middle plant, but no flower
was on the end of it.
BY that time we all got Interested The
building is fOur-story brick and has a
basement under it, and the street slopes in
such way that while our front door
opens on the sidewalk it is a good twelve
feet from tnat window-iedge down to the
alley. George suggested cats, but even
cats Cont have habit of cunning up the
sides OF brick blocks, and besides, who
ever heard of cats eating pansieS, anyway?
Some confounded thief has taken a
ladder and got up here and stolen that
pansy," said Johnny Indignantly; that's
the only way it could be done. A jokes
Joke, but that's no joke, and when that
white one blooms out l am going to get a
gun and sit up nights with it."
An inspection of the dusty ground below
In The alley showed no signs of q ladder
having been set there, and no fresh foot
prints we're visible; still no other solution
of the mystery seemed feasible.
1he white pansy was slow TO open: it
uncurled itself about half way and then
seemed to take nap. One day when the
sun had got around the cornice of tie
block and shone down into the alley it
took courage and opened out wide.
Johnny got me to watch it while he went
out and got lunch, and then he settled
himself to stay ali night with that flower.
went to supper, and along about
O'Clock l was going by the Office and /
remembered about the boy and went in to
see how matters were progressing. He
uhu LuIneu OH all tIie llgnLS, Out the saloon
across the alley was all lit up so that we
could see everything perfectly plain no TIL
Ing had happened so far.
He was looking for ground attack and
was listening rather than watching when
suddenly strange phenomenon appeared
above the hanging garden of Babylon. A
white cord with carefully arranged loop
at the end lowered for an instant with a
llfe-like directness of purpose over the
fated white pansy. Then there was a sud
den jerk from an unseen power and flower.
string and all disappeared as if by magic
into the upper regions. We both stretched
our necks ou: of the window in time to
see them glide over the sill just above our
heads on the next floor.
The way Johnny got out of that office
and into the hall and upstairs was a eau
tion. and as | was little curious about the
matter myself | went along. Down at the
end of a side hall In square patch of light
in front of q window stood small spec-
men of humanity clad in knee pants and
an abbreviated apron of some sort; his
round white head was bent in mute adOra-
tion above the stolen pansy and his string g
larlat traled out behind him on the floor.
Johnny ponnced upon him and shook
him until | was afraid the child would fall
TO pieces. for he seemed to be rather loose
tointed anyway, and 1 was about to inter
fere when his mother, hearing the disturb.