The morning call., 1894-01-29
THE MOON FLOWER


happy. l go where l will. do as Will
and l have not wish unqualified"
~ ''Then. my dear, you have never been in
love-
-. mo; that pleasure is yet to come"
c.'"Y on think it will be a pleasure ?"
Undoubtedly
.'If the right man comes"
1t could not be a pleasure otherwise;
but see my uncle coming to claim me for
"a walk. so you will excuse me if go to
meet him."
=. Certainly, my dear. Perfectly lovely
as we'll as perfectly happy" said the gen.
:: erals widow as she turned again toward
the group of ladies who had been listening
to discussion between herself and the
~rnost beautiful debutante of the season On
%. tine conditions of happiness.
Eyes" sighed plain-looking little
woman in an unbecOming brown gown.
sit is easy to be happy and even beautiful
in such costumes"
-: But" interrupted the generals widow,
: t'MfSs Townsend is one Of those women
=. who would look well even in shabby gray
ALPACA at high noon on bright day.
There would be a sweep to the skirt and a
set to the waist that would be impossible
TO define or initiate. She is born dresser,
but l am wondering how long she will be
able to declare herself perfectly happy"
'tShe dues not know what happiness is,
=. Ii. as she says, she has never been in love-"
chmed in a pride of three months, at
which the little circle laughed, and the
generals widow suggested that thew move
their seats TO where they could have a bet
ter view OF the main entrance, as it was
time for the through train from the north
to arrive, and it had been whispered that
a Scotch laird of high degree. an English
duke and a wel-kn journalist were
eXpected-the EngllShmau to Join an eX-
plQring party, the jOurna list to do the sea-
son for syndicate, and the Scotch laird
well, all sorts of rumors were afioat con-
corning him. One was that he dressed in
q. kits and was followed by Highlander IN
: costume also.
.. did you ever see so many pretty girls2'
said the generals widow, as she surveyed
the merry crowd that filed the Railways,
stairs and main entrance of one of Flori-
da's splendid hotels. And Constance
Townsand is quite the handsomest there"
And the generals widow was right. Tall
and most divinely fair, in gown of soft
est white silk. she reminded one of the
royal m Oon-t1owers. great bunch of which
she held in her hand. They were her
chosen flower, and by them she had be-
come known as the moOn-f1ower belle.
"That girl understands effects perfectly"
thought the generals widow, as she
watched her quietly, and apparently with
out intention seated herself Ia an old-fash-
Toned high-back chair that stood just at
the foot of the stairway. and over which a
graceful palm spread Its dark green leaves.
There had been quite a discussion be-
tween the generals widow. the little lady
in brown, and the bride as TO how the
laird the Duke and the writer would act
when thew first saw Miss Townsand, for
the three women had watched with a
growing interest the sensations she never
failed to produce, until they had begun to
. have a sense OF proprietorship in the girls
radiant beauty, and would have bitterly
resented any criticism the least bit I'M
. favorable. That Miss Townsand deserved
their admiration was certain. and that she
never failed to be In the entrance hall
when the evening coaches arrived, fault
Iessly gowned in white, and carrying her
favorite flower, was also certain, so that
the three women were sure on this par
ticular evening of enjoying the little tab
leau they had mentally arranged.
TIE Englishman did just what the gen.
erals widow expected he would; he
stopped In the very act OF greeting a
friend, readiusted his glasses, and. after
taking good look, exclaimed:
stunning, do you know; stunning!
The writer. the bride had declared, would
run his hands through his raven lGcks-no
auburn, no sunlit loeks-call her a god
dess and end in writing verses to her. As
it happened he caught sight of her as he
looked up from reading telegram calling
him to other and less arduous duties than
writing verses to the belle of the season
would have been. And as his locks we're
brown and cut short he did not GO through
the running act, although it did take him a
long time TO read the telegram. as over it
he watched the beautiful girl smiling and
chatting to those about her. Then turning
to the clerk at the desk be asked:
"Who is the lady in white with the
moon-fo wers?"
s'Miss Townsend of Texas, niece of
Major TowDsand, the richest cattlenan
in The country. Been here two weeks
going to stay two more" answered the
authority behind the desk, in a 1-knew-you-
would-ask-it tone OF voice, never once
raising his eyes from the book over which
he was bending:
THANK you, Mr.. Cash; you Wouid maze
tiptop paTagrapheT.
That's all right, old man; when you
want an introduction TO the major L Will
gladly arrange 1t for you"
AS for the Scotch laird, he did not ap-
pear, thereby disappointing the little lady
in brown, who had been his champion
from the first, declaring that he would be
the one TO WOO and win.
MY dear, he and his kits have been
orlbed into staying elsewhere as attrac-
TONS" said the generals widow, who dis
liked Scotchmen.
mo such thing; he is probably so shy
or late that he has come in by side GU
trance l am going o lcok at the register
as soon as that telegraph-reader moves
away"
but DelOTe sue cOulu carry out her lnten-
tons young man in plain brown travel
Ing suit, with canvas bag 10 his hand
stepped into the brilliantly lighted hall
way, and was at once greeted by half a
dozen people, among them Constance. who
stood up on seeing him. the flowers she had
been holding falling in sweet confusion at
her feet.
"Archey-wby, Cousin Archey!"
'Con-why, Cousin Con p he answered
as they clasped hands.
The bride. smiled and whispered some
thing TO the generals widow, who an
swered:
YES, the right man has arrived"