The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-01-05
Greed and CrOCuSeS.

business of gardening.
One morning, Just after n warm
night rain, the Rev. Mr.. Smiles was
called to the hedge by little cry
from his neighbor.
"They are comingi' she cried, in
delight. ''Seel here is the dearest
little blade of green pushing up
through the mold-and therei is another
and anotherl just look at them"
The rector found it necessary to
leap the hedge (he had been some
thing of an athlete at the university,
and certainly this spring weather was
sending the blood coursing through
his veins quite like old times) and look
mt the crocus bed near to.
''They are such lovely ones" she
said, earnestly. 81 don't believe you
noticed them ut all last spring" (he
pronounced maledictions upon him
self for having been so blind as to
miss so much beauty the previous sea
SOM, but they will be even better
this yenr--if we don't have that horrid
frost you have been prophesying.
She looked at him roguishly, and it
suddenly crossed the young rector's
mind that several ycllowish- green
points of crocus blade, breaking tho
damp soil, made II far prettier picture
than the finest rose bush in full bloom
which he had ever seen. 1t was a
strange fact and one he had never dis
covered before.
But when he had returned to his
! own lonely domain and entered his
study, he stopped and thought seri-
| ously for minute. Then he cast his
fiat-crowned ministerial hat upon the
floor with great emphasis and ex-
claimed:
"It's my creed, I tell you, that II
man in orders should not marry"
Now, there was no one visible to
argue the question, and yet there
seemed to be argument in his own
mind, for the Rev. Wetherby Smiles
smote his palm with his clenched fist
angrily and kicked the hat-crowned
hat to the other end of the room.
For two days the rector of st. James
rigidly stifled his interest in crocuses; (;
his interest in creeds, however, was
not entirely satisfying. On Sunday,
after vespers, he overlook on his way
home little figure in fawn-colored
gown.
"You must see my crocuses, Mr..
Smiles" she said. "rhe buds will be
open before Sunday"
The rector glanced gloomily at the
darkening sky and thought that prob
ably there would be frost that night.
But he could not long think of frost
and other unpleasant possibilities
under the skillful manipulation of his
charming little neighbor. He hesi-
tated at her gate, and again crocuses
triumphed over creed. The crocuses
were fourishing finely; the creeds
took back seat-indeed. very un-
obtrusive seat-in the rector's mem
Dry.
His interest in the crocus continued
that evening to 30 late an hour that
his old servitor really thought he was
not coming to supper and cleared away
the repast.
"Never mind" said the rector, kind
ly, 81 am not hungry, "and when the
old man had doddered off to bed he
sat down before the open window of
his chamber and stared out into the
still night.
He sat there for an hour. A light
burned behind the curtain of one of
his neighbours windows. That was
her light he knew. Finally it dis
appeared, but he sat on, his arms
folded upon the sill, his eyes glaring
fixedly into the darkness. Creed was
making strong fight for life.
1t grew rapidly colder, and suddenly
the Rev. Wetherby Smiles awoke to
the discomforts of the outer man. He
shivered and drew away from the win
dow. There was no breeze and no
clouds, but an increasing chill made
him close the easement.
Then he slipped on smoking jacket
and went to the door. There was a
light haze upon the river and SHIN
mer of frost in the air.
"a bad night for the farmers and
fruit growers, he thought. Then
his mind reverted to those crocuses.
"They will be black by morning." he
said. '"Too bad! and the little woman
thinks so much of them."
He hesitated moment and then
went in again, reappearing shortly
with an old macintosh.
"Just the thing to spread over the
bed to defend them from the frost, u
he muttered and with long strides
crossed the rectory garden and leaped
the hedge.
Feeling good deal like night
prowler who had no business in the
place, he crept through his little neigh
boris garden and approached the cro-
Gus bed near the porch. He started
at the slightest sound and glanced
about fearfully. Suppose anybody
should see him--one of his pGrishion-
ers--even his ma aior-domol Ho forgot
the night was dark; it seemed to his
excited imagination that anybody pass.
ing along the road could see him
the rector of ST. James proving
about beneath lady's window