Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-21

one lOOkCu up at MIN TOBulonly, ana IL
suddenly crossed the young rector's mind
that several yellowish green points OF Gro
Gus blade, breaking the damp soil, made
a far prettier picture than the finest rose
bush in full bloom which he had ever seen,
Ii was n strange fact and one he had never
discovered before.
But when he had returned to his own
lonely domain and entered his study he
stopped and thought seriously for a min
ute. Then he cast his fiat crowned minis
terial hat upon the floor with great en-
phasis and exclaimed:
cts my creed, 1 tell you, that a 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 tho Rev.
Wetherby Smiles smote his palm with his
clinched fist angrily and kicked the fat
crowned hat to the other end Of the room.
For two days the rector of st. James
rigidly stilcd his interest in crocuses. His
interest in creeds, however, was not en-
tirely satisfying. On Sunday after vespers
he overlook on his way home a little figure
in a fawn colored gown.
"You must SEQ my crocuses, Mr..
Smiles, - she said. "Thc buds will be open
before Sunday"
The rector glanced gloomily at tho dark
ening sky and thought that probably
there would be a frost that night. But he
could not long think OF frost and other UNI
pleasant possibilities under the skillful
manipulation Of his charming little neigh
Dor. He hositated at her gate, and again
crocuses triumphed over creed. Tho Gro
-, rn, Go,p,,1Nt,,r Gy,I1Y- Tho nrnnlc
took a back seat-indeed a very unobtru-
sive seat-in the %rector's memory.
His interest in the crocus continued that
evening to so late an o that his old
s%ervitor really thought he was not coming
to supper and cleared away the repast.
"Never mind" said tho rector kindly.
IT 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 II of his neighbours
| windows. That was her light, he knew.
Finally it disappeared, but he sat on, his
arms folded upon the sill, his eyes glaring
fxedly into the darkness. Greed was max
ing a strong fight for life.
1t grew colder, and suddenly the Rev.
Wetherby Smiles awoke to the discomforts
of the outer man. Flo shivered and drew
away from the window. There was no
breeze and no clouds, but an increasing
chill made him close the easement.
Then he slipped on a smoking jacket and
went to the door. There was a light haze
upon the river, and a simmer of frost was
in the air.
"a bad night for the farmers and fruit
growers" he thought. Then his mind re-
verified to those crocuses. "Thoy will be
black by morning" no said. "Too bad,
and the little woman thinks SO much of
them"
He hesitated a moment and then went
in again, reappearing shortly with m old
macintosh.
"Just the thing to spread over the bed
to defend them from the frost" he NUT
tered, and with long strides he crossed the
rectory garden and leaped the hedge.
Feeling a good deal like might prowler
who had no business in the place, he crept
through his little neighbours garden and
approached the croous bed near the porch.
He started at tho slightest sound md
glanced about fearfully. Suppose anybody
should see him-one of his p~arishioncrs--
even his major domo! He forgot the night
was dark. 1t seemed to his excited imagi-
nation that anybody passing along the
road could see him-the rector of st.
James'-prowling about beneath a lady's
windOwl
Suddenly, just as he spread the cover
ing over the crocus bed and was turning
hastily to flee, he heard q sound ON the
porch. He started and his eyes became
fixed upon the vision before him. A fig
ure, all in white and motionless, stood
upon the lower step.
The Rev. Wetherby Smiles was startled,
but he WAS not supcrstitious. For some
seconds, however, he stared at the appari-
ton before he recognized it. Then he
stepped quickly forward, and began to
make excuses in a low voice.
"Mrs. Scorritch-Lydia-I beg your
pardon, but I thought
He goG no further in his tailoring re- |
marks. With a %shuddering little cry the
figure tottered and would have fallen to
the ground had he not sprung forward
and caught her in his arms.
GOOD Lordl' muttored the Rev. Mr..
Smiles, the perspiration starting ON his
brow. "What a situation! Suppose any I
body should see me now. To think of me
"a clergyman-in a woman's garden at
night, holding that woman in my arms!"
He was tempted to lay her down upon
the porch md run. But he looked down
into the little white face, revealed by the
faint starlight. The palo lids were drawn
over the great eyes, which he thought so
glorious. The pouting lips had not entire
ly lost their redness, but the cheeks were
st1,~,, IL nI,a lDnr, f1tts,, m xr,p n,n
which she had slipped on over her night
robe before coming down evidently, like
himself, with the crocus in mind, for a
sheet had slipped from her hand as she
fcll) had fallen away at the neck, revealing
the marblolike beauty of her throat.
He looked upon her, and thon did not
lay her down and flee. Instead he stopped
lower and-lifted her more closely against
his breast and carried his burden into the
house. There was a couch in the reception
room. He laid her down and lighted the
gas. She opened her eyes languidly and
saw him.
II have frightened you, Lydia" he
said, STOPPING above her. "Really, I had
no intention, you know. I only remem-
bered the crocuses''-
CT thought ym were a burglar, " she
admitted. And when l heard your
voice.
Didn't you recognize it?" he asked.
"You-you had never spoken to me in
just that way before, and''-
He bent lower and took her hand. II
was only thinking Of the crocuses, LYDIA"
he said, which was very true. He had
quite forgotten the ''creed. Wv. Bert
Foster in Chicago Record.