The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-04
In the Petals Of a Daisy.
CFrOm the Plttsburg Dispathc.)

4
/ Crag cottage was the scene that spr' ng
| Of as pretty a courtshlp as ever sprang
| into life when the buds and grass were
new.
We were there. the first summer board
ers in the month Of June. Mrs Prn-
rose; Pink, her daughter: Harry Leary.
a bank clerk away on MS vacation, and I.
II took only one day after ny arrival
for ne 10 discover TWO things. One was
that Pink Primrose was a remarkably
pretty girl and that Harry Leary was in
love with her. I tried 10 discover third.
that Pink returned his feeling. when
something occurred which settled the mat
ter.
Miss Pink was dreadfuIIy supersritioes.
You knew that from the minute you met
| her. If you did not discover il IN hs
way she crossed her fingers when she
glanced at a cross-eyed person or said
bread and butter" when she handed y8I
a pin. YOU were laughingIy Informed Of
! Miss Pfnk's PECULIARLY by Mrs. Pr.n-
rose, who thought it Just the funniest
thing IN the world that her daughter
should object 70 walk under ladders, SIT
ting down 10 a table with thirteen, and
watching a friend out OF sight.
One Of Miss Pink's oddities, or pecui-
iarities, was her fondness for. and be-
lief in, flowers. II was adorable 70 see
her pluck a buttercup and hold il under
T
you liked butter or not Plnk's way, like
Pinks face, was desperately pretty. To
be sure, a mother-in-law would have
frowned upon such Stiffness, but We were
all, from Papa Primrose 20 myself and
Harry Leary, Pink's devoted slaves.
One afternoon we sat on the little farm
house veranda, looking down the road, as
city boarders viii, as though expecting
something TO come along and relieve its
mo
over the hin in the late sunshine OF 5
o'clock came Pink and Harry, walking
and talking, he hatlcss and smiling, she
grave; both desperately interested. Pink
held daisy in her hand.
Within ten yards Of the house they seat
ed themselves upon rock. Pink still
twirling the daisy, and II would not have
taken a sage 10 understand that their
conversation was about the flower
I saw that Pink was pulling It 70 pieces.
and that Harry's face grew oy turns
hopeful and sad.
Not" I heard him exclaim once. then
he reached out and got another flower,
which Pink pulled 10 pieces.
''Not!' again he echoed. as Pink parted
her pretty lips and shock her head.
1T is all nonsense. anyway" he added
But 1 could see by Pink's face mat she
cid not agree with MIN.
4 leave It to a mutual friend" said
Harry at last. as Pink continued TO shake
her head. Come down, calling - IRE,
and settle this dispute-and my fate" I
heard him add
On big rock sat Pink with Harry be-
side her, the daisy petals scattered around
her. There was an AWKWARD pause as I
stood at the rock. PINK looked a: Harry
p.eadingly, but found no mercy.
this SAD Harry
nclyously. II know it .snt-well --you
see-the fact is that I nave asker Miss
Ping 10 marry me. and she has
Asked the daisies" put in Pink. softly.
And they said?" ventured I.
THAT he loved me not almost whis-
pered Pink.
And then the whole plot dawned upon
me. These two silly young people had
been trusting their future happiness to
the petals Of a daisy.
Il picked them off. one by one" said
Pink, gathering courage, ''and l said He
loves me. he loves me not and it came
out. He loves ne not o."
''Try again." I ventured.
Il did try-three times" said Pink.
And so she has refused me" said
Harry, lifting an injured face from the
rock on which he was leaning.
There was nothing more to be said, for
before I could put in a word Pink sprang
up and ran toward the house as fast as
she could go. and we did not see her
again till evening. Then she appeared IN
a long ping cloak. desperately becoming
to her, and walked the veranda for half
an hour alone.
Harry spoke TO her once, but she hung
her head and did not answer him, and
there were tears on her lashes.
OF course that sort Of thing could not
be endured long. so next day Harry. after
vainly watching and waiting for Pink 70
put in an apprenticeship breakfasted IN
her room-sauntered down to the rock
and seated himself behind it, oSOn there
was a rustic, and 10 the self-same place
Pink. flushed as from crying, and not
seeing him at all
She first knew he was there when Harry
spoke then partly because she could not
helu it she sank on the mound beside
him. He crafty fellow. made the way for
her, moving ostenta tiOusly aside.
THAT is singular" said he when Pink
had seated herself. very singular"
What is Singular" said Pink. bright
ening for the first time that day.
That it should say so three times in
succession
THAT she loves me" said Harry. hold
ing up the empty calyx Of daisy flower
II asked three OF them. and they replied
the same Bah! There IS no truth in
them"
yes. there IS" admitted Pink, blushing
10 match her name; but the trouble is
that they said YOU did not love me. Ny
daisies ali said He loves me not. -
Suppose We ask our mutual friend
again" suggested Harry, and, calling
loudly 10 ne, he added, "and bring
daisy field with Won -
While I stood there hearing The newest
chapter in the daisy story. Harry he'd
the bunch. and ! noticed that he care
fully selected a daisy. running over the
petals with his finger. See how this
one comes out" said he: and a he spoke
I thought 1 asw him pull cut one OF the
petals.
Try this one" said he.
Pink took II. Harry looking On. but I I
thought he seemed less nervous about re- /
suits.
Carefully Pink's pretty fingers Travelled !
over the petals. pulling them ont as she (
said. He loves me. ne loves me -''
wei" said Harry
he loves me announced Pink.
What did tel you?' said Harry.
"But-yesterday,"
no mater insisted Harry; "the /
daisies know-today.'
And from their happy faces. when ! zsw I
hem walking together IN the evening On /
he verauda. I knew that Pink thought 4
90. too
Cheering Him Up.
From the Washington starr
at very seldom happens" said NJ
------f-7 -1- ra~~ss that ue are r-a~-