The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-06-16

blushing like a big s~choolboy. Later,
maybe. Hope So and for a moment
lie looked so awkward and sheepish
that l felt sorry for him. Then he
shook himself together again.
"No, it's not any of those things
you MENTION he went n, in a con-
hdential tone. L just want to send
some flowers up to her house, you
know. I'm only back here from the
ranch on q visit, you understand.
Well, while / was up at her house
last night, two OIL three punches of
flowers came to her from young
snipes of Willie boys she seems to
have become acquainted with since 1
went away. 1t struck me then that
hadn't thought to send her any
flowers-outfits are too far apart for
that kind of thing out in the cattle
country, and there's nothing but prai-
RE flowers, anyhow, and SO a fellow
gorgets, you see. And so l only want
to send her a few flowers
"A few!' said l, and l really could.
TT help laughing.
"'Why, what's the matter@! said the
poor man, with an apprehensive look
on his big, good natured face. Have
mt l picked out enough
90, quite enough said /, and just
the right kind, too and just then the
proprietor came in, and the big man
from the west handed him a $500 bill.
The flowers were sent up to the home
of n debutante of last season, in a
special wagon. The announcement of
the engagement vas made a few days
later. Now, didn't he need a guard
ian? Don't they all need guardians?
Goodness gracious me. L do so pity
the poor things" and the girl with
the wavy chestnut hair again belied
the pity she said she felt by her
smiles.
And what do you think of a man
who sends flowers, and beautiful ones.
too. to his wife every day in the year?
Sundays and holidays included" she
went on, matching a heliotrope or
child with a piece of heliotrope rib
bon. We'll. we have such IA custom
er. He first came in here a little over
Il year ago. and ordered an expensive
box of flowers to be sen to the home
of a lady who lives across from the
park, and who had Mrs. prefiXed to
her name. After hat he dropped in,
rain. snow or shine. every day. and
selected Il beautiful lot of flowers to
be sent to the same Mrs He. of
course. never had any occasion to give
his W name. and. of course none of
us in the store dreamed that he was
sending the flowers to his wife. So
hopelessly improbable. that, you
know. All of us girls decided that he
a bachelor, or widower-he was
Il middle-aged man-cultivating the
good graces of an attractive widow.
probably wealthy. and we wondered
if she were good looking and all that.
One day, after he had been sending
her flowers regularly for seven
months. he failed to come in, and so
the proprietor sent up a handsome
basket of flowers to the address of
Mrs anyhow. The next day he came
in.
MY wife was a trife indisposed
he said to the proprietor,
and. of course. | could not leave her.
| thoroughly appreciate your sending
the flowers without my ordering
them. and so does my wife,
THE proprietor looked at him in
a puzzled sort of way.
.II,I I H. - - IL, &c.. - |
your wedding he began.
"'Wedding.' said the regular Gus
toner. 4 don't believe | quite
"'Surely. your marriage has been
quite recent?' the proprietor said.
and then an exceedingly well-bred
tomer.
"'I1l give Won the order to decor
)rate our house when we celebrate
silver wedding early text year.
said. between very broad smiles,
then he went out. He has been
n every day since with his orders for
lowers for his wife. and"
"And. therefore. presumably stands
n need of Il guardian?"
"Have | not just been telling you
hat he is married? And then the
Door sillies-I mean the young ones
n the before stage again-d'ye know
hey really and truly believe the girls
the girls tell em that they
press every flower you senG ne in my
,opy of Tennyson?' Actually believe
very word of it., they do! They
lever stop to think that no volume of
Tennyson as big as the Doomsday
'ook has ever been published. How'll
hey press" is the question that lots
f the poor, deluded things ask me
they are picking out roses to be
re sem to the onliest ones. o. so
asy."-N. Y. Sun.
MOtherly SOlicItude.
~,-,n - N-z