The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-07-06
FLOWERS OVER THE WAY
What Two Clerks Saw From
q Window.

SNAaaasAMsssstssaS,ssseSass;'
1t was early summer when the tw'
clerks moved into the back room of tn
fourth stsry fiat. The landscape OIL
which they gazed every morning was no
inspiriting-a row of whitewashed bricl
tenements of the better class that extend
ed the length of the entire block; scor
Of black fire escapes exactly alike in con
struction and all more or less littere'
with household effects, and, below.
clean swept. cement paved yard. Blu
overhead there was the wonderful New
York summer aiy-like the inside of
huge hollow turquoise, vanished witt
molten sunlight and dried with grea
handfuls Of cloud cotton. And then, too
there was tho girl with the kissabl
cheeks and the nice smile who lived il
the tenement directly opposite their win
dow. Their lot was hard-like their bed
but every morning, as they went ava.
to the store. their faces wore Il pleasan
smile. And all that caused the cheerful
grin was merely the sight of her and o
the sky.
She was q model housekeeper; the.
could sec that she was ever busy abou
her rooms. busting, brushing, sweeping
cleaning the windows until the pane
were like thin sheets of diamond. Sh
used to wear cool dresses of neat calic'
which showed her trim figure to advan
tage.
They used to wonder. the two clerks
what her name was. They agreed tina
she could not be more than "a; that he
cheeks were like the red, red rose anl
her hair like the bright, bright gold
also that her eyes might be blue. black
brown or violet, and that whatever thei
hue they could be only adorable. Blu
as to her name they differed radically
almost violently. The elder clerk, q thin
tall chap, with side whiskers and q dys
psptic look, said her name was doubles
Maggie or Mamie or possibly Liz. Blu
the younger man scorned such q sugges
ton. Her name, he declared, was Ger
tainly Ruth, indicative of meekness ant
comelincss and cleanliness of soul ant
body. Whereupon the tall, thin clerl
said to him sarcastically:
'Sir Percy Algcrnon de Montmorenc!
de We're, of course her name is Phyllis
Gladys Muriel Maud Doris and the res
of the English novel heroines. But a.
your name is plain Bill Smith, so in al
likelihood hers is Maggie Reilly or ROSIE
Flanagan, in the name of Erin go bragh
Amen"
But the younger man refused to acccp
Maggie. He stood out for Ruth River
until the fatal discovery was made on
Sunday. They heard her tell her mex
door neighbor that her husband had gon,
to work on the Third avenue line as con
ductor.
Ruth Rivers-Maggie Reilly was mar
ried!
Saddened by the revelation, the!
agreed that it mattered little what he
name was. But out of respect for caci
others feelings they compromised. The!
decided to call her Molly.
For a week after the fatal discover!
neither clerk smiled. Such chances a!
they directed toward her fire escape wer,
rather sheepish and, in n manner, sur
reptitious. as though each feared to b.
caught at it by the other.
One Saturday half holiday they camt
home early. 1t was fine day, very sun
shiny, but. owing to the fresh breeze, no
sultry. The thin clerk, thinking of thu
green fields and running brooks annie
which his boyhood had been spent, look
ed absently across the way. AS his gaZ,
fell ON the romantic FIRE escape his eye
T.: took on a decided interest.
Come here. Bill" he said. ''Look a
MoIly's garden"
Z. Bill looked. On her fire escape wer,
two fowerpots, one containing n beGonii
and the other rose geranium, both evi
IDENTIFY purchased from the itineran
vender with the cracked bell and the hus
Ky voice who drove his wagon through
the street once week.
"Begonias." said the thin clerk, ear,
odd. like them. They grow easily ant
quickly"
"But the rose geranium is so sweet ant
delicate! love to roll up the leaves il
my hand and smell them. They reminC
me-" said the younger man, 'of IN,
mother"
"Weli, you can have it. I'll keep thu
begonia." said the thin clerk.
Ever thereafter they used to watcl
their Gowerpots, the two poor clerks. il
the morning before they went to worl
and at night on their return home. The!
were 50 fortunate that fully four day:
Of the seven they actually beheld Moll.
In the act of watering the flowers with :
tiny green watering pot. her sleeves roll
ed up to her elbows, showing u PLUMP
and rounded forearm, gracefully revivin!
the thirstins leaves with the five littl,
threads Of water that issued from thu
sprinkler.
Both plants grew apace. The thin
clerks begonia blossomed-a polypetal
GUS thing In pink. But the younger man.
humble rose seranium thrived wondrous
~ and grew rotund until it resrmbled
from the clerks room. a little pavilion o
some green. brocadcd stuff built over tn,
red clay foundation of the fiowerpot.
One afternoon they saw Molly's hus
band cleaning the windows.
THAT" said the younger clerk. will
an air Of experience, sis what n HUSBAND
ought to do"
"Confound him." said the thin clerl
aRgriiy. He ought to have done 1t LOAF
ago. But l am glad" he added forGiv
ingiy. shat he's had the decency to be
gin. even II late. That's right, Molly
dear; make him step around lively AM
do his share"
One morning the younger clerk. VIII
was by the window. called out TO hi
roommate: "He is watering the plants.
wonder what's the matter with Molly"
"What's that? WHAT'S that?" said tn
tain clerk sharply as he went to the win
dow.
Molly's hateful husband was watering
the plants. He had thoroughly soaked
the geranium, but had only n few drop!
left for the begonia. He deemed then
enough, however, for he set down thu
sprinkler as soon as emptied on the tir'
escape and turned away.
"Water my begonia more, darn your
shrieked the thin clerk wrathfully.
The man looked about in surprise
saw no one and turned away once more.
You measly apology for human be
ing, do you suppose begonias hate waite
like your drunken self?" grumbled thu
clerk. not SO loudly.
"Oh. he's all right" said the younge
man.
"Of course you'd say that. He water
ed your old geranium, aud you don't car