The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-22

like your drunken self? grumhIad tho
clerk, not so loudly.
on he's all right" said the younger
man.
or course. you'd say that He watered
your Old geranium and you don't care
what happens to mine"
wonder what's the matter with Molly
JlmT' said the younger clerk
How should I known" answered Jim.
testify. '''''
Don't you think she's-she's dead?"
Hugh?' Jim looked startled. Mon
sense. man." he said. presently, with ar
fected assurance; IF she were that brute
would have shown it. She's simply get
ting his breakfast while he waters the
plants-or rather, one plant"
but their races wore @ preOccupied look
% they ieft the house that morning. To
their relief, they beheld Molly In the
evening, sitting by her window doing
some Worsted work. She did not look Ill;
on the contrary, her smooth cheeks had
their usual hssable pink and she looked
particularly we'll
They did not see 80 much Of her after
that. Her husband continued to wash
the windows and to water the plants
after fashion. He was, 1t must be adj
mitted, impartial in his incompetence as
mower sprinkler sometimes neglecting
the begonia until the thin clerk almost
forgetting the geranium until the younger
clerk looked sorrowful enough to melt
the hardest heart.
A young girl, not more than fourteen
and bearing a striking resemblance 10
Molly, was now seen in the tenement
rooms sweeping and busting, and occa-
Sionally even watering the plants-gener-
ously-doing work Molly had formerly
done. AT first the clerks thought that
the household had risen to the dignity OF
Keeping a EerVant-a half-serVant, rather
but they concluded that the slip OF a
girl with the hair and cheeks like Molly's
was a sister and not a domestic Occa-
sionally Molly would sit by the window
sewing, but not often, for the days had
grown cooler.
Gradually, as the autumn wore on, tina
accomplishing flower pots We're neglected
more and more. The begonia's flowers
Withered away and the genanium look IN
yellowish tints in spots and the clerks
across the way gnawed their mustaches
and swore
The melancholy days came-dull-
tenement rear walls. dull-gray yard pave
ments and sad gray skies. And chill
breezes blew and beat upon the fire es-
cape and the two flower pots. And tie
poor plants bent this way and that, be-
fore the glacial breaths of the wind, and
grew yellower and feebler, like hopeless
invalids. The begonia, particularly, suf-
fered from the rude winds unwelcome
caresses. And the thin clerk, as ne saw
his beloved die day by day, waxed 80
ill-humored as to be almost unbsarable.
But the younger man paid no attention
to him; he had troubles OF his own. HIS
geranium was also dying. irch by inch.
leaf by leaf. They dreaded to look out
from their window now, did the two
clerks. for they hated to witness the de-
mis- Of oil IN ha
bling city.
One day-it was Sunday morning and
for a few hours the sky forgot to be
autumnal and became blue and cheerful
and sunshinny-they saw her open the
window and gazo upon what remained OF
the murdered plants. They didn't hear
her shrek of dismay, but they saw the
plying "Oh" which her lips made. = ex-
press her grief. Presently her husband
came and took the pots into room.
TOO late, you fool!' muttered the thin
clerk, savagely And he was right, for q
fortnight later the man returned the pots
to>the fire escape. The plants were dead;
only the stumps remained. To the clerks
the deed was inhuman, the sight grew
some.
Then the fall threw lead dust over sky
and tenement yards and the winds be-
came wintry in their penetrating power.
And the curtained windows Of the tene-
ment where Molly dwelt were closed day
and night She had not moved sway.
for in the evening the rooms were bright
ly lighted.
And then the winter froze the sap in
the heart OF the plants and memory in
the hearts of the clerks. The recollec-
lions of Molly slumbered within them.
One Sunday. just before Christmas. the
thin clerk raised his window and looked
out. 1t was bright. clear day, full Of
sunlight, almost springlike in its warmth.
His eyes met the unchangtng monotony
of gray tenement wall and frown came
on his face. Then. Of sudden, his eyes
frightened and he smild.
BILL he said. come here; quickE'
Bill went.
Look said the thin clerk.
Bill looked. Then he turned to Jim and
held out his hand. The two poor clerks
shook hands cordially, congratulatorily
Then they smiled delightedly and shook
hands once more.
Molly sat In her accustomed place by
the window. 1t was the first time they
had seen her In nearly two months She
was smiling in q very curious way.
She held a wonderful baby IN her
arms!