The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-07-13
FLOWERS OVER IR[NAY.

FLOWERS OVER 1K[WAY,
1t was early summer when the two
clerks moved into the back room of the
fourth-story fiat. The landscape on
which they gazed every morning was not
lnspiring-a row of whitewaShed brick
tenements of the better class that ex-
tended the length of the entire block; a
score of black fre-escapes exactly alike
III construction, and all more or less lit
tered with household effects; and, below,
a clean-Swcpt, cement-paved yard. But
overhead there was the wonderful New
York summer sky-like the inside of a
huge hollow turquoise, vanished with
molten sunlight and dried with great
handfuls of cloud-cotton. And then, too,
there was the girl with the kissable
cheeks and the nice smile who lived in
the tenement directly opposite their Win
dow. Their lot was hard-like their beds
but every morning, as they went away
to the store, their faces wore pleasant
smile. And all that caused the cheerful
grin was merely the sight of her and of
the sky
She was model houseketper; they
could see that she was ever busy about
her rooms, busting, brushing, sweeping,
cleaning the windows until the panes
We're like thin sheets Of diamonds. She
used to wear cool dresses of neat calico
which showed her trim figure to advan-
tage.
They used to wonder. the two
clerks. what her name was. They agreed
that she could not be more than ~. that
her cheeks were like the red. red rose
and her hair like the bright. bright gold:
also that her eyes might be blue. black
brown or violet. and that, whatever their
to her name. they differed radically. al
most violently. The elder clerk, a thin,
tall chap with side whskers and a dys-
peptic look. said her name was doubtless
Maggie or Mamie or possibly Liz. But
the younger man ScOrned such Sugges-
ton; her name. he declared, was certain
ly Ruth. Indicative Of meekness and
body. WhercuWn the tall, thin clerk
said to him sarcastically:
''Sir Percy Algernon de Montmorency
de We're. of course her name is Phyllis
Gladys Muriel Maud Doris and the rest
of the English novel heroines. But as
likelihood hers is Maggie Reilly or ROscy
Flanagan, in the name of Erin so bragh,
Amen
But the younger man refused to accept
Maggie. He stood out for Ruth Rivers
until the fatal discovery was made one
Sunday: They. heard her tell her next
door neighbOr that her husband had gon''
to work on the Third avenue line as con-
ductOr.
Ruth Rivers Maggie Reilly was mar
RED,
Saddened by the revelation, thy agreed
that it mattered little what her name
was. But out Of respect for each other $
feelings they COMPROMISED. They dec;,l-
ed to call her Molly. -:
For week after the fatal discovery
neither clerk smiled Such glances as
they directed toward Der -iire-escape were
rather sheepish and. i'll a manner, sur
reptitious-as though each feared to be
eansht M hS the etnsr;
home earl y. It was a fine day: very SIM
.,hiny, but. owing to the fresh breeze. not
, sultry. The thin clerk. thinking of the
green fields and running brooks amid
which his boyhood had been spent. looked
absently across the way. As his gaze
fell on the romantic fire escape his eyes
took OH decided interest.
Come here. Bill he said. Lock at
MOllTS garden
two flower pots, one containing begon;a
and the other a rose geranium, both evil
IDENTIFY purchased from the itinerant
vender with the cracked bell and the
husky voice. who drove his wagon
through the street once week:
'Beecnias." said the thin clerk. "are
odd. like them. They grow easily and
But the rose-gerannm is SO sweet
and delicate. love to roll up the leaves
in my hand and smell them. They re-
mind me-" said the younger man, cot
my mother.
''We'L you can have it. I'll keep the
begonia.' said the thin clerk.
Ever thereafter they used to watch
their flower pots. the two poor clerks,
in the morning before they went to work
and at night on their return home They
were so fortunate that fully four days
of the seven they actually beheld "Mol-
ly" in the act of watering the flowers
with tiny green Experimentation
a plump and rounded forearm-graceful-
~ reriving the thirsting leaves with the
five little threads of water that issued
from the sprinkler.
Both plants grew apace. The thin
clerks begonia blossomed-a polypetal-
GUS thing in, pink. But the younger
mans humble roSe-geranium thrived
wondrously and grew rotund, until it
resembled, from the clerks room. a little
pavilion Of some green, brocaded stuff
built over the red clay foundation of the
f1ower-not.
One afternoon they saw Mol'y's hus-
band cleaning the windows.
THAT said the younger clerk. with
an air Of experience, ''is what hus-
band ought to do
"Confound him" said the thin clerk.
angrily: 'he ought to have done it long
ago. But 1 am glad" he added. forgiv-
ingly, that he's had the decency to he
gin, even if late. That's right. Molly
dear; make him step around lively and
One morning the younger clerk, who
was by the window, called ont to his
room-mate: "Hc is watering the plants,
| wonder what's the matter with Mol
whats that? What's that?- said
the thin clerk, sharply, as he went to the
window.
Molly's hateful husband was watering
the plants. He had thoroughly soaked
the geranium, but had only few drops
left for the begonia. He deemed them
enough, however, for he set down the
springer as soon as emPtied on the fire.
escape and turned away.
water my begon'a more, darn you!"
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 water
like your drunken self?' grumbled the
clerk not so loudly.
"Oh, he's all right" said the younger
man.
"Of course you'd say that. He wa
tered your cid geranium and you don't
care what happens to mine."
Il wonder what's the matter with Mol
~. Jim?" said the younger clerk.
How should know?' answered Jim,
testify.
'Huh" Jim looked startled. ''Non-
sense, man." he said presently, with af-
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" 49, -
But their faces wore preoccupied
look as they. left the house that morn
in thec eye,inp Citing hr h1e xz-;nda.s.