The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-20
ABUNCH OF DAFFODILS.
EFrom the Penny Pictorial

Northmore first observed her one fine
| spring morning as he stood at his win
dow smoking his customary after
breakfast cigarette She was also at
her window. and as she was occupied
in arranging some flowers in a vase, he
was able to study her unnoticed. Like
most men, he had his own ideas as to
what constitutes beauty in women and
this girl possessed several traits IN
common with his ideal She had that
decided nut-broWn hair which he had
always admired, and it rlppled upward
from her smooth brow IN the Wavy
fashion that he found particularly
pleasing. Her features also bore a re-
fined and cultured look that naturally
appealed to a man of strong literary
tendencies, and whose taste VergeQ
upon the fastidious.
She looked extremely girlish in her
pretty morning blouse, and her figure
was both dainty and graceful As he
watched her she suddenly raised her
head, and he received FULL steady look
from a pair of very fine brown eyes
This look was so direct that he was
somewhat taken aback. and he found
himself staring at her in a manner that
was rather pronounced, and of which
she quickly showed her distaste by
turning away IN an abrupt manner rhaL
made him annoyed with himself
n see your friend, Mrs. Mason, has
let her rooms again. Miss Latimer,' he
observed to the faded. elderly person.
who was removing the breakfast tray
Yes, sir: her ledger came yesterday
while you We're out Quite young per
As Northmore sat down to correct the
short magazine story he had concluded
the previous evening, he found his
thoughts straying across the street to
the brOWn-eyed girl. After the fashion
of the story writer, who often constructs
romances out of very unromantic ma
terial, he had quickly given her a his
tory. She was probably elergyman's
daughter a country clergyman s, and
she was no doubt, a governess-a daily
governess. What hateful life for Such
pretty creaturei
But there, he must think of her no
more. With an effort he banished her
face from his brain and concentrated
his attention upon his work He had al
ready gained a fair share of success as
a writer OF short stories, and as he was
blest with a private income which en-
abled him to live in a modest but com
Portable way until he had got his foot
firmly planted on the ladder of fame,
his life was a fairly pleasant one Tnere
was one drawback to 1t. hoWeVer-the
drawback experienced by most young
fellows who live in rOOmS-ltS lOnell-
ness. He had no friends in London
and though he had been in the great
city twelve months, he had made none,
for the one or two editors with whom
he had had business interviews could
scarcely be regarded in the light of
friends.
struck i. and then he went out to
lunch. He always lunched out, usually
at a fresh restaurant each day, for he
was studying life, and his hoDDy leo
him into many curious and out-Of-the-
way corners of the mighty city AS he
took up his hat glanced across the
way, and he saw that the brown-haired
maiden was busily writing. This sur
prised him a little. but he came to the
conclusion that she must be out of a
situation, and she was probably an
sWering advertisements He felt that
she was more to be pitied than ever
The afternoon being fine, he spent it
on a bench. in Hyde Park, smoking and
bordering over the novel he was plot
ting, until the suns rays began to lose
their power; then he rose bris1ly and
set Off home. On his way he paused at
a corner where a flower seller offered
her attractive wares and purchased a
big punch of daffOdils. Having lived in
the country for the greater part of his
life he had acquired a deep love of
flowers, and he liked to have them
about his room
A few yards further on his attention
was suddenly caught by moving
patch of bright yellow that stood out
prominently against the somber hues
of the street. Some one else had been
patronizing the flower seller. It was
a girl in a serge coat and skirt and
felt hat trimmed with blue. Her figure
touched a chord in his memory that
had been played upon before, and her
brown hair at once recalled the girl
opposite" Could it be she? He was
inclined to think so. and. as he fol-
lowed in her footsteps, he began to
study her attentIvely, noting all those
little details of her toilet which his sex
do not usually observe. Keen though
his eye was in these matters he was
unable to detect any flaw. There was
no ragged edge to her skirts, and her
gloves, though worn, We're quite free
from holes.
It was at a turning that he discov-
cred that his suspicious were correct.
He caught glimpse of her face, and
he saw that she was his new neighbcr
At the same moment an errand boy
with an empty basket on his arm
rounded the corner full tilt, and, catch
ing her bunch of daffodils with his
elbow, sent them flying into the gutter.
They dropped almost at NorthmOre's
feet. and as she ran forward with a
little cry of dismay he picked them up
She gazed at the mudstained bios
SONS in such a grievous manner that
Northmore would have been a strange
young man indeed had he not offered
her his own bunch. He did this with
a certain amount of hesitation, for he
always lacked confidence with a pretty
girl. and as she drew back he felt that
he had made an error.
'Oh. no; i couldn't think of taking
them" she said, in a voice that made
him feel that he offended her seriously.
Then, as if to soften her refusal. 1T is
very kind of you, but never accept
flowers from stranger. Thank you,
all the same" and with these words
she wished him good afternoon and
went on her way.
For some minutes Northmore stood
there utterly disconnected by the re-
buff. He felt that it was quite unde-
served He had been merely polite
nothing more, and she-well, she had
treated him badly.
Not until he reached his room did his
resentment evaporate. 1t had quite
disappeared, however, by the time he
had finished his tea. In fact. by that
time he began to think that he had
judged her too hastily As she had
said. he was a stranger to her, and for
all she knew he might possess all the
vices with which he endowed the vii
lains in his stories. Her action simply
shnLrad that she E-as able n . care