Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-12-13
MY ''WALLFLOWER''
tOriginal.l

lOrlSlnal.I
The winter festivities were at their
height. l was young and impression
able. just the age to be run away with
by fancy, especially tor a woman.
One evening at one of the large enter
tainments of the season noticed a.
young girl sitting alone in the corner
of sofa. There was that in her ap-
pearance which attracted me strangely.
Perhaps l showed my admiration in
my expression, for when our eyes met
she colored slightly and turned her
glance quickly away. Turning to a
lady standing beside me, asked if she
knew my "walltiower'' and if she would
Introduce ME. The lady glanced at the
girl and shook her head l tried an
other and another, with no better sue
cess. The girl soon noticed that l was
trying to secure an introduction to her
and could not repress an amused
smile. Presently an elderly clerical
gentleman came in and took her away
from the room and the house. l went
to the host, described the young lady
and asked her name He could not
make out from my description to
whom l referred, but suggested, in
view of the lack of attention paid her,
that she must be some poor minister's
daughter from the country
l Went home, expecting to forget all
about the incident, but was surprised
to find that it, or at least the girl, would
not be forgotten. At the end or a week
there was no change, and at the end Of
a month bad discovered that l was in
love-
Three months passed, and when a
warm spring day came on l got out
my saddle horse and took Il ride in the
park. A carriage passed Inc. and there,
lying back on the cushions, was my
walltlower. On seeing me a scarcely
perceptible smile fitted across her
face, and then she was gone | rode
on in a flutter of excitement Then as
soon as l could recover my wits I
turned and dashed after her A police
man seized my bride and took me to
the station, where l paid fine of $40
for fast riding.
Our next meeting was ut the sailing
of an ocean steamer for Southampton,
England. | came to bid aGeu to
friends, and as the ship left the wharf,
white cloud of handkerchiefs waving
on both wharf and steamer, there, lean
ing over tire rail, was my wallfower
She saw me, laughed, as though the
matter were amusing, and faded away
from me-
secured stateroom on the next
steamer for England and in less than
ten days was in London. l had not
realized the folly Of attempting to find
my inamorata till l reached the great
smoky city. However, concluding that
all Americans make some stop at the
British capital before going on to the
continent, went to the principal ho-
tells, scrutinized the names of recent
arrivals, asked questions about the per-
sons who bore them, went everywhere
where strangers were sure to go, but
saw nothing Of the girl l was hunting
Then went to Paris, Berlin, Vienna
and host of other places, returning to
London at the time of the social season
there. One day while riding up the
Strand toward the city carriage
passed me, driven by a coachman in
claret colored livery, with footman to
match. Inside the carriage was my
wallhower. called loudly to my driv-
er to stop, but the noise Of the vehicles
was so great that he did not hear me.
We were blocked for a moment The
girl saw me, seemed intensely amused,
and her carriage passed on. l finally
caught my drivers attention and told
him to turn and follow the carriage;
but, owing to the crowded condition of
the street, before he could get free
passage we had lost all trace Of it. I
remained in London a month, hoping
for another meeting, but was obliged to
return to America disappointed.
The next winter one of my invita-
tons attracted my especial attention.
It was for dinner and cotillon at the
house where had seen my wallfower.
Since the affair was a select one for
twenty couples had no hope of seeing
"poor minister's daughter from the
country" Had 1t not been for a desire
to look at the sofa on which she had
sat should have sent my regrets.
As it was, l accepted. On the evening
Of the dinner l went to the house lit
tie early, and as no one was in the
drawing room to receive me went to
the sofa where 1 had first seen my ideal
and sat where she had sat to dream of
her. Gradually the room filled, and the
ho or1~ IT, -
he said. "Let me present you to the
lady you are to take to dinner. She's
not known here, though she has met
with considerable social success in Lon
don. Wait moment. She's engaged
at present" A few minutes later he
approached me with a lady on his arm
Great heaven! Who should she be but
my wallfower, my 'poor minister's
daughter from the countryy' did not
GOO ho,, fi11 ho roc I1iroof1u 1ofo~o