The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-17
At THE FLOWER SHOW.

When George Gordon saw Rose Wal
ton among the flowers in the great
Lake View garden he said to himself
that he never before had seen such
beautiful woman The flowers were
lovely, Just as lovely as care and con-
slant attention could make them, but
George Gordon had no eyes for flowers
after his glance had once fallen on the
fair face of the girl.
There were great reaching green
houses fanking the flower garden, and
in them. when Tack Frost had niDped
the outdoor beauties, James Walton,
Roses father, grew rare blossoms for
the winter market James Walton was
a southern man. who had lost his for
tune and had come north. His health
was feeble, and as he loved flowers he
put what little money disaster had left
to him into a great blossom nursery.
Walton lived wit. his wife and daugh-
ter, the only child. in a little nutshell
of place adjoining the green houses
on Weldon avenue.
George Gordon was young Chicago
bachelor, rich by virtue of a fortune
which his father had made on the
board and curiously enough had man
aged to hang on to it long enough so
that, dying, he could beoueath it to his
son. Now, George Gordon was in love
with the face among the flowers. There
was no diScOunting that fact. Gordon
was a man of tact and expedients,
moreover he was a gentleman. He went
to work automatically, and by the aid
of some Weldon avenue friends he
managed to meet Rose Walton. He
met her, and met her again, and to pre-
vent the necessity of too many details
in the matter it was a wooing. and a
wooing that sped a pace.
Rose Walton had her fathers pas
sion for flowers She was more advanc-
ed in her ideas than was he, for the
father was content with producing the
old-time favorites, while Rose was in
terested in the development of new
forms, new colors and new fragrances.
She walked with Gordon among the
| flower beds in the summertime. and
then when the chill winds blew from
off Lake Michigan they strolled through
/ the aisleS of the conservatory and
watched the budding and final opening
into perfect blossoms of the great white
and yellow ehrysanthemums. You can
do almost anything with chrysanthe-
mum, George" said Rose-they were
engaged by this time. You can get
them solid colors and in mixed colors
and several varieties on the same plant
1 They are the most interesting study
know We are constantly striving af-
4 ter new forms. but 1 believe the end is
in sight
IF there is anything left to be done l
/ think you will accomplish it, Rose. There
seems to be nothing that you can't do
with flowers like your devotion to them.
| know something of your feeling about
chrysanthemum varieties, for l have a
friend, John Willis, who would go a thou
sand miles to see d chrysanthemum bios
som of new tint
II think I would take that journey my.
SELF laughed Rose, for what father
calls a 'chrysanthemum crank ="
The months went on. George Gordon
and Rose Walton quarreled. Perhaps il
is not best to call it quarrel. for it was
simply a case of blind unreasoning anger
on the mans part. He had heard some
thing. and without asking explanations
! he spoke to the girl in anger and almost
to the point of insult She was too proud
| to explain in the face of his passion, and
! she turned and left him.
! George Gordon went abroad He had
been there a year, when there came to
| him certain knowledge through friend
| whom he had met accidentally that he
had cruelty wronged Rose Walton. He
wrote at once. and in week started for
| America George Gordon was in Chicago
once more. He went straight to Weldon
avenue. 1t was late August. The gar
gen was still there, and still beautiful,