Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-11
DAILY SHORT STORY
My "WaIlflower."
IOriginal.l

One evening at one OF the large enter
tainments kOf the season / noticed a
young girl$sitting alone in the corner
of a 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 coluQed slightly and turned her
glance quickly away. Thinning to q
lady standing beside me, 1 asked IL she
knew "walltiOwer and If she would
introduce me. The lady glanced ut the
girl and shook her head. L tried an
othertand 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 i'll 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 u referred. but suggested, in
view ofhhe lack of attention paid her,
that she must be some poor minister's
daughter from the country.
/ went home. expecting to forget all
about the incident. but was surprised
not be forgotten. At the end of a week
there was no change, and at the end Of
a month l had discovered that | was in
love.
Three months passed. and when Il
warm spring day came on L got out
INV saddle horse and took ride in the
park. A carriage passed me, and there,
lying back on the cushions, was my
wallfiower On seeing me 4 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
turned and dashed after her. \ police
man seized my bride and took me to
the station, where l paid a fine of SO
for fast riding.
Our next meeting was at the sailing
of an ocean steamer for Southampton,
England. l came to bid adieu to
friends, and as the ship left the wharf,
u white cloud of handkerchiefs waving
on both wharf and steamer, there, lean
ing over the rail, was my wallflower.
She saw Inc, laughed, as though the
matter were amusing, and faded away
from me.
l. SeCuIeu d SluleIOOu Oh tue NEXT
steamer for England and in less than
ten days was in London. | 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 ut the
British capital before going on to the
continent, | went To the principal no.
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 | was hunting.
Then l went to Paris. Berlin, Vienna
and a 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 a carriage
passed me, driven by a coachman In
claret colored livery. with n footman to
match. Inside the carriage was my
wallflower. / called loudly to my driv-
err 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. / finally
caught my drivers attention and told
but owing TO the crowded condition of
the street, before he could get Il free
passage we had lost all trace OF it,
remained in London a month. hoping
for another meeting but was obliged to
return to America disappointed.
The next winter one OF my invita-
lions attracted my especial attention.
1t was for dinner and cotillon at the
house where / had seen my wallflower.
Since the affair was n select one for
twenty couples / had no hope of seeing
a poor minister's daughter from the
country" Had il not been for Il desire
TO look at the sofa on which she had
sat 1 should have sent my regrets.
As it was, 1 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 l 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
host made his way 10 me. Come"
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 a moment. She's engaged
at present" few minutes later he
approached me with lady on his arm.
Great heaven! Who should she be but
my wallfiower. my poor minister's
daughter from the country l did not
see her till she was directly before me-
1 looked up, my lackadaisical express
sion changing TO surprise. delight, con-
fusion, while she-how did this woman
whom 1 had been hunting all over the |
world greet me? She laughed.
Dinner was announced, and felt the |
hand l so much coveted on my arm.
During the evening l got her story. |
She was the daughter of a rich Episco- |
pal bishop The year before, when / |
had seen her sitting alone, she had |