The Elbert County tribune., 1903-11-05

urOppeu MI Muriifl ) chru iihonS thcA'.
tore into little bits the tag he had
addressed. and with iirm hand wrote
new one. which she placed In the
box: then put il with half dozen
smaller packages. which Nero the fnc-
totum Of her establishment, would de-
liver. Then Miss Perkins regained her
hnbitrnl smile and gentle sclf-posses-
sion. and went about humming little
snatchcs of happy songs and seemed
as one conscious OF having done
good deed.
Harry Martin was not happy man.
Indeed he had been miserable for
thirty-six hours. for he was. or had
been. deeply In love with Mabel
Richey. and in reality had never been
introduced to the goidcn-haired girl
with the three-sectioned name. until
since the quarrel with his sweetheart.
But since that tempestuous interview.
he had sought, and easily obtained an
introduction. and had decided 10 send
her roses for the decoration OF the
table at the supper that was making
several Westiicld sweethearts jealous
and unhappy.
And Mabel Richey was not happy
woman. She had wept all night after
the quarrel and gotten up the next
morning firmly resolved TO die rather
than show any signs of weakening.
And she had gotten through the pre-
ceding day fairly well; the only times
that she manifested any unusual feel
ing being when the name of Miss Mar
guerlta Daisy De Jones was men
toned in her presence.
Miss Perkins Nero was never very
swift. and it was quite the middle OF
the afternoon before he reached she
Richey residence and left long box
evidently containing flowers. Mapci
was in her own room, and Jennie, the
maid. took the box TO her. 1t did not
take her many seconds to tear the box
open and scramble among the roses
for the card; even before she looked
she felt sure OF the name she would
find on 1t, and when she read. Mr..
Harry Martin" she sank down on the
floor and laughed and cried and said:
"Oh, what goose am.'
In less than ten minutes she was
down stairs in fresh frock with the,
tenr-stains all washed away. and her
fathers stable boy speeding with
note to MFR. Harry Martin" and un-
der the stimulus of n coin in advance
and the promise Of another when he
returned. Jack really hurried.
Harry Martin. for some reason. had
found the work in his fathers office
very irksome that day. After he had
made several more or less serious blum
t..I t.x
tone permeated with sarcasm that he
go home and rest, and Harry, acting
on the suggestion. had put on his hat
and street coat and left the Office. He
stopped on the front steps, however.
and wondered where he would go and
what he would do. Westfield. and life
itself, seemed a dreary waste; he want
ed TO get away from 1t all. The salts
faction he hnd expected to feel in send
ing a box of roses to Miss De Jones
was not very much in evidence. and
he heartily wished he had never seen
nor heard OF that frivolous young
woman.
While he stood on the steps wrapped
in melancholy. which he punctured
with an occasional. Deuce. take it
alIr' he saw Jack. the Richeys stable
boy. approaching. wearing broad
grin. Harry. from old time habit. be-
gan feeling with one haid for n coin
and held out his other for the note,
then he suddenly started and thought
with bitterness
what an ass l am, He hasn't any
thing for me-
Here's n letter. Mr.. Martin" said
Jack, his grin widening. and then he
added in lower tone. Miss Mabel.
she told me to hurry"
"Well, hurry back. then" said Harry,
tearing the note open. and giving Jack
the expected coin. TN take the an
swer.
The note he opened read:
my Dearest Henry-How very good
of you to send the roses. oh, you don't
know how awfully unhappy have
been, 1t was so mean in me to be jeal-
Gus. but know that yon forgive me.
When shall see you: Yours.
Mabel"
Harry wlistled.
Roses, What the deuce does she
mean? I'll just go and see. Poor little
girl, she's been all cut up and I've been
perfect brute.'
While he upbraided himself he was
already taking rapid strides toward the
Ricbey residence. which he reached
long before Jack did.
He saw the roses I'm the drawing
room before Mabel came in, but by
what happy inadvertence they got
there he could not guess. nor did he
try to find out when Mabel came-they
had other things of which to talk.
But on his way home. two honrs
later he dropped into Miss Perkins
and paid for the roses.
"And oh. Miss Perkins, he said.