Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-13
The Little
 Florist

l ing prosperous living by managing an 1 inherited nursery. He was young. She was younger. There similarity ceased. He was rugged, uncultured, plain, though with a certain charm Of vlrlle, forceful homeliness difficult to analyze. She was pretty, college bred, ar1sto- l cratic. He believed in brawn and brain. | She believed in blood and breeding.
 They were not neighborly. She called herself ''horticulturist.' lie was merely florist. Of course, Dick Russell was a bachelor, and in love.
 "Why don't you stick up house on your grounds?" asked Uncle William one night as he and Dick sat smoking goodnight pipe in the porch.
 Cant afford it," said Dick, curtly. "I'm putting every penny l can raise into that gas machine I'm building in the nursery"
 Foolish, too!' grunted Uncle Will liam.
 "Mebbe so," assented Dick, grimly.
 The months passed.
 Dick said little, but read great deal. One day he mortified Uncle William by requesting permission to put in tele- phone.
 .'What for?" demanded he in 9 breath.
 "'Cause want it,'' said Dick.
 So, in spite of opposition and dir,' predictions, the telephone was in stalled, connecting the house with the distant village of Prittlewell. His point won, and his crop money safely deposited in the bank, Dick threw him. self heart and soul into the comple- tion of his queer gas plant. He bought miles of slender iron piping, and many tons of hard coal. He dug ditches and laid a portion of the piping around his orchard and at regular distances across it, until the ground looked like a gigantic gridiron. The unused pip ing (by far the larger portion) was stored away in the gas house. When the work was finished and the ditches filled in, curious neighbors comment ed on the "queer nozzles" which showed above the ground at intervals along the straight rows of buried pipes.
 "Goin' to irrigate?' they asked.
 "Mebbe,'' said Dick, grimly.
 How're you goin' to blow an har- row with them things a-stickin' up in that way?"
 The gas machine itself, situated in the center of the orchard, was. by aid of stout building, stout shutters and a portly paddock, made curiosity proof. No one went into this building except Dick and two trusted workmen.
 ''It's perfectly scand' 'lous!" sniffed Aunt William one bitterly cold even- ing, as she sat by the kitchen fire mend ing pair of Dicks socks.
 ''Which?" asked William, looking up from his newspaper absent mindedly.
 Dicks goin's-on."
 Where's he goin' now?" he asked, his mind still on the paper.
 Don't you know" she demanded, looking at him severely, "that Dick is a-spending ev'ry penny he's got in the world for a big black machine an lot Q rusty pipes?"
 Uncle William looked crushed.
 'Listen!" she said, suddenly, holding up one of Dicks socks warningly.
 Borne on the crisp night air there came the distant ringing blows of ham, mer upon steel.
 Just then the telephone bell rang loudly.
 Goodness mel" exclaimed William, almost dropping the lamp. Stepping to the instrument, he put the receiver to his ear.
 ITS Dick Russell there ?" asked an un- familiar voice.
 ''No. He's away at work on his gas engine"
 "Will you take message to him at once?'
 Who're you?'
 Never mind me. Here's the mes- sage-it's important. Tell Russell that the weather clerk wires: Severe frost tonight. Good-by."
 Uncle William gasped and turned to his wife.
 Whats it all about ?" she spluttered.
 Severe frost tonight" repeated he.
 What"
 That's what the man said,'' persist ed he.
 Hes crazy,' snapped Aunt William.
 'Mebbe so. Mebbe. Folks say Dicks crazy, too. Mebbe we're all crazy.''
 And Uncle William reached for his boots.
 What are you goin to do?''
 DO? Why cart this message over to Dick afore it gets froze on the way.''
 A tramp of about 200 yards through the snow brought Uncle William to the ''gassy madhouse" Gas Dicks neighbors politely called the structure).
 ''Who's that?" asked Dicks voice from within.
 ''Me-Uncle Bill.''
 s'What's up?"
 "There's to be a severe frost tonight. Weather expert says so. An I'm a-freezin' out here"
 Dick swung the door wide open.
 "Come in" said he.
 "so there's going to be big frost tonight, eh?'
 That's the telephone message"
 Much obliged" said Dick. Did you notice what the thermometer said when you left home?''
 "It said five blow zero"
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