The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-09-18

WIS INC personal thought the SlIC
would carry. Virginia was absurdly
sentimental for II woman ) feet 10
| who affected tailor made clothes.
And that is how Paul Harvey stood
| before the small, private entrance of
| the Carr fiat one crisp january morn
ing, with Il bit of pasteboard in his
| irrrproacImhly glovcd fingers. the pop
| ular air of IL new musical comedy on
| his lips ard ignorance of impending
| danger in his heart. Then she opened
| the door, and he found himself clutch
| ing after Il bit Of paStcboard that was
| slipping from his fingers. The soft
| whistle died on his lips, and peculiar
| something i'll Tie place where he had
| heretofore supposed his heart rested
| clicked out danger signal.
He introduced himself, presented his
friends card AMI stated his GRAND, but
all quite mechanically. His real self
was asking itself the most absurd
questions. such as whether copper col
ored hair like hers wasn't much more
effective than Nirginia's blond locks,
and why Il girl with Il carriage like
that was working for lot of incon-
sideratc, snobbish women, instead of
making some good, appreciative chap
ridiculously happy.
He was so busy thinking this out
that he was quite annoyed when, seat
ed In the diminutive drawing room, he
found himself face to face with d mass
of silk things" in many colors, shades
Of poppies, Of roses. of violets. of chrys-
anthemums. lie wondered if flower
grew that could hold the wlrm light
Of her wavy hair, or if ever K lily was
Of an ivory so pure as her face.
as there anything here you likeT
she was saying, and he gripped hard
on his cane.
"No; you see, Virginia goes in for
orchids. She has such jolly good
taste
EYES," suggested the girl sympa-
thetically.
"IIer favorite is a purple with
deeper purple heart, and l want the
shades just like her favorite flower"
"Well, shall we have large shade
hung with small orchid blossoms, or
each shade Il single bloom?"
BLESS me, don't know. You look
rs If you knew best about that And
he almost added and everything else"
TIL" girl was looking bit perpleXed.
IF only could see one of the flowers
/ could reproduce its tints very closely
in silk"
Paul bcamCd.
1.-THE very thing! I'll call cab and
We'll drive right down to Shoreley's.
His orchids are the finest i'll town."
| A deep flush spread over Sylvia
Carr's face, but she said quietly and
calmly:
THAT is quite impossible. My
mother is not we'll enough for me to
leave her today"
But Paul was already grooming in
| spirit. Cad that | am to think she
| is the sort to ride round In cabs with
strange fellows" quite forgetting that
| he was an eligible in favor with alb
chapcrons. Then his face frightened.
''Tll lave some sent up, and please
make dozen shades. | forget how
many candles she uses. but she must
have plenty of light. And, by the.
way, you wouldn't mind If 1 dropped
in occasionally TO see how they are
coming on: You know, Virginia Is al
| Jolly good sort, the best sister in the!
world, and-well, rather think takeI
more pleasure i'll making her a gift
than she does in receiving it. It's such
good fun ito think of how surprised
| and ulpuSpl she'll be"
! Sylvia hesitutcd, then smiled.
Il will have some ready to show you
by Friday"
And Paul realized that the interview
| was over.
An hour later Sylvia opened a flo
rists box and gave Il cry of delight
| Never had she seen such tints us met
her gaze in the purple hearts Of those
orchids, and under the orchids were
other blossoms, sweet scented and
| dcwy.
These for the mother who Is not
| feeling so we'll today" read the card.
but Sylvia put white rose in her
hair, and when, with one of the Or
chids in her hand, she started out to-
buy silk for the shades she remarked
! inconseuuently, "Of course 1t IS absurd,
but I'm glad they are for his sister,
even if she is the Mrs. Drew who rolls
| by me In her carriage"
The shades were finished barely in
timo for the birthday. Sylvia had never
! done more exquisite work, and now She
hated to pack them one by one in their
dainty nests of tissue paper, per-
feet orchid each one of them, and when
they saw the light once more it would
be at feast graced by clever men and
beautiful women. But they would go
out of her life forever. Something else
would go out of her life, too-those
pleasant little chats across her sewing
table where Paul Harvey had watched
| the orchids grow Yes it was all true,
this gossip, that Paul gave all his heart
to his sister But perhaps if certain
| slump in stocks and an abScOnding
cashier had not done their united worst
for herself and her mother it might
have been different.
And she closed the box sharply, tied
the Irvine i'll hard knots and went out
for walk. She would not he home
when the messenger called.
|
Mrs. James Drew was giving an aft
ernoon' The crowd was thinning out,
and the hostess was standing in small
alcove with Mrs. Donnelly. Said the
latter:
My dear Virginia. l shall always
! feel that it was my fault l sent your
brother to Sylvia Carr for those miser-
able orchid shades and now
Virginia Drew smiled with lips that
quivcr2d just Il tritlc.
"And now my brother says he is the
happicSt man IN the world. 1t is odd
to see how composcdly she meets the
women for whom she once made ger
man favorS. but she has certainly been
a success. Don't you think SOP
Mrs Donnclly nodded her head, and
they both glanced at the graceful fig,
urc. crowned with copper colored hair.
crossing the room In IL long trailing robe
of SoftCst gray Virginia Drew stretch
cd out her hand to touch Il silken orchid
which topped IL silver candlcstick.
Il shall keep them always, for in
their great purple hearts is woven the
love story of the dearest and best broth
or in the world"
A Lincoln Story.
| Abraham Lincoln had a rule for
eyading difficulties. At cabinet meet
ing one day. it is related, Mr.. Seward