Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-31
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
The inventor entering his sitting room
on Monday morning perceived an unwonted
odor. He brought his mind out of abstrac-
ton. and discovered tumbler Of water
with bunch of violets In 1t standing on
the mantelpiece.
He had forgotten there were violets in
| the world. He experienced sudden odd
sensation. He stood looking down at them
The perfunled cluster thrilled his senses
He stopped to smell them. Their freshness
. their sweetness their Eow-toned humility
of color affected him strangely. It is said
that Linnaeus coming all at once upon a
gorse bush In golden glory Of bloom, fell
on his knees and in a repture Of reverence
thanked God for having made so beautiful
a thing. In his high-strung mental state
some such overpowering impulse moved
Ting sensation. Then he felt tears upon
his cheeks. He had but Just time to NOR
them. amazed at himself. when Rosemary
appeared with his breakfast
She entered with her accustomed hustle
seeming to charge the air with warm. mag
netic forces, her eyes sparkled, her rosy
cheeks were blooming, the mellow hum
ming Of her voice had accompanied her to
the door. Il thought you must be sick OF
boiled eggs for breakfast all the year round
so I set to and curried 'em, an guess
you'll find EN- jest good"
She whisked off a cover and an aroma diff
ferent from that which had but minute
earlier disturbed him. but eminently agree
able asserted itself. Rosemary was most
excellent cook
Pendlebury, sitting to his meal. for the
first time realized that it was a digestive
revolt within him against seven hundred
and thirty plain boiled eggs year. which
had caused him of late to look askance at
breakfast. He smiled above her admirabl
curry. One observing him might have won
dered at a certain SheepiSh baShfulness that
for the time replaced his usual abstracted
stare. The appetite whetted and satisfied
by his unwonted meal was succeeded by a
pleasurable languor. The perfume of the
violets was In the air.
Instead Of bouncing upon his work as was
his habit the moment his breakfast was
over he now sat back in his chair and per
mitted his thoughts to wander. They did
not wander far. He flushed a little finding
them presently on Rosemary, who had
brought in her tray and was clearing the
table.
The sun shone on her neat frilled cap, on
her neat quick figure on her chestnut hair,
on her ruddy chubby arms which the sleeves
Of her fresh print gown, rolled back above
her elbows. displayed. From behind some
sheets OF manuscript he had caught up as
screen to an alarming fit of Unconscious
ness which had seized him at sound Of her
/ footsteps. he stole intermittent glances at
her. She seemed unconscious Of him and
intent upon her work. Her -lashes lay in
two dark semi-circles on her rosy cheeks
as she contemplatively gathered up the
IOrkS anu spoons anu IOt0eQ the tdDle clOLn.
Yet one experienced in women's ways would
have known that she was perfectly and
pleasantly aware Of his embarrassed looks.
Whose violets?'' he demanded, abruptly,
pointing to the tumbler on the mantel-
piece.
Yours" she said. laconically, flashing
her brown eyes.
who gave them to me
"Me." she said.
What for?'
She swept a hand lightly In the air. IT
jest like dom things fur people," she said
casually.
There was an interval Of weeks wherein
the inventor relapsed once more into his
distracted state.
Then Mrs MacMicking appeared in the
doorway with fiushtd. agitated face.
''Sakes alive, Mr.. Pendlebury." she APP
pealed. come down to the kitchen, or
there'n very likely be murder done!'
| ,Pendlebury. his mind entangied In In
yentive meshes, waved a hand absently.
stSend for the police" he said.
But at that moment confusion Of voices
audible from below became articulate.. ssEf
you're goin' to shoot me reckon can
take 1t about as well as most folks Rose
mary was heard to say. defiantly-but a
very definite falter at the end Of her bold
speech showed she had but little relish for
the prospect.