The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-03-30
HO6Oard
FieIdinS

the hall and Mrs. Witherspoon appear
ed with her niece.
The lady of the house did not pause,
but pursued her way to the garden,
carrying the enormous tin pan in which
she gathered for our delectation the
finest vegetables ever grown on earth.
Lncy Ann, however, was not upon the
same errand, and l succeeded in detain-
ing her.
MY goodneSSp' she exclaimed when
I had asked her about the florist.
What dc you want To buy flowers for?
The prettiest roses that ever you saw
grow right around here"
but you can't get American Beau
ties and that sort of thing | objected.
They're American enough to suit
me-" said Lucy Ann with decision,
land I'm what they call a lingo.
American? Well, | should like to know
who imported them, and as for their
beauty you ought to see them. OF
course 1 know that you mean particu-
lar kind of rose, but the idea of your
wanting bought fowersv'
4 think women as rule prefer that
kind said 1, unless the posies come
course, they actually cost more
oh she said, you're going to give
them to somebody"
II don't care much for flowers, !
replied with palpable evasion. AT the
academy where | fitted for college
the head master was a crank on bot
any, and he kept us pulling flowers to
pieces until we lost all respect for
them; grew to hate them. in fact-and
him. I'll never forgive the rascal By
forcing my inclinations he spoiled
part of my appreciation of nature.
Caesars ghostr'
The exclamation was sudden and
seemingly uncalled for, and Lucy Ann
opened her gray eyes in surprise.
81 beg your pardon" said 1. Speak
Ing of botany reminded me Of some
thing"
Its a gentle subject, 1 should say"
responded Lucy Ann. Il don't see
anything in it to make a person swear"
You're a Puritan said l, "or a
Quakeress. l didn't swear, though the
idea was really startling Where did
you say your aunt's garden WASP"
Its way off over there she replied,
waving her hand in an indefinite fash
ion toward the upper end of the lakes
About how far?' l inquired.
She gave me a quick, keen glance.
''Vhy do you want to know" she
queried.
1.-The day that l arrived said l,
your aunt came in from the garden
with a pan of peas. As botanist, YOU
understand, not as boarder, l would
Al
gan where peas attain that size in the
middle of June
Lucy Ann bent forward so that her
face was hidden by the edge of the
gray sunbonnet l observed that her
hands, which were clothed in the re-
markable gloves that she had worn
the first time l saw her, were some
what tightly clinched. l began to
laugh.
You won't say anything about this
she said, looking up. Promise me you
WON'T
81 cross my heart" said 1.
''Well, them" she whispered, leaning
forward, ''my aunt hasn't any garden.
What's the use? 1t doesn't make any
difference how nice stuff one can raise
in garden, there's always somebody
who can raise better-somebody who
makes a profession of it. My aunt
says that this is the age Of specialists
Her boarders are very select; they
wouldn't stand amateur vegetables.
That's the way she puts it,
"But they stand amateur cake said
l, ''and l will fight any three men in
Michigan who dare to assert that it
isn't the best in the world -
"Bless your hearth exclaimed Lucy
Ann. Pm not an amateur. I've stud
led at the best cooking schools in Chi
cago. | can show you my diplomas"
Nothing could add weight to your
word said /, mot even the cake it
self, for that's too light But about this
garden
you'd have guessed anyway" she
said. Il had to tell you. My aunt goes
across to the other road and meets a
market wagon. 1t comes out from the
best market in ST 10. and the man who
keeps it buys an extra fine quality of
everything for her. He knows just
where to send for things. Our boarders
don't understand botany; they're city
people. Why. my aunt went out the
other day into that strip of woods and
came back with some cantaloupeS from
North Carolina, and Miss What's -her-
name-Fve forgotten: the blue eyed
girl who went out a few minutes ago
put one of them up to her face and
said: How lovely! 1t is still cool with
the dew | suppose the marketman
had had it on ice But it was a good
cantaloupe just the same
Your aunt is a genius said 1, with
deep feeling: Il knew it as soon as i
saw the most approved modern springs
on the antique bedstead in my ROOM"
Il doubt if the bedstead's any older