The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-07-28
CHRISANTHE
By LAURA 1. HINkLEY
Copyright, 1904, by Daily Story Pub. Col

I SAW her first at the flower show
| Chrysanthemums were everywhere
streaked and pied and spattered, vel
low and bronze and purple and white
and red, prim and stately, and fiaunt
ing, tousled, alluring monstros1ties.
watched her from behind a towering
array of blossoms, white but for rec
streak down every petal.
She was style incarnate In every
curve, with a great fluffy chrysanthe'
mum at her breast. In spite OF hel
slim, sprite-like girlishness l was
aware of something in her passionate
luxurious, unbounded, a sort OF In
tense sympathy with the bouncing rio
of the chrysanthemums.
Presently she came toward me WITT
a light in her eyes and hands out.
stretched.
1--WE should know each other, mon
sieur! am Mademoiselle Chrysanthe
Won't you come to see me-" She gave
me her address, not repeating or try
ing to impress it on my memory, but
as il assured that l would remember
my day is Thursday" And she left
me with a light nod, passing quickly
from the room.
I stood astounded. I was tolerably
familiar with the methods of adven-
turesses, but this person betrayed OBJ
yious wealth and breeding. Was she
some one / ought to remember.
knew she was not, yet her face had for
me some dim, haunting reminder. Had
she mistaken me for an acquaintance?
Why then her absurd nickname and
strange speech? "A clever adventur-
ess," reason told me. Yet l went on
the appointed day to her house.
1t was on one of the quieter. but in
tensely respectable and decidedly
smart streets. An imposing butler ad-
mitted me. looked to see him change
countenance when l asked for Made
moiselle Chrysanthe, but he bowed i'm
passively and ushered me into splen-
did and lavish drawing-room. Jardi-
nieres of chrysanthemums stood about
and long mirror at one side repeated
their bizarre luxuries of form and
tint.
My hostess glided in. Her yellow
house dress. adroitly garnished with
ruffles and fiuttering ribbon ends, SIM
ulated a prim, demurely wild chrysan-
themum.
81 knew you would come" she said,
giving me her hand. "You will want
to see the conservatory. Not at home,
James! Come, monsieur"
The conservatory was immense and
almost entirely devoted to chrysan-
themums. She fitted about among
them, bending her dainty head. with
its black japanese coils stuck through
with long, twisted, amber pins.
Her fascination took violent hold on
me, her weird, exotic mingling Of ex-
travagant and exquisite. But she
would tell me nothing of her identity,
nor would she let me reveal my own.
mo, no, monsieur. This and this" -
touching two splendid blooms, need
no names. Nor do We"
AS I neared the door at last to take
leave, half-suffocated with her witch
eries-'I love you'll" said, abruptly.
She listened, silent, smiling, I'M
moved. I caught her roughly about the
waist.
"Stop! Stop! I will call James!"
81 will come Tomorrow" I said
and left her.
On the morrow found her in the
lavish drawing-room. She had given
the place an accent of royal, gracious
welcome by massing everywhere chry-
santhemums Of every tone and hue of
purple. She herself was gowned in
sumptuous purple velvet. adorned with
falls Of priceless lace, a more mature,
ample and majestic presence than I
had dreamed she could be. was per-
mitted to stay long and talk on every
topic. but the forbidden ones of her
identity and mine. I kissed her hand
at parting.
The third time I went resolved to
discover who she was and whether she
reciprocated my passion. no longer
recognized myself. I was wild about
her
l found her robed in the very garb
OF passion-glistening red silk, barbar-
ically splendid, with wonderful garni-