The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-05-18


buuch, still sore from the orchids
taCnts.
The young man regarded with a du-
bious air the flowers hcaped about SO
prodigally
"Oh, but, I say, what's this:" as he
caught sight Of the vioiGts that seemed
to have decDeneJ in hue in their efforts
t. be seen.
oh. would YOU want t!,se--t !iat is,
we hardly expect to sell them 10 our
patrons We bought "A lot of them as
a sort of charity from Il little lame girl
in BrOnXville and should probably have
given them away to footman Of other
servant Of some customer-iust give
them away as a grocer does Il chrome
with pound Of tea. If You want them
a quarter will pay for the lot"
When the yi0letS saw the coin given
and felt themselves lifted from the
glass they breathed Il sigh of content.
and when the clerk. wrapping them in
tissue paper, placed them in Il pretty
box Il fragrant breath of excitement
Il them.
must be the padded brougham
.-- "cllidS spoke of to the roses.
link how we We're heaped III the
corner of a basket this morning. Oh,
eXclusiveness has its charms" And
they winked contentedly in their soft
wrappings.
The cracking of a wood firc-for the
spring day was damp-was the next
thing the flowers heard as they were
lifted out and put in water 1t first
their eyes We're dazed, but after a few
moments they absorbed the details Of
the place
The big, bare studio looked rather
eeric in the approaching dust, and with
its half finished canvases, its walls
covered with studies in glowing color,
it looked more a workroom proper
than a home But it was the home
Of youthful, ardent and dominating
dreams. and as Robert Dorset looked
about it in his eyes was a blending of
the enthusiasm of genius and the
steadfast fXity of purpose that an
initiates all obstacles to reach a goal.
I've always felt | must succeed,
even when the impOlite and intrusive
wolf sat grimly Oh my door mat" he
thought And now that Marchmont,
the maguatc, has just ordered his por-
trait, have little to fear"
lie walked over to where an unfin-
ished canvas on an easel showed a
girls charming face
How different this winter is from
last he muSed. Then YOU were my
companion at the art classes. my lit
tie friend from the country studying,
oh, 50 faithfully, but painting so bad
ly this year the protegce of your rich
aunt and chronicled in the papers as
Miss DelOrmc, the new beauty. | can
understand her ideas when she de-
cided you were worth chaperoning
Her own girls are placed-One the wife
of a cOnSumptive lord. the other of
banker close to seventy. Now you are
on the auction block, going, going. but
not yet g0ne-nOt yet, thank heaven
And the eyes in his pale face had the
expression of Il soldier in battle. I've
taken Aunt Mary's polite and unmis-
taxable hint that | am to her an I'M
welcome worshiper at your shrine-'no
beggarS or artists allowed | may
win yet"
He took letter from his pocket 1t
showed signs Of many readings. Now,
with his head thrown back as he
lounged in a big chair before the fires
blaze, he read it again:
This is the last night of the opera. my
friend. Why don't you go? I've discover
ed the ethics of Aunt Mary's campaign
and l know why you come no more. In
fact my visitors are now narrowed eX-
clusively to those who know the merry
clip of the scissors as the coupons fall.
If I'm right, let's have our vengeance
Go to the old place in the gallery tonight.
where I've so often sat with you and Ted
and Mabel and will again. We can make
eye notes about Melba, with the horseshoe
sweeping between us. What fun to cheat
Aunt Mary She thinks, foolish woman,
I'm easy to mold because I'm little; but,
although I've made no fuss over her treat
ment of my old friends, I've my own way
of getting my own way. I've given aunt
her fling with me this winter to please
mother. so for the nonce I'm pleasing
myself RUTH.
Does this mean anything more than
chumship? I'll find out tonight
He took pen and paper and, having
written and destroyed several sheets,
finally appeared fairly satisfied with
one, which he kissed before folding it,
his eyes heavy with love.
He put the note, with the flowers,
back in the box, while the violets,
seeming a romance, futtered eXcitedly
as they were taken from the studio.
On a table in a pretty boudoir on
Madison square cluster of orchids in
an eastern vase and bunch of wood
violets in a small jug waited the COM
ing of Ruth DelOrme.
I'VE beg your pardon" drawled the
orchids after a long stare, 'but did
you come from Brighton's? Are we
mistaken, or did we see you there to-
day? It's so hard to tell exactly; you
lack individuality, you know"
Rustling with excitement at the
meeting. the violets nodded their fra
grant heads.
"The same" they answered bravely.
"Well of all the luck.' broke in the
winged aristocrats. But you'll be sure