The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-12-28

The serious business of settling up
her brothers estate was about finish
ed. Miss Morton leaned YEARLY back
in her invalid'S chair and sighed. Aft
er all, she was sorry. Doubtless it
would mean cessation of her law
ycr's frequent and periodic visits.
And-well. he had been something new
under her sun.
Il leave for Bar Harbor tomorrow
to be gone Il week. On my return I'll
send YOU a telegram and arrange for
our final Interview" Howell Or
chard'S crisp. staccata sentences pune
tured her reverie. He was picking up
his gloves. y high cart had just driv-
en- under the porte-cochere, and Miss
Morton's liveried groom was busy
quoting the antics of a pair Of brown
cobS
Miss Morton CROPPED for 4 preteXt to
spin out the call of her lawyer-if only
for five minutes 1t was stupid of Pc
ter to have driven up so early-and so
bourgeois. Her eye fell on the near
est object-a bowl of orchids.
Exquisite. are they mott" she said,
with slight indicating motion of her
patrician, blue yeined hand. Orchards
keen glance noted them, at the same
time ranging the eXtravagant refine
ment OF the room.
'In keeping with their surroundings,
Miss Morton" he rejoined, pulling on
his left hand glove. "Artistically cor
rect"
She made no further preteXt. 1t was
fatuous, but it answered her purpose.
What is your favorite flower?" she
asked.
1t was an inane question, and she bit
her lip. But, to her relieved surprise,
Orchard gave her inquiry his consider
alton.
The closed gentian," he said after
slight pause.
Wynchell, Miss Morton's country
home, with its ancestral acres, was
about far enough from Jersey City to
leave time on the suburban train for
comfortable perrsal of the paper and
yawn or two besides.
Orchard spread out his sheet mechan-
ically. But even the stock market news
didn't seem to interest him. and he
looked far beyond his paper. That was
only natural He was looking back
through several seasons of blossoms
and snow, this man, who, young as he
was, had already begun to be called
woman Halter. The whiZzng tele-
graph wires and poles passed unseen.
The noise of the engine, the rumble of
the wheels. dwindled into silence. In
their stead came the low, exquisite
voice of girl:
ITS such beautiful little flower in
side, Howell
The day had been full Of late Sep
TENDER elixir, then as now. The tread
of loneliness had been on the fields of
grass and fodder ripened by August
suns and tanned by early frosts to an
autumnal bronze Somewhere from
among the hedges of sumac had come
the call of quail. Then presently the
girl had stopped near silvery stream
and plucked a plain enough looking
dark blue flower and pinned it on his
coat.
Its closed gentian, you know,
dear" she had explained, while the
soft tendrils of her hair had uncon-
sciously brushed his strong chin. you
see," she went on, STOPPING to pluck an
other, they're not so very handsome
outside, but inside-look!" Delicately
as spring zephyr she had pricked the
portals open. 1T puts the flaming
goldenrod and all the staring purple
daisies here to shame, doesn't it"' She
lifted her face TO him-the face of a
girl not particularly beautiful, but glo-
rified by Il dazzling smile.
He had left her at the gate Of her
little western home and, leaning over
the rustic fence in the privacy OF the
broad oak, had bid her goodby, for he
was going to the big eastern mctropo-
lis for year or two to win fame and
fortune for them both. He went away
with the sweetness of her kiss upon his
IiDs. her tear upon his cheek, her flow
cr in his coat.
Later there had come Il misunder-
standing, of the slight, insignificant
sort that most young lovers have; but,
alas, in this case before the gentle,
healing wind of the real truth had
blown tragedy had visited the girls
home, and when the man sought her
she was not to be found. Out III her
little western village people told a
tale of her fathers long illness and
death-how she had nursed him night
and day with untiring tenderness; how,
their slight income being exhausted,
she had taken up water color work
and filled orders for dinner cards and
little pictures; how finally, upon his
death, she had gone to New York city
to earn her living in such fashion as
she could.
That was all Orchard had been able
80 learn, and that had been two years
ago. To find girl who does water
color work on dinner cards i'll New
York city is not an easy matter. BY
the time his train had reached thu
smoke of the tunnel the man with the
unread paper was thoroughly out o.
conceit with one Emily; by the tint
the ferryboat had bumped into thu
slip on the New York side he wal
thoroughly out of conceit with him
self.
Miss Morton brought her lorgnon t.
bear upon the flowers Miss Gray hat
Just brought in.
$50 they are what you call closes
gentians?" questioned she half incred-
ulously. Are you sure?'
lin very sure, Miss Morton"
The girls voice was exquisitely low
and musical
But they're so homely, so unfinished
looking, and | thought-well, never
mind. Arrange them there in that
vase, if you will. My lawyer, young
fellow IN whom I've taken a great in
terest, is coming up to Wynchell to-
day, and they are his favorite flower"
Miss Gray lost the last Of the sen,