Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-12-28


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 gentlan.' he said after q
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 a
comfortable perusal of the paper and a
yawn or two besides
Orchard spread out his sheet mechan-
ically. But even the stock market news
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
O woman hater. The whizzing tele-
graph wires and poles passed unseen.
The noise Of the engine, the rumble Of
Lit Wnctib1 uWihuAGa hhtO HtVANSs 49,
their stead came the low, exquisite
voice Of girl:
TITS 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 riDened by August
hv ri frnafa IN
autumnal bronze. Somewhere from
among the hedges Of sumac had come
the Gull OF quail. Then presently the
girl had stopped near silvery stream
and plucked plain enough looking
dark blue flower and pinned II on his
coat.
'Tt's closed gentian, you know,
dear" she had explained, while the
soft tendrlls of her hnir had unc0n-
sciously brushed his strong chin. 'You
see," she went on, STOPPING to pluck an
other, they're not so very handsome
outside but inslde-lookw Dellcately
as a spring zephyr she had prlcked the
portals open. ut puts the flaming
goldenrod and all the staring purple
daisies here to shame, doesn't III" She
lifted her face to him-the face Of q
girl not particularly beautiful. but glo-
rifled by a 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-
Ia fa, ttryn tn mi m fa mn md
fortune for them both. He went away
with the sweetness of her kiss upon his
lips, her tear upon his cheek, her flow
or In his coat
Later there had come 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 tho girls
home, and when the man sought her
she was not to be found. Out in her
little western village people told
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 az
bhe could.
That was all Orchard had been able
to learn, and that had been two years
ago. To find girl who does water
color work on dinner cards In New
York city Is not an easy matter BY
the time his train had reached the
smoke Of the tunnel the man with the
unread paper was thoroughly out Of
conceit with one Emily; by the time
the ferryboat had bumped into the
slip on the New York side he was
thoroughly out of conceit with him
self.
Miss Morton brought her lorgnon to
bear upon the flowers Miss Gray had
just brought in.
$50 they are what you call closed
gentiansT questioned she half lncred-
ulously. Are you sureT
Tim very sure, Miss Morton"
The girls voice was exqulsltely low
and musical.
But they're 80 homely, 10 unaniahed
looking, and thought--well, never
mind. Arrange them there IN that
vase, II you will. My lawyer, young
fellow In whom I've taken great In
terest, II coming up to Wynchell TO-
aay and fhav ara hfa favnrffa dopuopb
Miss Gray lost the last Of the SEN
tence. From TIE silver f9ucet Id Mlas
Morton's marble batht4b sbe wps