The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-03-30
The Last Flower
On the Azalia
lOrlgInal.l

peculiar to certain portions of the west
There is but one house In sight and that
log cabin. No Tense lncloses t.; no
trees shade 1t. The only attempt to
beautify II is a row OF flowers on each
side OF the little stoop In its front.
From well In the rear young girl
Ii carrying a watering pot to give the
flowers their evening sprlnkling. Her
dress u q common calico, It's skirt
reaching only TO her ankles. On her
back hangs a suDbonnet, thrown or
now that the sun has lost It's power.
Tenderly she bends over her plants.
which seem TO raise their lips to drink
In the refreshing draft. In all that
landscape there Is no other cultivated
beauty.
so wrapt was she In her occupation
| that she did not hear 0 step behind her
til II was very near; then, turning. she
saw figure aud n face before which
| the beauty of her flowers paled. ELL
this moment they had been her com
panlons. her children. the only objects
to love In that lonely land. Hearing
n step, she turned. A handsome. good
natured. boyish face. with kindly blue
eyes. was looking at her. Amused nj
her startled appearance and the pleas
ure she did not attempt TO conceal. the
stranger unshing rife from his back
and rested II on the ground.
do you think" he asked. that I
could stay here all nightf"
"l'll see" And she went into the
house. When she returned TO say that
he could have what he wanted she
found him pouring fresh pot OF water
on her plants. which he had been 10
the well 10 bring. A mother seeing one
feeding her hungry children could not
have been more affected Indeed. ev.
erything about the stranger tended 20
bring the girl under his magical innu-
ence. Whence comes this young fellow
20 sympaihlze with the one delight OF
her life? She neither knew nor cared.
She only felt his presence.
The huntsman spent the night NJ the
cabin. There were no rules 10 govern
the copduct OF the two and they sat
out on the stoop under the stars I'LL
the moon rose and eclipsed her heaven.
ly sisters with her greater splcndor.
The man hnd been used TO forms. but
he forgot them now. Only an hour
elapsed between his arrival and his
first word expressing what both had
felt FOR that whole hour.
"Niay have klssf" he asked.
lie whose manner was that Of n god
10 ask for n kiss from a daughter %
the desert.
In the morning he was gone. II
seemed 20 her that instead Of the sun
rising II had set Oh. that the hunting
grounds lad lain near the cabin. But
he had promised TO return that way.
She did not question that he would.
she simply waited and watched and
thought Of him en- he should come.
one morning she arpsc. threw open
the shutter and looked out. The sun
was rising. and his first soft morning
rays lent 60 the desolate scene some.
thing like beauty. The few trees did
not look - lonely. the uncovered coun'
try dld not look 10 barren. now that
the suns light shone through mellow.
Ing mlsts. hut n the orb Of day was
rising In the east the sun or the girls
heart was risoig In the west Glanc.
Ing thither. she saw n 1.-THE figure step
ping lightly along the road. II was the
young stranger. and be carried some
thing In bis arms.
When she went downstairs. there on
the stoop sat the hunisman. and near
him In an carihen POI was n piant-one
that she had never seen before.
swhen on the line Of the railroad"
be said. Il sent IN the city for H. Had
I not been waiting I would have re-
turnci earlier. for TO give you one mo-
mcnt Of happiness l. worth more than
all the game In the west"
"It l. not In bloom" said the girl
mo; II will not bloom till ! come
again. or. rather. when II blooms again
I will come"
They spent one happy day together.
then the stranger went on Autumn
faded into winter. A traveller stopped
NJ the cabin one day aud. seeing q
name written on a bit Of WOOD tied 10
the plant. asked:
elias he been herer'
Yes"
look out for him. little girl: he's .
heart smasher. Hunts hearts ~ be
hunts der or antelope"
The girl turned pale.
ibid he give you tina; aEaleaf" asked
the traveller
"Yc.. when does II bloomf"
"In the early spring"
From that time the girl began 10 wilt
II seemed when TIE winter was passing
out aud the azalca BEGAN 20 take on IL
new life that II was drawing IT, vigor
from is mistress Before the travellers
arrival she had not doubted that the
givcr would come when the Plant
bloomcd. Now she felt that he wTild
mover come.
One morning a oud opened. then m.
other AMI another. tlil the axalca was In
full bloom. emitting a rich odor. Tho
girls vitality filokerd NJ candle
burns down into ita socket Meanwhile