The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-03
The EVENING STORY
The Miracle OF the Pelargonium

| tie eastern bred Muriel, with pelar-
goniums at her slender waist. and I, a
western writer. We had wandered
through the inner grove where the
most mighty monarchs arctic
Giant General Sherman" "Jum-
boz THE Sisters and others We
had reveled at the contrasts between
trees three hundred feet high and the
creamcups and other sweet spring
/ flowers nesting at their feet. Then
we had gone through the gates into
the outer forest, and were sitting at
the rivers edge, at the end of the
swinging bridge. The rest of the
party stayed away. We were to have
this little goodby hour apart.
1.-THE Giant is sixty-five feet in cir
cumference, three hundred and SIX
feet high, and is estimated to be three
thousand years DID," chanted Murlei'
in the words of the guide. or was
it five thousand? Three thousand OF
five thousand? o dear! Must al
ways refer to my notebook! can l
tell nothing without always referring
to my notebook" she demanded WIG
ly.
1 took the notebook from her.
Your lips were not made for facts,
dry as dust. They were made Tor
had intended to say for poetry ana
romance. 1 truly had! put chancli.s
lily curved. so wondrously alluring,
said kisses" and 1 proved my asser-
ton. No man could have helped it.
Of course she was very angry. l
suppose 1 would not have had her oth-
erwise; but she did not spring To Aei
feet and run from me-
at will not apologize, for you know
I want you so, Muriel," pleaded.
she regarded me scornfully.
'sAs I have told you before' l VIII
I1-pa
NOT 90 into the world and do some
mighty work? Everybody---
g Everybody works but father?'
Interrupted politely.
Even with my heart sore couIu
never help laughing at Muriel and ner
fne talk Of workers. Little dainty wisp
Of a creature, born to be worshlppeo
and cared for, but taking SO serious
a view of life!
would you have me a noo car
rier?'' asked. AS II IS | areani, CT
NV dream makes a book, and the book
brings some dollars, and the doliars
make several things possible. II
we're a bod carrier, it would SIMPLY
mean dollars. though perhaps FEWER
of them: so the result is approximate
" the same-and you have no idea
how much pleasanter 1t is to dream
than to curry bricks
"You are a trifer,' she declared;
"You ought to write book whlcn VIII
at am quite sure my books never
hurt anvbody's morals or manners l
insisted gently.
sponded. 1.-The man marry must De
positive He must look
she hesitated. gazing down at her
Lady Washington flowers, when she
had taken from her belt.
GLOW ?"fI asked with some interest.
at don't deny that should be Will
ing that he should look like you, she
a admitted. a fine color coming into her
cheeks. eff only you would do some-
thing to make the world better
NV mood had changed. would
plead no longer with this child MY
mind went to the packet Of letters
counted as among my treasures. They
had come from different parts of the
country after my first book had been
According to these, my mis-
sion was not a failure-my DOCK,
though simple one, had made peter
at least a part of the world; but l
would not tell MurieI this. I would
not try to influence her in the least
I arose and held out my hand. In the
distance the train was whistling.
zone thing remember, dear child,
said gravely. And that Is, tnaI rove
blazes it's own paths, and cuts its own
channels. If it be written that you
are for me, you will marry me in good
time Love brooks no interference In
his realm
Her cheeks stormed into color as 1
helped her to her feet.
do you see this Lady Washington"
she demanded. holding the pelargon-
ium before me. "See. 1 lay it in the
hollow of this little big tree. There
is dirt in the hollow, and the pelar-
gonium may grow. Coming again,
NAV find that it has taken root. So
may I become your wife. The one is
as possible as the other"
So Muriel went back to her east
with her schemes of philanthropy, and
stayed in my west to dream, and then
to write; but I found that dreaming
had grown to be a weary task, when
the most beauteous one of them all
was a forbidden one, for I had lost
faith in my own brave avowal of loves
visited the Big Tree grove again. 1
went alone and took my solitary way
to the river where had said goodbye
to my Dream of Dreams. A furious
storm had wrought some havoc there.
Two or three of the lesser trees had
fallen, and the swinging bridge had
been twisted and broken, and thrown
upon the bank, while the swollen river
ragged angrily by it.
At last 1 turned away from my sad
My eyes caught a
glimpse of blue in the distance, and
somehow I thought of Muriel's dress
as it looked on that other day when
she had not been kind; but just then
was Joined by the guide, who was
1uite a friend of mine. He had dis |
covered a new plant, and was natural
" quite enthusiastic over it; so I went !
INTO the inner grove to view the dis
eovery. After I had left him still !
had a half hour before train time, so |
went back to the broken bridge.
Again were my eyes caught by the |
glimpse of blue. and 1 saw that a wo- |
nan was kneeling before one of the |
little Big Trees.
" Each to her oak the bashful dry
Ids shrink" 1 murmured. eff oaks |
could have dryads. why not red
voods?" I asked myself. But when |