The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-05-13

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coming and in all that time she had
never found to whom she owed them.
The first, a lovely cluster Of rosy
crimson buds, Of texture as soft and
fine as her own cheeks, had reached
her on her sixteenth birthday without
sign to show their giyer Some mis-
take, she thought. Time will show
But time did not show
The second came the next Christ
mas-rich, creamy, fragrant; but
again without card. Delighted. with
the frank delight Of schoolgirl who
found herself suddenly a.tiptoe on the
edge Of romance. she tried to find the
sender. In vaini A dozen suspected
friends to whom she displayed the
flowers, watching the while for some
tell-tale movement, listened or sym
pathized without sign Of selfbetrayal
And still the roses came. Up to her
coming out they came spasmodical.
", usually at birthdays or holidays, or
whenever some special occasion
seemed to call them forth; later they
came almost continually. Like many
American girls, she had friends from
Maine to California. and visited in
score Of homes; and wherever she
went the roses followed always
anonymously
At lirst their coming was recur.
rent wonder something to be spoken
Of between girl and girl in romantic
confidence; later it became a hushed
secret to be held close in her own
heart With time she learned to
parry the curious questionings Of her
friends SO deftly that even those who
had known Of the mystery in early
years did not suspect that the veil had
never been lifted.
For it had never been. The most she
learned was that the giYer must know
her well, and while clinging to his
anonymity. must wish paradoxicaIly,
to make his gifts as conspicuous as
possible. Let her leave home to visit
a friend. and she would find the roses
awaiting her, let her give an enter
tainment. and in the thick Of it the
roses would arrive; let her start home
from trim, and among those who saw
her of would be florists boy with
the inevitable bouquet AT times the
thing grew positively eerie
Largely in consequence Of these
flowers she became a social success.
Men-young men, especially like
sheep: where one leads, the whole
flock VIII follow. To be admired is to
win admiration; to have "beaux' is tc
gain "beaux;n to succeed is to tri
umph. The young men who saw her
receive flowers counted her worthy oi
other flowers. and when young man
makes a gift to a girl he is compelled
in self-justification. to seek her com
pany. How much Virginia owed to the
aura Of admiration the roses created
around her, and how much TO her own
good looks and loyableness, il would
be hard TO say AT least the roses led
the young men to discover how gen
orally desirable she was She counted
her "scalps' by dozens.
Counted her scalps-yes- but she
did not marry. Twenty-eight. twenty
nine. thirty-one by one she saw the
milestones slip by her, each memo
rial to the passing Of one or mort
young men, each of whom moped
sulked. or smiled a while. according
to his nature, and then weat on an,
married some one else
1t was not that she did not hki
them. She did. many Of them. Bu
whenever one grew pressing, betweel
him and her would rise the specie
Of her unknown admirer-he VIII
might some day come to ask the re
ward of mis- long constancy. Concern
ing him she knew nothing nothing
except what might be expressed in hi
repetitional offerings Ie might b
old or young. tall OF short handsom
Oh homely- she knew nothing. Ye
from this very ignorance she built ii
his complete portrait AS a romanti
schoolgirl she painted him with dasE
1 ing strokes and great splotches d
color-if not quite cavalier wit
flashing eyes, yet very nearly as tha
ideal; as a woman grown. she dre'
him with strong, clear.cut jaw an
powerful frame; as an old maid, sh
limned him of the Douglas. Douglai
tender ana nue' type SO gradual
the mental portrait changed GROWN
with her growth-that it seemed III
changed. In time its original beeam
as real to her as anyone whom sh
had known. so real. in fact, that tang
bic admirers seemed misty and wave
ing. And as she saw them one by on
settle down with other women. sh
turned with ever stronger romantl
devotion 10 her faithful visionary a.
mirer BY and by she came to live /
dream--a dream a deux.
ONlN uhct hda sue DteH loNSed, an
that was when Paul came a-woolni
Again and again she sent him ava,
but ever he returned. until persistent
had won him place in her thought
almost equal to that of her dreal
lover She began to question whethe
1t was well to longer wait for one wh
showed no signs Of coming forward.
This change of heart coincided wit