The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-07-15
The Flower Widow.
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Alicia Sayles was troubled. What
troubled her was her own secret and
was not suspected by any one. In
deed, 1t was not suspected at all that
she was troubled. Why should she
be2 She owned the finest farm In the
county, was n college graduate and
comely. True she was an orphan but
as far back as she could remember
she had always been an orphan. Hel
home was with an uncle and an aunt.
What troubled her was this She had
nearly passed what might be consid.
cred the best age for women to marry
she was twenty was not
married. Had it not been for her prop.
erty she might have been married long
ago. None of the youSg men of her
acquaintance dared to aspire TO the
hand of the heiress. especially an heir.
ess who was n college graduate. New.
ertheless Alicia was Il country girl and
desired to remain country girl. If she
married she would marry n farmer.
On her return from college she did
not think of marriage. She had re.
sources within herself which were
greatly broadened by her education
For time she read books on the lines
marked out for her in college and was
satisfied. But one morning she awoke
to the fact that she was drifting into
perpetual spinsterhood. The prospect
did not please her. In her childhood
and youth she had been deprived OF
that affection which exists In families
and was averse to passing the latter
half of her life without husband and
children. She thought over the bach.
elors of her acquaintance and after
some deliberation settled on Silas
on his farm except mortgage. On
| him she resolved to bestow her hand.
She did not know that Blakely would
care TO marry her, though she rather
| thought he would. But. considering
| she was well to do and he was poor
| she knew he would not have the assur-
ance to propose to her She must
| propose 10 him. How should she pro-
| pose?
One evening Alicia saw Blakely COM
ing up the road, driving the stock from
pasture. Hurrying into the garden,
| she gathered bouquet and said TO it,
~ take you beautiful flowers. with
| your pink and blue and crimson and
| white compilations, TO be my welded
husband" Then, calling to her aunt,
| she told her TO take them to the well
and throw them in as soon as Bakey
| came opposite, making sure he saw
| her doing so. The aunt took the bou-
| Quet, went to the well and when the
| young farmer passed acted as she had
been told.
| "Why do you throw those beautiful
[ flowers away?" called Silas.
"They are my husband" said Alicia
from the porch. 'I'm widow"
| "What do you mean by that"
| "Haye you ever heard of the proverb
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; con-
slider her ways and be wise?'
Eyes"
"Well, II you wish TO know the
meaning OF my being married to the
flowers, go to your books. and If you
hunt patiently you will find out"
With this she went into the house.
Blakely hurried on TO overtake the
stock which had passed during the
brief dialogue, but he knew not of
horses or cows; the strange episode
had got into his head, and he was
filed with wonder as TO what It meant
While Alicia had been telling him that
she was a widow she had looked upon
him kindly, and her voice, which was
sweet, still sounded pleasantly in his
ears.
Now, Silas Blakely was no fool. His
education was good for countryman
but he neither had the books nor the
inclination to hunt through them FOL
any Interpretation of such I'm inant
proceeding. One of his schoolmates
however, had gone to college and had
become a professor. TO him Blakely
wrote an account OF the episode, ask
ing for an Interpretation.
| Alicia possibly wished to test Sllas
common sense. 10 hunt for the eXpla
nation himself would have been like
looking for needle IN haystacl and
while doing so his farm would have
been sold out under the hammer.
1t was long while before he re
celved the Interpretation TO the conun
drum, but when it came he opened his
eyes and his heart started up at Il gait
of hundred beats to the minute. The
same evening, getting Off his farm
clothes and into very respectable
outfit, In which, by the way, he looked
very well, lie went TO call on Alicia.
II have come" he said "to offer al
| haye-that IL, my farm with mort
Gage ON it-for the flower widow