Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1908-12-17
THU: SUNFLOVE:R
Girl

pretty things about such lots of other
girIs!"
Naturally replied her lover bland
ly, II am poet" He had once, at his
own expense, published slender vol
ume of verse, entitled, Petal Dust and
Pansies," bound in white vellum, tied
up with green ribbon, and dedicated
TO the Ideal Girl"
II should have thought" she
faltered, that your ideal girl was the
one you'd ask to marry YOU
you take me so literally" he COM
planned, with twinkle which she did
not see. you confuse the ideal with
the real. Besides, l was talking of
poems and pictures; and, talking of
pictures, let's go out and see Aims
worth's picture at the academy before
tea Run and put your hat ON, child"
Now, this picture by Ainsworth was
the center of attraction. 1t represent
ed beautiful girl in yellow gown
leaning over a golden balcony. Her
yellow ringlets blew across her cheeks
to mingle with the bunch of sunflow-
ers that nodded beside her golden
head, and over everything seemed to
simmer the yellowish haze of warm
spring afternoon.
Exquisite" exclaimed Laurence.
DO you admire herr" asked Madge
so much that shall buy the pio-
ture," said Laurence.
You cannot, for it is already
marked sold" said Madge. "And, as
for being exquisite, look at her hair all
across her face. You can't even tell
whether she is pretty or not"
That's the charm of it, said Lau-
renee. "She symbolizes the ideal.
Come along to lunch. You don't need
to admire yourself in the glass Madge.
Your hair is as smooth as SATIN
His remark was the last drop in
Madge's cup of evaporation. Her
brown tresses were long, thick and
| glossy, but they had not the slightest
wave or "kink" in them. And the girl
would have given her pretty ears for
hair that curled; but once, when she
had 'crimped" her own with tongs,
Laurence had forbidden her ever
again to use such artificial abomina-
tons
The quarrel grew as luncheon
progressed, until finally Madge pulled
Off her engagement ring and dropped
1T into Laurence's coffee
You needn't see me home" she
said I'll take carriage. You can
go to your friend Ainsworth and get
him to take you to the fair unknown
Half annoyed, half bewildered, Lau-
renee was left to fish the ring out of
/ the eclair.
She'll expect me to go round this
evening, as l did when she broke off
our engagement because of Stella"
thought he. "She deserves a lesson. I
shan't go. What storm in a teacup!"
That evening Madge awaited him,
sure he would come and bring back
the ring. But he didn't come. After a
sleepless night Madge sent note to
Laurence's home. 1t said:
Unless you come to meet me at
four o'clock, / shall know you do not
wish to come again. NJ"
/ Until four O'Clock she spent the time
in waiting for Laurence's ring at the
bell 1t did not come.
From four o'clock to six she spent
in wishing that she had never been
born
At six o'clock her brother volun-
teered to go round to Laurence.
But he wasn't at home" the brother
said on his return. His man said
that he'd gone down to see Mr.. Aims
worth, and that he didn't know when
to expect him home"
After dinner she ran up stairs to
her own sitting room, flung herself
down on the sofa, buried her brown
head in its yellow cushions, and-oh,
why do servants insist upon bringing
in coffee to people with broken hearts
But it was not the coffee
1t was Laurence! Dusty, disheveled
carrying a parcel.
"a little peace Offering" said he, ga
study by Ainsworth of the sunflowers
at his place. D'you like it? | meant
to bring it around at four this after
noon. You asked me to cali then"
It's half past eight now" said
Madge, Jelly.
81 know it, dear But when l got
down to Ainsworth's l found he'd just
fallen down the studio steps and
broken his leg. No one TO look after
him but his landlady's daughter-the
sunflower girl.
"She had red arms" Laurence re
sponded later, in answer to Madge's
questions; "she wore cruel pink cot
ton frock; she had freckles, also 6
slight squint."
and her curls?" Madge put il
eagerly.
Those curls were screwed up tight
ly round her head in curl-papers."
"Quite out of place suggested
Madge mischievously "in the idea