Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-06-25
THE SUNFLOWER
Girl


perhaps l am absurdly Jealous, as
you say" Madge plaintivel3 admitted,
"but. oh, Laurence, you say such
pretty things about such lots Of other
girls!"
Naturally" replied her lover bland.
| ly. Il am a poet" He had once, at his
own expense. published slender vol
ume of verse, entitled, Petal Dust and
PansieR," bound in white yellum, tied
up with green ribbon, and dedicated
ITO 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, | was talking of
poems and pictures; and, talking of
pictures, let's go out and see Aims
worths 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
leaning over a golden balcony Her
yellow ringlets blew across her cheeks
to mingle with the bunch of sunfiow-
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
80 much that | shall buy the pic
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
on 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 cellar.
She'll expect me to go round this
evening, as | did when she broke off
our engagement because of Stella"
thought he She deserves a lesson. |
shant go, What storm in teacup!"
That evening Madge awaited him,
sure he would come and bring back
the ring. But he didn't come After
sleepless night Madgs 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 Laurences ring at the
bell. 1t did not come,
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 1t was not the coffee.
1t was Laurence! Dusty, disheveled.
| carrying parcel.
"A little peace Offering" said he, "a
study by Ainsworth Of the sunflowers
at his place. D'you like it? | meant
to bring 1t around at four this after
noon. You asked me to call then"
IT'S half past eight now" said
Nadge, icily.
81 know 1t, dear. But when I got
down to Ainsworth's found he'd lust
fallen down the studio steps and
broken his leg. No one to look after
him but his landlady's daughter-ths
Bunfower girl.
She had red arms" Laurence re-
sponded later, in answer to Madee's
questions; she wore a cruel pink cot.
ton frock; she had freckles. also a