The bee., 1909-01-07
THE SUNFLOWER
GIRL

p8rhah m stfdiy iohlo1s. AZ
you aay Madge p7'rfYely admitted.
but ~ a.rehce vou say such
pretty thine, about such lots Of other
girisl"
Naturally replied her lover bland
~, Il am q poet he had once. at bis
own expense, published slender vol
ume Of verse, entitled. Petal Dust and
Pansies," bound In white vellum, tied
up with green ribbon, and dedicated
ITO the Ideal Girl"
III should have thought" she
faltered, that your ideal girl was the
one you'd ask Z marry you"
You take me ~ literally" he com.
planned. with a twinhse which she did
not see. you confuse She ideal with
the real. Besides, was talking Of
poems and pictures; and. talking OF
pictures, let's 90 out and zee Aims
worth's picture at the academy before
tea. Run and put your hat on, child"
Now, this picture by Ainsworth was
The center VI attraction. II represents
Cd beauthSi girl in a yellow gown
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
shimmer the yelIowish haze OF a warm
spring afternoon.
Exquisite" exclaimed Laurence.
DO you admire herr" asked Madge.
so much that I shall buy the Pic.
tufe," said Laurence.
you cannot, for It IL already
marked sold" said MSdge. "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 Lsu.
ronce. "Shs symbolizes the ideal
Come along to lunch. You don't need
TO admire yourself in the glass, Madge.
Your hair is 40 smooth as satin"
His remark was the last drop in
Madge's cup OF evaporation. Her
brown tresses we're 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 eurled but once, when she
had "crimped" her own with tongs,
Laurence had forbidden her ever
again to use such artificial abomina-
lions.
The quarrel grew az luncheon
progressed, until finally Madge pulled
Oh her engagement ring and dropped
1t into Laurence's coffee.
you needn't see me home" she
said I'm take a carriage. You can
80 to your friend Ainsworth and get
him 70 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 90 round this
evening, as ]. did when she broke on
our engagement because Of Stella"
thought he. "She deserves a lesson.
shant 60. What a storm In q tsacup!"
That evenieg Madge awaited him,
sure he would come and bring back
the ring. But he didn't come. After
sleepless night Madge sent q note to
LaursnceS home. II said:
Unless you come to meet me at
four o'clock. I shall know you do mot
wish to come again. M"
Until four O'clock she spent the time
In waiting for LOursnc6's ring at the
bell. Il did not come.
From four o'clock to six she spent
IN wishing that she had never been
bern. ff't
AZ six o'clock her brother vOlnn.
teosed 20 so round 10 Laurence. ht
''But he wasn't At heEae," the ArstASr
said on his return. Ills man sSld
that h0d gone down to see Mr.. Alma.
worth, and that he didn't know Whon
60 expect him home" osSp23i1 eN
After dinner sho ran up stairs TO
her own sitting room, flung herseif
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 heartsY
But Il was not the coffee.
Il was Laurencel Dusty, disheveled,
carrying a parcel.
"A little peace Offering" said he, "a
study by Aihsworth Of the sunnowers
At his place. Dyou like II? meant
20 bring II around at four this after
noon You asked me to call then"
TITS half past eight now" said
Madge, Jelly
Il know II, dear But when I got
down to Ainsworth's found he'd Just
fallen down the studio steps and
broken his leg. No one to look after
him but his landladys dsughter-the
Bunhower girl