Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-10-26
CHAPTER Iv.
Flowers by the WAY,

Flowers by the Way.
Flora liked this funny little dining
room with walls as frail as box.boards.
low-ceiled and flooded with sun. It
recalled surroundings she had known
later than the mining camp. but long
before the great red house. 1t seemed
to her that she fitted here better than
the Purdies She looked across at
Kerr. sitting opposite. to see If per-
haps he fitted too. But he was for
eign, decidedly. He kept about him
still the hint of delicate masquerade
that she had noticed the night before.
Out of doors, alone with her, he had
lost it. For moment he had been
absolutely of his guard.
She rose from the table with the
feeling that in an hour all three of
them had become quite old friends of
his. though without knowing anything
further about him.
I'VE must do this again." Mrs. Pur-
die said, as they parted from her in
the garden.
Surely we WILL" Kerr answered
her.
But Flora had the feeling that they
never, never would For him 1t had
been chance touching on u strange
shore.
But at least they were going away
together. They would walk together
as far as the little car, whose terminal
was the edge Of the parade-ground.
But Just outside of the gate he
stopped.
do you especially like board
walks 2" he asked.
It was an instant before she took
his meaning. Then she laughed. mo.
! like green paths"
He waved with his cane. There is
path yonder, that goes over a bridge,
and beyond that hill"
And at the top of that another
car" Flora reminded him
All, WELL" he said, there are flow.
ers on the way. at least" He looked
at her whimsically. There are three
purple irises under the bridge. no
ticed' them as came down."
She was pleased that he had no.
ticed that for himself-pleased, too,
that he had suggested the longer way.
The narrow path that they had
chosen branched out upon the main
path, broad and yellow. which dipped
downward into the hollow. From there
came the murmur Of water. Green
showed through the white grass of
last summer. Sauntering between
plantations Of young eucalyptus, they
came to the arched stone bridge. They
leaned on the parapet, looking down
at the marshy stream beneath and at
the three irises Kerr had remarked.
knee-deep in swamp ground.
Now that see them suppose
want them" Flora remarked.
"Of course" he assented. Then
hold all these"
He put into her hands the loose
bunch of syringa and rose plucked for
her in the Purdies' garden, laid his
hat and gloves on the parapet; then.
with an eye for the better bank.
walked to the end of the bridge.
She watched him descending the
steep bank and issuing into the broad
shallow basin of the streams way.
The sun was still high enough to fill
the hollows with warm light and mel
low the doubles Of trees and grass in
the stream. In this landscape of
green and pale gold he looked black
and tall and angular. The wind blew
longish locks of hair across his fore
head, and she had moments pleased
and timorous reflection that he looked
like Satan coming into the Garden.
He advanced from tussock to tus.
sock. He came to the brink of the
marsh The lilies waved what seemed
but a hands breadth from him. But
he stopped, he reached oh, could
anything SO foolish happen as that he
could not get them! Or, more fool
ish still. plunge in to the knees! He
Strengthened from his fruitless effort
drew back. but before she could think
what he was about he had leaned for
ward again. flashed out his cane, and
with three quick, cutting slashes the
lilies were mown. 1t was deftly, del
icately. astonishingly done, but it gave
her q singular shock, as If she had
seen hawk strike its prey. He drew
+ them cleverly toward him in the
crook of his cane, took them UP
daintily in his fingers, and returned to
her across the shallow valley. She
waited him with mixed emotions.
"Oh, how could you'll" she muir.
INJURED, as he put them into her hand
He looked at her in amused as
tonishment Why, aren't they right?'
They were as clean clipped off and
as perfect as If the daintiest hand had
plucked them.
oh, yes" she admitted, they're
lovely, but / don't like the way yor
got them"
u took the means l had." he OBJ
jected.
81 don't think l like It,"
His whole face was sparkling witt
interest and amusement. Us that so:
Why not?"
You're too-too"-she cast about
for the wcrd-"too terribly resource
full"
II see," he said, If she had feared
he wol Id laugh. it showed how little
she had gagged the limits of his
laughter. He only looked at her rath
er more intently than he had before.
but, my good child, resourceful
ness is a very natural instinct. l an
D~oo~occ,