Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-22
The Argus Daily Short Story
Flower Words-By Annabel D. Carter.
Copyrighted. 1910. by Associated Literary Press

, individual, instances OF Atwaters OBJ
servations, no one Of which was of su-
preme Importance, but all, taken to-
| gether, indicated a nature such as he
could admire and revere.
Then he went away for awhile.
| When lie returned he made a discov-
cry. The young lady next door did
| not appear either in the grounds or at
! a window. He began to fear that he
had seen her for the last time. That
| fear was akin to pain. He was tempt
| ed to make inquiries, but knew no one
! to ask After a week Of chatting one
afternoon he saw her drive up to>the
house in a carriage and received with
demonstrations of affection by the
other members of the family. Atwa-
ter longed to jump out Of the window
and take her in his arms himself. But
this was an impulse that didn't count
for or against his natural idiosyncra-
sizes.
Later he made another discovery
similar to the first. He saw very
handsome young man leave the house
next door and the young lady follow
him out to the gate. apparently loath
to have him depart. This time it was
revealed to him not only that the
young lady was a person Of interest
to him, but that he objected to her be-
ing of interest to any other man
From this point she ceased to be a
matter of study by observation. She
was to be appropriated.
NV story up to this point has been
very one sided, and it must continue
for the present to be one sided. 1t Is
not to be supposed that q girl may be
under constant observation by a young
man next door without some observa-
ton on the part of the girl. Atwater
had never seen her looking at him,
though he had never failed to look at
her whenever she appeared. Had he
caught her doing so he would have
considered her as overstepping the
| bounds set for a modest young woman.
That she did not do so convinced him
that she did not consider him worth
looking at
One morning in February Atwater
saw a man digging up the soil in the
yard in the adjoining grounds. 1t was
plain that the ground was not intend
ed for vegetables, but for flowers. In
another week the young lady came out
with a few light garden implements
and a dainty little basket full of seeds
and began to plant.
A few days later Atwater spaded
flower bed in his own grounds and
planted seeds. His garden was pro-
tected on three sides by bush plants.
but could be observed by the neighbor
on the east A warm wave gernlinat-
ed the seeds in both gardens. and tiny
green lines were soon visible. Nothing
unusual was to be noticed in the lady's
garden, but In Atwater's careful OBJ
server would have seen lines of tender
green IN which could be traced the
letters II Love"
AS soon As his letters were large
enough to be read from the next house
the young man kept constant watch
with a view TO discovering whether
they were observed. Days passed. and
the delicate lines were lost IN the ex-
uberance of the growth, but never did
the planter see a face at the window.
If his declaration had been seen 1t
had not met with any response.
Atwater argued in this wise: If she
has seen the flower words and is
person OF ideality, refinement and
kindliness she viii make q reply even
If unfav0rable. So he waited and
watched. Weeks passed, and neither
the heavens, the air nor the earth gave
a sign. Atwater's ideality was giving
way before the Impotence of love, and
he was about to try some more con-
monplace method. Then one morning
when the air was clear and the sun
was shining on the garden opposite be
fancied he saw in a new growth jus-
appearing above the soil that which
might be letters. but since It came Up
unevenly he could not be sure at so
great n distance. In another moment
he had a pair Of glasses leveled ar the
flower bed. The only growth that
looked like letters spelled No"
Atwater was morlentarily dIscour.
aged. But it was evident that there
was more coming up which nigh;
change what appeared to be a refusal
Again the Impotence Of love impelled
, him to push for an immediate response.
but bis idcaltr again triumphed. lie
concluded to wait Realizing how b.
should suffer watching for n response
to his message to grow out OF the
ground, he absented himself Tor a sea
son. He returned late at night. and
the next morning, 70 his satisfaction.
lie saw plain!y letters IN the adjciIing
garden to read. I Know You Not"
1t Is high time that We should have
view of what is transplring in this
ideal affair from the other side of the
garden wall.
Miss Edith MacGregor was looking
out of her window one morning WHOM
she saw a young man leave he next
house and saunter down the street
1t was enough for her that he was