Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-02-08
A Floral Valentine
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

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The life Of Ninette Harding was not
to be envied. That of the maiden aunt
making her home with her sister. and
that sister having family of growing
children, seldom is.
Nlnette Harding's mother, left a wild
ow while her daughters were mere
girls, became consumed with the idea
that the one way to provide for the
future of her fatherless children was
to marry them off," And of course
Nora, being the older, must be disposed
of first
Therefore it was that Jack Hilton
had every opportunity to see and know
Nora we'll, while of Ninette he knew
little. Nevertheless it was to Ninettes
knowledge of Jack Hilton, more than
to any other factor, that Mrs Harding
could have charged her utter failure
in disposug of her second daughter ac-
cording to her fancy.
After Jack went west Nora took the
next man who came and was happy
ever after" That is, as happy as
she deserved to be. Not so Ninette.
Now, when Silas Harding died he
left money enough to provide well for
his children without the process of
marrying off, instituted by his wild
ow. But said widow was good man
ager"-that is, she managed to dispose
of all the extra funds-and when she
departed this earth, soon after her
elder daughters marriage, she left
nothing but the beautiful residence
where Mr.. and Mrs. Jones had already
taken up their abode, much to her
chagrin and disapproval
She did not believe in children re-
manning at home, she said; but that
made little difference to Ned and Nora
Ned Jones was poor; he believed he
was marrying an heiress. If that beau
tiful stone house was all she was heir
20, at least they would have that.
They completely ignored Ninettes
share in the house, and appropriated
everything to themselves. Ninette
had a home there on sufferance, lest
she should attempt to claim her own.
Income she had none. Therefore she
took a position in one of the citys
"dry goods emporiums,' and, as might
have been expected under the eircum-
stances, most of her wages went to
help tide over family expenses. for
soon her salary was nearly as large
as the incompetent Ned's.
So matters stood when Jack Hilton
came home from the West, and. pass
ing the Harding house, recalled Nora 5
blue eyes. Turning to little shaver
standing on the sidewalk, he asked:
Does Miss Harding live here still?"
Now, there had been but one Miss
Harding within the memory of this
small man. therefore he answered
truthfully:
"Yeth, thir"
Jack Hilton had arrived at the time
of life when man discovers that
it is not good to be alone, and as he
was perfectly plain with himself about
the matter. why should not we be with
the reader? He had come home to seek
a wife
Not that there were no women in
the West II had only CHANGED that
he had not found the right one in
that longitude.
Now he remembered the flowers he
used to send to Nora Harding-how
tenderly she cared for them; the pot
ted plant never lacked water, the palm
was never dusty. the Easter lily bloom
ed the second Easter, the bouquet was
always exquisitely Tearranged.
He wondered why he had not mar
ried Nora then, they both loved flowers
so He remembered how she used te
laugh when he complimented her upon
her garden or potted plants. and how
she would pretend not TO know one
flower from another. and how 1t an
gered him then. Well. she would have
outlived such pranks by now
So thinking. he turned into nor
lists. and then he remembered 1t was
st. Valentines Day.
'whi.e roses and hyacinths borderec
with helsotrope," he said to the nor