Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-17
Co,tiignc0 troa. page 4

Co''.t'ft" J'o". !uos =
She pointed at her splendid spoils like
Queen.
But. gasped the young man, there are
your lilies still there He pointed al the
silver cleaning ranks.
Il cut some at the back, explained
Amaryllis.
The young man gaspcd again. Impossible
to suspect this old countrywornan OF a tinan-
cial dead, and vet
you can have these for three dollars
apiece, stated .Amarylis "and I'll call 1t
there's one hundred of them; though there's
more. I've come down.
Harry" called an admonishing voice
from the car But Harry took out his wallet.
Then he called the chauffeur to assist, and
prescn,lythc automobile glidcd away, loaded
with lilies.
Amaryllis had three hundred dollars; and
her lilies, the delight OF her life and the
pride of her heart, were mostly intact.
Louis; would have new dress and outShlnc
her rival. Amaryllis replaced the money she
had taken from under the fcathcrbcd, and
staggered into the house with her stcpladdcr.
Then she sat down in the sitting room beside
a front window and rocked violently. She
held the remainder of the three hundred
dollars tightly clutchcd in one bonv hand,
and she was trembling from head to foot.
High finance is strenuous for an old woman
making her first attempt.
DRESENTLY she heard an automobile,
= and the same imposing car came racing
back. Nobody was in it but the chauffeur.
He sprang out, leaving the great machine
aquivcr, and brought large box to the
door Amaryllis met him.
"WLat IS in that box" she incurred Shak-
ing terribly, and very pale.
The chauffeur, who was very young,
gazcd at her curiously. Miss Rumson sent
it, he explained. Guess you find note
inside.
The chauffeur turned TO go; but .Amaryl-
lis stopped him. "You wait, young man,
said she impcriously. "Mcbbc | shan
want to keep this box.
The chauffeur waited, standing on the
stoop, while Amaryllis carried the box in
side and unfastcncd 1t with her stiff fingers.
There was a note; but Amaryllis drew aside
the dainty tissue wrapping first, and discov
cred a beautiful, lace trimmed, white dress.
Then she read the note. 1t was short and
charming. 1t Informed Mrs. Bean that the
writer was very happy herself and wished
to make another girl happy, and felt that
such wonderful lilies should have some return
other than money. And this was one of her
dresses, which she had not worn; but II was
rather short for her and she had seen Mrs.
Beans lovely niece and thought 1t would
just fit her, and would she please accept with
the LOVE and thanks Of Dorothy Rumsono
Amaryllis was paler when she removed
the dress. She laid it carefully on the sofa,
put the remainder Of the three hundred dol
lars in the box, and a note, which she labo-
riously wrote with a stubbcd pencil on a
piece of paper taken from louisa desk.
The note was nothing but statement:
Four dollars and nine cents was all them
flowers was worth. Thank you for that dress.
Yours to command. Mrs BEAN.
Then Amarvllis tied up the box and de-
livcrcd it to the chauffeur. "Hcrc, young
man, said she. 81 took out what was in that
box; but | am sending it back with some
thing else You look out it don't tumble out
of the car, and YOU give it to that young man
who dicllcrcd with me for them lilies. Mind
YOU don't lose it, and don't YOU open it."
When the car had roarcd away, Amarvlis
surveyed the dress. Louisa will look like
a pictur in it, said she; "but Frank Neasy
he want going to give her the mittcn any
way, guess.
Then Amaryllis went to Lo,lisa's desk and
wrote two more notes. One was to Mrs.
Sydney Appleton, and read:
DEAR FRIEND | take my pen in hand to in
form you that | in good health, and hope
you may enjoy the same blessing. When dig
m NV Ill. in The fall Won may have all tht.