The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-04-15


large flower this is
The old servant pushed up the win
dow screen, and looked out. My
land, Miss ElinorI" she exclaimed,
them hollyhocks will be blowing out
big overs your head first thing you
know
For fifty years the Bradford place
had been known for its beautiful hol-
lyhocks. The present owner, Miss
Elinor, was no longer young, but as
she stood in the old garden, straight
and slender, a soft color in her cheeks,
and the breeze ruff1ing her brown hair,
she seemed fitting occupant for the
place she loved so well. The roses,
phlox, marigolds, and hosts Of other
flowers were all dear TO her, but sin
gularly her most sentimental mem
cries were associated with the holly
hooks. They recalled the one love Of
her life, and her youthful lover, Eu-
gene Sargent, he whom her father had
forbidden to come to the house, and
who, at length, had gone from the
village declaring that he would come
back some day and claim her. She
was thinking now of how they had
stood on this spot. When turning to
leave he had said: 'T shall think Of
you always standing here among your
flowers, and you the prettiest flower
of ALL"
She had never seen him since that
day The woman turned half i'm
patiently, for it vexed her that with
this memory of Eugene there should
intrude that of another, Tom Wyman.
oT7d
that fact had blinded her, perhaps, to
the seriousness of his feeling for her,
for a year after Eugene had gone,
Tom had spoken, finding her there in
the old garden, and her response had
been SO decided that he had seen how
unweicome his attention was. A pink
holIyhock had dropped from her
hand, he had picked it up, holding it
for a moment against the pink of her
dress, with the words:
cit is like you
This she had resented somewhat.
Had he compared her to a rose or
lily there would have been something
poetical about it, but hollyhock!
Tom, too, had gone out of her
knowledge years ago. Turning to the
house, EIinor left her sentimental
memories and went about her usual
duties.
One afternoon a week or two later
she was sitting out on her woodbine-
shaded piazza, her sewing beside her,
when a shadow fell across the walk,
followed a moment later by its sub
stance-and a solid one it was-a
man, rotund and iorid, with a heavy
he nd ncT1f0
chain All this Elinor's glance took
stranger AS he saw her, however,
he reached out his hand.
'Elinor," he began. you amt for
gotten me, 1 hopper"
Who was this calling her by name?
There was something vaguely famil-
lar about him. Then, a shock of IN
pleasant surprise driving the color
from her face, she said slowly: ''Eu-
gene-can this be Eugene SARGENT"
"Sure thing" returned the man
with a laugh louder than the circum-
stances seemed to warrant Didn't
expect me, dare say"
Elinor murmured some response
and sank into her chair. She could
not at once adjust her old ideal to
the possibility of this presence.
Words did not fail him, however
and he was soon speaking of himself
YES" he informed his hostess,
I've been in Kansas City most of the
time since I shook of New England.
There's something about the west
that brings out man. Now, If I'd
stayed here all my life l shouldn't
been the man I am today. 1 amt
the boastin' kind, but-folks In Kan
sas City know who Eugene Sargent
Isl
You have q family?" Elinor ques-
toned as at length he paused.
"One son, he's comm in with me
as soon as he's through school My
wife, she died year ago."
The man readily accepted an invi-
tation to stay to supper, and Elinor
went to tell Hannah.
81 heard somebody out on the piaz-
ga the old servant responded, land
mistrusted what was comm. NY
land! if he's got an appetite to match
his voice I'd better get Joel to kill
another chicken!"
The visitor remained late into the
evening, and before he put 1t into
words, Elinor could not be blind as
to the reason of his coming, and she
lay awake long that night thinking
over the almost unbelievable fact that
Eugene had come back, had asked her
to marry him, and she had refused.
The following morning she said to
Hannah: DO you know who my last
nights visitor was?"
The woman turned abruptly, eager
curiosity alive in her face. NO"
Eugene Sargent