Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-03-09

$50 they are what you call closed
gentians?" questioned she half lncred.
uiously. Are you sure?"
slim very sure Miss Morton" The
girls voice was exquisltely low and
musical.
But they're so homely, so unfinished
looking. and I thought-well. never
mind. Arrange them there In that vase,
II you will. My lawyer. a young fel.
low In whom I've taken a great inter
est, Is coming up to Wynchell today,
and they are his favorite flower"
Miss Gray lost the last OF the sen.
tence. From the silver faucet In Miss
Morton's marble bathtub she was
drawing water for the cut glass she
held. Besides, Miss Morton had spo,'
ken more than half to herself.
1t had been only three days now that
Miss Gray had been with her In the
capacity OF companion, and already
Miss Morton found herself exchanging'
that young persons status from com
panion to contidante. She had alwaysI
had a liking for her. this girl with the
tired. pale face and the sweet. sudden
smile. ever since the day when she
had come personally to explain thatI
there had been some little mistake uI
the ordered dinner cards and to make
her apologies. 1t appears she had Civ,
en- the dinner ladies' powdered silver
hair Instead of dazzling gold. That
had been Mt the beginning OF last sea,
son. During the present summer the +
little sketches that she had been able
to sell hadn't proved sufficient for her
to exc out even a modest existenceN
with. Miss Morton was looking for
companion. and she had offered her n
services. That is the way 1t had all \
come about
There was the rhythmic thud. thud, h
Of horses hoofs on macadam, and Miss
Morton's brown cobs whlrled through
an iron gate Into n modest drive and
came to an abrupt halt under hpr n
porte cochere. A gray drizzle had set f
In. but what did that matter to How.
ard Orchard? The fine drops of raluN
driven against his face by the pace Of +
the cobs had been an exhilarating de,
light to him. and as Miss Morton was
wheeled into the library to greet him &
he was positively cordial
Miss Morton had forgotten her or,
gnon. Being very shortsighted. she
was at n loss to know exactly where
her companion had placed the gen
tians.N And. above all things. should y
the sight OF the flowers bring an ap
probable fraction of pleasure into Or
chard's immoblle face she didn't want
to lose the sight. She rang for maid
ASK Miss Gray to fetch me my &
1orgnon," said she,
$50 you rememberedr' The exclama
ton came from Orchard. and Miss Nor
ton lost the sight she had wished for
after all. He had crossed to an ebony
cabinet on top of which stood the cut
glass vase. Awkward things to ar
range in vases. though" he commented
laconicaliy, as If regretting his burst Of
emotion.
Yes, that's what my companion said
She went out willingly enough in al
this drizzle TO pluck them. but she#
SHE'D at arranging them in vase. She "
assures me they belong to the fields
and
But Orchard veered quickly around n
In the mirror back of the ebony cab
net he'd caught the reflection of girl
face. Before he had seen her fac. g
though. he had recognized her. Their
was no other woman he knew whl3 >
held her head so proudly and at thal
same time had that wagering iittd
walk so at variance with the queenly
carriage of her head.
"Emilyw he cried Your
The girls hand which held, the Lon n
gnon clutched 1t tightly and went up d
her breast. The other half CROPPED to-
ward him. AZ with little increduous
cry she repeated the one word. you"
TOO bad. too bad" inurmured kind
hearted Miss Morton indulgently d
herself that evening. laying down be, vs.
Goethe unread. The day had CLEARED
beautifully. The last scrap of estat
settling business bad been attended ID X
and now her lawyer and her companS
ion were enjoying a bit of the melloV
harvest moon out on the back veranda
TOO bad. ! was just beginning
congratulate myself on what treasur
Miss Gray would be In my declining
years. and now-the end OF the begini
ming or the beginning of the end. Nd
rie." she said. turning TO the maid
take those homely blue flowers away
Take them up to Miss Gray's room"