Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-29
CHAPTER XI.-Continued.

Il don't know, Sir; truly ooh l.
didn't count them at ALL
1t was impossible to disbelieve her; she
was plainly telling the truth. And, TOO
why should she count the roses! Inc
natural thing would be not to count them,
but merely to put them In the vase as she
had said. And yet there was something
about those flowers that Elsa knew ana
wouldn't tell Could it be that l was on
the track of that missing twelfth rose? L
knew. though perhaps Elsa did not, how
MANY roses the florist had sent In that
box. And unless Gregory Hall had alb
stracted one at the time of his purchase,
the twelfth rose had been taken by some
one else after the flowers reached lne
Crawford house. Could 1t have been
Elsa. and was her perturbation only pc
cause of a guilty conscience over petty
theft of a flower? But 1 realized must
question her adroitly if I would hno out
these things. ,, ,
us Miss Lloyd fond OF ho"eiS'
asked, casually.
her." o,,
land do you love flowers. too. Elsa?''
Eyes. SIR But the quietly spoken s am5
swer, accompanied by naturai anu
straightforward look, promised little Tor
my new theory.
Does Miss Lloyd sometimes give you
some of her flowers!
.Oh. YES sir; quite often
THAT is, if she's there when they ar
rive. But if she isn't there and you open
the box for yourself, she Wouldn hli,o
if YOU took one or two blossoms, Wouia
she?" ,u.u
Iloyd's awful kind about such Things.
But I wouldn't often do it, sir.
mo, of course not But you dld nap
pen to take one OF those veiio" iose''
didn't you, though?' -.
/ breathlessly awaited the answer, put
to nv surprise instead of embarrassment,
| the girls eyes flashed with anger. though
she answered, quietly enough, "eii'
yes, I did, sir"
twelfth rose! But from the frank way
in which the girl admitted having taken
| the flower, l greatly feared that the trall
| would lead to commonplace enolhg.
| "What did you do with it, l salo'
| quietly. endeavoring to make the ques'
| ton sound of little Importance.
| IT don't want to tell YOU" and the pour
on her scarlet lips seemed more IKE tnaI
| of a willful child than OF one guarding
"Oh. YES. tell me- Elsa" and l even
descended to a coaxing tone, to win the
girls confidence.
"Well. 1 gave it to that Louis"
ITO Louis? and why do you call him
| that LOUISE
ooh. because-I gave him the flower te
| wear because / thought he was going tc
take me out that evening. He had prom,
ised he would, at least, he mao sort o.
promised, and then-and then-
! land then he took another young lady,
| I finished for her, in tones OF such sym.
pa,thy and indignation that she seemed
TO think she had found friend.
Yes" she said, "he went and took an.
| other girl riding on the troiley, aIter 1T
had said he would take me-"
| "EIsa'' said, suddenly, and fear she
thought 1 had lost interest in her broker
heart, did Louis wear that rose you
gave him that night?" -.
Eyes, the horrid man! l saw II In hls
| coat when he went away.
land did he wear it home AGAIN."
How should known" Elsa tossed hel
head with what was meant to be
naughty air, but which was belied by the
blush that mantled her cheek at her owl
put YOU do know" I insisted. gently
did he wear it when he came homer"
Il Eyes, he did"
How do you known"
Because I looked in his room the mex
day. and saw 1T there all withered. Ht
had thrown it on the floor!
The tragedy in Elsa's eyes at this aw
full relation Of the cruelty OF the sterne
sex called for a spoken sympathy, and
said at once, and heartily: That wa
horrid of him! If 1 were You I'd neve
give him another flower"
In accordance WIN the natural Impulses
of her sex, Elsa seemed pleased at m.
disapproval of Louis behavior. but she b.
no means looked as If she would neve
again bestow her favor upon him. Sh
/ smiled and tossed her head, and scenes
willing enough for further conversation
hut for the moment I felt that / hat
enough food for thought. So dismissed
Elsa, having first admonished her not t
| repeat our conversation to any one II
. order to make sure that 1 should b
obeyed in this matter, ! threatened he
with some unknown terrors which the Law
would bring upon her IT she disObeye'
me. When I felt sure she was thorough.
frightened into secrecy concerning GU
interview, 1 sent her away and began t
cogitate on what she had told me.
81 If Louis came to the house late tina
: | night, as by his own admission he did
il he went around the house on the sid
{ Of the Office, as the straying transfe