The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1912-09-14
the CLOSED
eENTIlN
A Flower That Played q Part
In a Love Eplsode.
D. VIRGINIA LGiLA wgMrz.

D Q
8 y VIRGINIA LEILA WHITE. 9
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ths serious busipsss Of settling up
her brothsrs sststs WAS about finished.
Miss Morton Isaned YEARLY back In hsr
invalld's chair and sighed. Aftsr all
she was sorry. Doabtiess It would
mean q cessation Of her lawyers ire
quent and periodic visits. and we'll. be
had been somstbing new under her sun.
II leave for Bar Harbor tomorrow. to
b. gone week. On ny return I'll send
you q telegram and arrange for our
Anal interview" Howell Orchards
crisp. staccato sentences punctured bet
reverie. He was picking up bis gloves.
A high cart bad Just driven under the
porte cochere. and Miss Aoetoo's Nv
cried groom was busy quseting the an
tics Of 4 pair Of brown eobs.
Mis- Morton CROPPED for prstext to
spin out the call OF Der lawyer, II only
for i've minutes. It was stupid Of Pc
tsr to have driven up 70 early. and 20
bourgeois: Hss eye fell On the nearest
object. bowl Of orchids.
Exquisite. are they notT' she said.
with q slight indicating motion Of her
patrician, blus vsinsd hand. Orchards
keen glance noted them. ut the same
time ranging the extravagant re6ne-
nsnt Of tbs room.
''In keeping With their surroVpdinGs.
Miss Aorton," he rejoined. palfiug On
bis left hand glove: ''artlsticauy cor
rect."
She made NO further pretext. II was
fatuous. but 1t answered her purpose.
what ID your favorite 6owsrF she
asked.
1t was an inans question. and she bit
her lip: bat, to hsr relieved surprise.
Orchard gave her inquiry his coasld-
Grafton.
1.-THE closed ssntian." be said after
slight psuss.
wynchell. Miss Mortou's country
home. with its ancestral acres. wns
about far enough from Jersey City to
leave time on the suburban train for .
comfortable perusai Of the paper and
q yawu nr two be~idea. Orchard spread
cut bis sheet mechanically. But even
the stock niarket news didn't seem to
interest him. and b. looked far beyond
HIS paper. That was only natural. He
was looking back through several $50
seos Of blossoms and snow. TIN 1an.
whe. young ~ h. vAA - alFpAAy ~
euu to ne called d womAt kates. Tbs
whiaxing seiessaph wtfsG anAs posea
raMed unseen. The Noise Of The en.
sin~ the rumble Of the wheels. OWN.
died Into silence. In their stead came
the low. exVuisits Woke Of Giri:
ats such = heautfful little 6owse In
Ode. Howell
The day had heen full Of late Sep
tsmber elixir. then a. now. Tue tread
1t loveline~. had been ON the 0elds Of
graM md fodder ripened BY August
suns and tanned BY early froats to an
autumnal bron1e. Somewhere from
among the hedges Of aumac had come
the call Of 4 quail. Then presently the
Giri had storped near . sjlvery stream
and pIucked 4 plain enough looking
dnrk blue flower and pinned It on his
eoat.
cts . clo~ed Eentian. ron know.
dear" abe had explained. while the
soft tendriis Of her hair had uncon-
sciously brushed his strong chin. you
sse." abe went ON. STOPPING to pluck
another. .'they're not N very handsome
outside. but inside look~ Delicateiy
~ 4 spring se,,hyr she had psicked
~ u<.nl.- - kA II vsHlv
goidenrod and all the staring purple
daixie@ here to shame. doesn't it," She
hfted her face to him-the face Of .
Girl not particularly beautiful. but glo-
rinsd by 4 danfinG smile.
He had left her at the gate Of her
little western home aud. Ieaning over
the rustic fence In the privacy OF the
brad oak. had bid Der goodby. for be
was going 10 the big eastern metropo-
III for q year or two to win fame and
fortune for them both. He went away
with the sweetness Of her kiss upon
his lips. Der tear upon his cheek. her
0Ower In bis coat.
Later tt-re had cone mIsunder-
sanding. Of the slight Insignificant
sort that most young lovers have: but.
alas. In this case before the gentle.
healing wind Of the real truth had
blown tragedy had visited the girls
home. and when the man sought her
ehs was not to be found. Out In her
little western village people told tale
At her fathers long illness and death
bow she had Dussed him night and day
with untirins tenderness: bow. their
slight income bring exhausted. she bad
taken up water color work and Oiled
orders for dinner cards and little pic
tares: how nnaliy, upon bis death. she
had koue to New York city TO earn her
living In such fashion ~ she could.