Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-03-09
THE CLOSED
GENTIAN
A Flower That Played a Part
In a Love Episode.
BY VIRGINIA LEILA wENTz.

8 BY VIRGINIA LEILA wENTz. 8
oooooooooooooo
The serious business of settling up
her brothers estate was about finished.
Miss Morton leaned YEARLY back In her
inyalid's chair and sighed. After all.
she was sorry. Doubtless II would
mean cessation OF her lawyers fire.
quent and periodic visits, and-well, he
had been something new under her sun,
IL leave for Bar Harbor tomorrow. to
be gone week. On my return III send
you telegram and arrange for our
1nal interview" Howell Orchards
crisp. staccnto sentences punctured her
reverie. He was picking up his gloves.
A high cart had just driven under the
porte cochere. and Miss Morton's liv-
cried groom was busy quietlng the an
tics of pair of brown cobs.
Miss Morton CROPPED for pretext to
spin out the call of her. lawyer. If only
for FIVE minutes. II was stupid OF Pc
ter to have driven up so early, and so
bourgeois. Her eye fell on the nearest
object. bowl OF orchids.
Exquisite, are they notT" she said.
with a slight indicating motion of her
patrlclan. blue veined hand. Orchards
keen glance noted them. at the same
time ranging the extravagant refine
ment Of the room.
I'm keeping with their surroundings.
Miss Norton" he rejolned. pulling on
his left hand glove: ''artistically cor
rect"
She made no further pretext. 1t was
fatuous, but it answered her purpose.
what is your favorite f1owerT' she
asked.
1t was an inane question. and she bit
her lip: but, to her relieved surprise.
Orchard gave her inquiry his consid-
Grafton.
1.-The closed gentian." he said after
slight pause.
Wynchell. Miss Morton's country
home. with It's ancestral acres. was
about far enough from Jersey City to
leave time OH the suburban train for
comfortable perusa of the paper and
yawn or two besides. Orchard spread
out his sheet mechanically. But even
the stock market news didn't seem to
interest him. and he looked far beyond
his paper. That was only natural. He
was looking back through several sea
sons of blossoms and snow, this man.
who, young as he was. had already be-
gun to be called woman hater. The
whizzing telegraph wires and poles
passed unseen. The noise of the en-
CINE. the rumble of the wheels, dwin-
died into silence. In their stead came
the low. exquisite voice of girl:
Its such beautiful little flower in
side. HOWELL
The day had been full of late Sep
TENDER elixir. then as now. The tread
of loneliness had been on the fields of
grass and fodder ripened by August
suns and tanned by early frosts to an
autumnal bronze Somewhere from
among the hedges of sumac had come
the call of a quail Then presently the
girl had stopped near silvery stream
and plucked a plain enough looking
dark blue flower and pinned it on his
coat
ITS a closed gentian. you know.
dear" she had explained. while the
sciously brushed his strong chin. You
see." she went on, STOPPING to pluck
another. they're not so very handsome
outside. but inside-look" Delicately
as spring zephyr she bad pricked
the portals open. 1T puts the flaming
goldenrod and all the staring purple
daisies here to shame. doesn't it?" She
lifted her face to him-the face OF a
girl not particularly beautiful. but glo-
rified by a dazzling smile.
He had left her at the gate of her
little western home and. leaning over
the rustic fence In the privacy of the
broad oak. had bid her goodby. for he
was going to the big eastern metropo-
lis for year or two to win fame and
fortune for them both. He went away
with the sweetness of her kiss upon
his lips. her tear upon his cheek. her
flower In his coat.
Later there had come mlsunder-
standing. OF the slight, insignificant
sort that most young lovers have; but.
alas, In this case before lthe gentle.
healing wind Of the real truth had
blown tragedy had visited the girls
home. and when. the man sought her
she was not to be found. Out in her
little western village people told tale
of her fathers long Illness and death
how she had nursed him night and day
with untiring tenderness; how their
Right Income being exhausted. she had
taken, up water color work and filled
orders for dinner cards and little pic
lures: how finally. upon his death. she
had gone to New York city to earn her
living 10 such fashion as she could. II
That was all Orchard had been able
to learn! and thar had been two years
ngo. To find girl who does water col
or work or dinner cards In New York
sity is not an easy matter. BY the
time his train had reached the smoke
Of the tunnel the man with the unread
paper was. thoroughly out Of conceit
with Emily; by the time the ferryboat !
had bumped Into the slip on the New
York side he was thoroughly out of
conceit with himself
Miss Morton brought her lorgnon to
bear t1Dorl the fiowprs Miss (aray hod |