The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-15

Jones rolling the dough for breakfast
biscuit.
Good morning, Mrs. Jones'" said he.
i've got such a jolly big creel full of
fish here that don't know what to do
with them. There's no one over there"
-nodding toward the big white house
but my housekeeper, and she's sick
this morning, so I'm wondering If
you'll accept these" With the gallan-
try of knight he held out to her his
creel.
"Oh, Mr.. Selden"' exclaimed the good
woman, bit flustered, but smiling with
unmistakable appreciation. would the
heavens fall next? When had Mr.. Sell
den Howard last honored her humble
dwelling like this? Surely not since
his mother died, pour soulD Accept
them? Well. just guess l will And
so Mrs Patch is sick! Well, you'll just
stay here to breakfast. It'll be all
ready in fifteen minutes" This was
as much as Howard had hoped for.
When Katherine Hope entered the
dining room Mrs. Jones, of course, pre-.
sented Mr.. Howard.
How do you do, Mr.. HowardT said
she conventionally, with a smile, lit
tie tired in spite of the play Of child
ish dimples. But Selden was looking
down admirngly on the fine white
parting that separated the braids Of
purest flax.
"And how dye like them, Mr.. Sell
DEM" asked Mrs. Jones a bit later, re-
ferring to the biscuit.
Il love them" answered he, refer
ring to the girls dimples.
OF course that was only the begin
ming After that Selden Howard man
aged almost daily to meet Katherine,
or at least to catch a glimpse Of her.
Her lovely, tired eyes and little, quiet
ways appealed to him in an infinitely
more tendRr and real fashion than had
those Of many pampered beauty
whom he'd met in the course of his va
ried travels.
One morning Katherine was reading
a popular new novel out on the We
randa. At least she was supposed to be
reading it. In reality she had closed
the book, keeping the page marked
with her slim forefnger. She had only
two days more here in Gods green
earth, and the lilacs seemed to be call
ing her imperatively. She had been
breathing in lilacs to that extent that
her thoughts seemed to be fairly scent
ed with them. All at once an impulse
of yielding came to her. Why in the
world should she not step over the low
hedge and go into the lilac garden?
| She did. Bees hung above the purple
bloom, and little attenuated fountain
| tinkled in the distance. Oh, it was al
together enchanting! Just then a gold
en- eyed sable collie came leisurely
down the curved walk to meet her.
"You beauty!' cried the girl exult-
antly, STOPPING to pat the dogs queen
ly head. The collie, with slowly swish.
ing tail, gently kissed her behind the
| ear.
A commanding whistle from around
the turn of the walk and then:
"Mollie, Mollie, old girl, where are
| youw Mollie sat with one ear up, the
| Oluer uOWu, as COllleS Will when per
| picked. She loved her master, but
also she loved her new found friend.
"Ahr' cried Selden, coming upon
them Unexpectedly. But it is beauti
full to find you in my gardenv he
said, looking gladly upon Katherine
"Do you know, last night l dreamed
you were here. You are very, very
welcome, little lady"
you see," she explained helplessly
trying to hide her telltale bushes, '"i
was the lilacs. They called me-"
Suddenly he took both her hands il
his and drew her toward the bushes.
Dear lilacs," he whispered whimsi
cally, 'she is here now-on enchanted
ground-and we must keep her. Yor
belong to my garden" he added mas
terfully. turning full upon Katherine
"and l will not let you go. The house
yonder is very lonely and waits fo
you. You will stay?"
Her answer? Well, she was a gir
and very tired, and he was a man anC
strong, and it was spring, and the.
were among the lilacs!