The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-03-06
The Evening Story
THE sUNFLOWERs.
Copyright. 1918, by w. Werner,

A4&S SS&NA
Copyright. 1918. by w. Werner.D
For twenty years it had stood there,
a green wall all summer until the
August sun drew up the big yellow
flowers t now impudently.. The village
had laughed every year at Miss Lin
da's calm spite and Elliot Johnson's
futile wrath. On II side stood he
trim green and white cottage: on the
other his rambling old brick home
stead. The sunflowers were on her
side of the white picket fence. Other
wise they would have been RACED TO
the ground long before and their roots
dug up. As II Was, he spent Il wrath
ful month every year pulling mp the
green shoots that came from the seed
the wind waited over TO his ground.
Miss Linda was behind her lace cur.
tains, smiling at his labor.
Elliot didn't like sunflowers-weeds.
he called them. So when Linda Mark
ley. twenty years before. decided to
go to a masquerade in sunflower garh
he objected. They had been engaged
Ugly flower" he said. 81 wouldn't
enjoy dancing with you n bit
Choose some other style"
Linda was eighteen and had snap.
ping black eye a fair skin. and pink
cheeks. h knew that a black silk
skirt decorated with yellow satin
bodice. a run Of stiff petals about he,
neck. and a flaring satin brim about
her black curls would make her a
picture. And. besides. she could make
the skirt, bodice, and satin petals
from All old lavender scented gown
that was n Of the dresses left by her
was scarce with Linda. Her father
was struggling to pay for the small
farm that lay beside the big johnson |
estate.
You'll like it when you see me-"
she told Elliot.
DO You mean" said he onendedly.
spite of my wish?"
Linda stared. This wasn't the first
time that Elliot had used that lordly
Il either will wear it or stay
at home" she said lightly. She meant
that she had no money to buy another
outfit. but he took it another way. He
sulked out Of the tiny parlor in silent
dudgeon.
At h masquerade Linda had plenty
Of partners. The boys flocked after
the brilliantly dressed girl, but Elliot's
name wasn't on her card. He took
pains to single out a pretty little vel.
low haired girl. who represented a
oOll.
That was in November. Linda taught
the winter term in a district school
twelve miles west. and didn't see him
till Easter sunday. Then he walked
past her when church was over and
did not speak to her.
She went out the neX day and dug
a shallow trench along the fence that
separated the W. places. Her mother
always saved sunflower seed. 1t was
fine chicken feed. On the top pantry
shelf Linda found a canful that had
been overlooked. She scattered II
literally in the trench, covered it over
lightly and stamped a satisfied way
eyes was a correct index to her dis
position.
1t was the next summer before Ell.
lot and the village understood. Not
being keen observers. they had not
paid much attention to the struggling
green spears that came up the first
knew and laughed. When a thousand
yellow heads nodded at Elliot tina.
summer he was furious and threat
ened to cut them down.
But he didn't. They were not on
his land. He ragged: stopped Linda
in h street and told her what he
thought OF her. Linda Knocked him.
The year n a half had changed her.
She told him n could learn to like
sunf1owers as one did olives.
When he learned that he was be.
coming an object Of rid;cule to the
whole town Elliot became a silent.
irritable a His parents died. So
did Linda's. She continued to teach
left her cheeks. Wrinkles radiated
from her eyes. but the sparkle never
changed; it snapped the more when
she saw Elliot yictously pulling up
Grant sunf1ower roots from his side
of the fence.
Then n summer Elliot's sister
Marion came back from California.
She came back a penniless, sad-eyed
widow with four children. Elliot had
faults but stinginess was not one. He
took her in gladly and the children
roamed over the farm as though 1t
We're their own. Elliot made only one
rule: They were to stay on his side
Of the fence-no wandering to the
ground above the trim white cottage.
Marion didn't pay much attention
h had left before the ~sunflowers
bloomed the first time. Elliot never
told her Of all the yellow topped wall
meant and h was too tired Of life to
fairs. She lived through the winter
and the next spring. In June she died
and Elliot was left with the children.
He got stout German girl to look
after them and continued on hi.
silent, moody way.
Year by year the s%unlowers had
grown bigger. Miss Linda kept them
pruned. cutting ruthlessly out every
weakling, until they were the talk OF
the country-because Of their gran.
deur. not their cause.
I'D like TO pick some." six-year-
old Betty sighed one day. It hap.
pened that Elliot vas within hear
IF you do I'll whip you." he said
sternly. Don't ever dare to touch
one."
Betty heard him unconcernedly. 81
sighed. Why don't you plant some?
They're 80 lovely-like gold"
Elliot walked away. Sometimes he
felt how petty the long estrangement
had been, but pride forbade that he
say SO. And he wondered IL Linda
had ever regretted. She had never
married. yet she must have had plen-
ty Of chances. He remembered how
brilliant h had been that night Of
the masquerade-just. like a golden
flower.
He was at the other end of the
farm all morning and part Of the aft
ernoon. He came back at 4 o'clock.
It was the German girls afternoon
out. He missed something in the