The Springdale news., 1913-11-14
THE ONE GREAT THING
By GUY MARKHAM.


 and the girl lifted the great armful O fragrant and beautiful flowers anc | crushed them almost roughly to hel swelling bosom.
 Oh. why, why, cannot Will send mt such things?" she whispered passion ately to herself. T like him so mucf better than any other man-yes, yes indeed fear love him; but I cannot no l cannot face life of love in a cot tage' and know that I must always de without all the nice things of life Then she smiled a wonderful smile the smile which had made her the most sought after girl in her set: anG she blushed a rosy little flush anc whispered still more softly to herself But I'd rather live year with VII in cottage than lifetime in a pal ace with any other man. Besides they say Will is bound to rise and al the men say he will some day be ar ornament to the bar and-and all that sort Of thing. Even papa approves ot Ill along with all the other men
 Then she shivered a little shiver.
 But mamma does not take any stock in Will,a she thought soberly and mamma is the practical ore in ear family.
 The girl buried her face in the sfest bunch of roses-they cost the zaader a cold twenty-five dollars-aHd looked up dedantlv
 Well, why should not marry Nr. 5fadIeY9n she soIfloquized He is a tza1 who has demonstrated his ability aHa $ not an offensive person in any way
 Then. without apparent excuse she cried out. aloud. Will never could hare sent me these roses-and 1 love them l love them. love them.
 Then exercising her woman's pre- ogatiye. she sat down and had a good cry. Then she arose. glanced at the bit of pasteboard which came with the roses and which bore only the words "Nell-from W. T. H. Wear them tomorrow night" and went to her dainty desk to acknowledge them.
 The note Hadley received at his office the next morning puzzled him Tot little, but delighted him a great deal He never had been able to pierce the reserve Of the girl he de sired so earnestly to marry, and being [ keen judge Of human nature he de tected a warmer and more receptive ring to her words than there had been any others she ever had addressed to him
 Roses he exclaimed in puzzled way to himself There's a mistake somewhere, but inasmuch as 1t seems to have warmed her toward me reckon the way Is to say nothing
 The incident so interested him that he lost all track of the market and made so many mistakes during the day hat he cane out a considerable Ioser-an unheard of thing for Walter FIadley.
 IL the meantime the young man who had gone broke to send the roses io the fair Miss Nell, ate his hear aear in disappointment al receiving no word of acknowledgmen Before night he had decided that there was 10 use trying any longer and had iiaaned a campaign n the KIondike here he would acquire 6 fortune of leave his bones 10 bleach.
 Miserable as he was, however. h. could not refrain from sliding into his evening clothes that night and At. ending the ball at the Price s, where ae vas assured to see the idol Of hts lrea a4s and his despair
 fiadley appeared al the ball early easy and confident and proceeded ID ned!ately 10 take possession Of Mss Nellie Ross, whom he found as gra. eleas as her note indicated. Hadley knew xell how to avail himself of all opportunity and before ke had talked 5e her five minutes she knew that tte great question was to be asked and that her answer Was 10 be demanded thas night. And she knew what the answer Has 70 be she was vaguely dad that Will vas aot there
 ' aa= about msda5 e9t. when. after waking through qaadrille with her fIaaieF decided that the propitious moment had come and turned 10 lead aer to the conservatory. Pale and sreHbl5ug with excitement for sta. 70. sae the moment had arrived, she turned 10 take his arm.
 At this particular time Will Hunter, #he had pust come into the room. aF, peared before them in a state Of mora or less suppressed excitement He had arrived late and with the instinct ef lore his eyes had rested al once apon the object Of his devotion. With | start h. observed that she wore the roses he had sent
 As you wear my colors think l may claim waltz, he said with easy assurance And before Miss Nell fair. Y knew what was going she found herself swinging round and round in tAe clasp of strong arm.
 Did my roses bring any subtle message with them 2n he whispered
 Your rosesi" she repeated, pug zled
 Yes. see yor wear them" he re piled in ecstasy, and hope they con ysvsd all I meant them to-"