The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-14
TIE EVENING STORY
Rivals in Roses.

| John Granger gazed specu1atively al
his daughter. There was skepticism
in his smile and affection in his eyes
so you want me to buy a rose
farm for you that you may hide
among the flowers from the SWANS
who refuse to take no for an an
swer?" He laughed frankly at the
hot blush that swept Sylvia's cheeks
us it not so? 90
! Il am tired of being courted by
| men whom 1 cannot like" she ad-
mltted quickly; they care for moth
| ing but Broadway and motoring
am utterly weary of their attentions
| Besides she continued in a voice that
| was coaxing, II have a great longing
| to- live among flowers and cultivate a
| prize rose-you know how successful
| I am with roses
John Granger still smiled a bit
skeptically.
What will the thorns and pruning
| do to these? ?" He took Sylvia's slim
white fingers between his own. '"They
| don't look to me like fingers that could
cultivate a prize rose"
Sylvia laughed brightly and dropped
| a kiss on her fathers hair.
eff you buy Roseva1e for me, L will
| wager the price of the farm that !
! will take the first prize at the rose
show-what do you say?'
| 1T is go! If you can take the first
prize ITOIu IIdI Ola VINO mas
had it for the last three years, 1 will
| buy you three farms Granger
smiled. In secret he was delighted
with his daughters new found hobby.
zone is quite sufficient" cried Syl-
via. You are a perfect dear daddy,
and from now on I will be a slave to
the roses
Within an hour John Granger had
| arranged for the purchase of Rose
vale, the tiny farm where roses rioted
and gladdened the heart of the pass
erby. The house itself seemed but
a miniature dwelling that nestled I'M
der a great crimson rambler and the
garden and greenhouses held the
promise, of roses, red, yellow, pink
and white.
Two weeks more and Sylvia herself
was there pruning, petting and low
ing each and every plant. She had
brought only one gardener, and that
one she had coaxed from the Long
Island home Of her father
you and T are going to take first
prize at the June rose show she
told Danny. "Old Gimkins has had it
long enough. We will show him that
some one else knows little about the
growing of roses"
We've got to grow some rose to
beat him. miss Danny informed her.
"I refuse to be discouraged at the
very first start" laughed Sylvia, land
1 am going to the Gimkins property
hint or two from his gardener"
Thus Sylvia found herself strolling
through the mile of country road that
separated her small acreage from the
immense stretch belonging to the rival
Gimkins.
Sylvia's yellow sun bonnet had
slipped back from her auburn hair
and her cheeks were vivid like
blush rose when she entered the gar
dens
light looked up and blinked. Always
before he had doubted that anything
in creation could rival a rose in the
bud. SO suddenly, with the advent of
Sylvia, was his cherished belief shat
tered that John Lane could only bow
in acknowledgment thereof.
Sylvia smiled and her conquest was
complete.
ST came over to inspect my rivals
roses she said frankly. II am try.
ing to wrest the prize from Mr.. Gin
kins this year..
A peculiar smile fitted across
Lanes face.
1.-THE Gimkins gardeners seem to have
magic fingers" he said.
Couldn't mine please borrow lit
tle?" questioned Sylvia, and held out
ten snow white fingers. She blushed at
the expression within the eyes that re-
garded her hands. Are you a gard
ener?' she asked quickly.
Lane let her question remain unan-
swered and led the way into the hot
houses ---e-
81 will let you look for a moment
upon the magic flower he told her
laughingly; 'ebut you must not so much
as breathe draught of its fragrance"
Sylvia pouted.}
Il let people sniff and sniff in my
are fairly intoxicated with the frag-
rance"
you are not growing a prize rose,'
he reminded her.
The color famed into Sylvfa's cheeks.
''I have wagered with my father that
stake-and do want to wini' she end
ed appealingly.
Lane laughed outright.
"And 1 have wagered old Gimkins
that 1 can rear as fine a specimen as
he did He has offered me the gardens
as they stand. if I carry off the prize
He is tired of the game.'' He gazed back
at Sylvia and felt friendship lowering
over them. II got tired of Broadway
and motoring, SO came back to nature
and my hobby for a change"
II feel that we are going to be
friends" laughed Sylvia, "even though
we are rivals. My reasons for being
here are similar to your own"
II see that am going to find my
self in a rather difficult position
John Lane told himself. To Sylvia he
said, THE rivalry will cease to exist
the day after the rose show-then we
will have clear road to friendship"
And in the meantime you will come
and see my roses?" questioned Sylvia
81 will come to see you and the
roses,'' Lane told her, and moment
later the girl with the yellow sunbonnet
was fleeing toward her own little white
washed dwelling. Il am going to love
him. she was singing Il am going
to love him desperately
A few weeks later and day or two
before the opening of the rose show
sylvia stood gazing at her beautiful