The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-22
The EVENING STORY
BeryI and the American Beauties.
(By Ronald T. Hughes.)


quaint little florists shop. Here,
among thousand rare flowers from
old Henri's greenhouses. one could
find Beryl.
Her father, old Henri, in the little
glass greenhouses at the rear
of the shop, dug, planted, shipped,
and experimental with his flowers
and was happy. The stern laws of
supply and demand did not interest
him at all. That, he left to Beryl. But,
somehow, no matter what the supply
happened to be, Beryl always found
| the demand
One evening, in early winter, a thin
mantle of white covered everything.
9 and feathery furry of snow was
still falling. Beryl had just turned
on the lights in the little shop, and
was filling some jars with long stem
! med roses, when a young man, wrap
| ped closely in a large fur overcoat,
opened the door, and stepped briskly
inside.
ct want" he told her in a very
pleasant voice, some American Beau
ties sent over to the Alcazar theater-
two dozen every day until the end of
the week"
He stripped off three twenties from
a roll, and laid them on the marble
| counter
! The name" he added. ''is Miss
Joyce Gibson"
Beryl. behind the counter, jotted
down the order, and gave him a re-
ceipt and the change.
yes, sir,' she smiled, land thank
you"
after h M Miss joyce ee Gi noonea e en
repeated. That name is familiar. 1t
stared at her from every litho-
graphed billboard in town. Miss
musical comedy stage. And he was
sending her flowers. With a sigh she
turned back to her work.
On eacn Monday that followed, he
no r,,a wrvfA e.
of American Beauties, each box to
contain two dozen, each day a box to
be delivered to Miss Joyce Gibson,
Alcazar theater. Beryl came to look
expectancy, of hope mingled with
dread.
At first he seldom said much Once
he made some remark about the flow
what her name was. When she an
swered, "Beryl," he repeated, softly.
"Beryl. How very pretty" All that
week she murmured these words over
and over to herself.
Through the winter Joyce Gibson
held sway at the AlcaZar. Broadway
came, saw, marveled. Beryl went to
see her and wondered not that he
American Beauties every day.
Beryl pondered, also, on many 9TH
er things. Although her acc uaintance
with him had ripened into friendship,
happy. This quiet, easy-mannered
young man had come into her life like
the slow budding of old Henri's flow
ers, and she felt that she could never
forget.
AT times. she could detect a certain
tone in his voice, certain tenderness
in his eyes, but in a moment it would
vanish Always he talked of her, of
his gentle way; never of himself; and
she could not bring herself to ques-
ton him concerning his world, much
as she would like to.
She could not help but wonder why
he did not order the flowers for more
than one week in advance. She could
associate no other reason for these
visits other than-and yet she re-
proved herself for her avanity. Still,
couldn't he just as well order them
by telephone, or send some one else?
Beryl was very. happy. Her weeks
began and ended with his visits
Old Henri noted her preoccupied
manner-and went back to his green
houses, and his flowers. He knew
flowers. not women.
Then, the dread she felt, the thing
she anticipated, happened. One night
he came later than usual, and placed
an order for flowers for three weeks
in advance. Beryl looked up at him
quickly.
Three weeks?" she repeated
Eyes, three weeks. I am leaving
town tonight" he said, slowly. ST
may not see you again for long
time-Beryl.' A flood or color tinged
her neck and cheeks at the soft men
ito nof her name. She did not an
swer. She did not look up.
when I come back to New York.
he continued. 81 want to see you
me soon" He held out his ungloved
hand. Good bye-Beryl," he said. as
her timid palm fingered in his.
She knew not how long she stood
there looking at the glass door
through which he had left. But it
long time. he said, would she see him.
No more would she count the days,
one by one, for Monday to come.
Time held no further charm for her.
The days dragged. The routine of
her life, once SO full of hope and
sheer happiness, became monotonous
to her-so monotonous. A hundred
times she wanted to go to the AL
cazar theater to see Joyce Gibson, but
at the thought her feelings revolted.
She could not bring herself to go to
this girl, whom she had come to hate
intensely.
Suddenly there came the announce
ment that Americas favorite star
the road. Bery1 watched the papers,
hungrily, for every bit of information,
hoping to find some reference that
might lead to him. But she found
nothing, until one morning the papers
were filled with the news of Joyce Glib
sons sudden marriage to Mr.. Ray
Mitchell, the young Memphis million
aire who had been following the show
around the country. 1t was also re-
ported that, on account of the warm
weather, it being July. the company
had disbanded. Mr.. and Mrs. Ray
Mitchell were going to spend their
honeymoon in Europe, and would stop
off at New York for few days before
their departure.
The paper fell from Beryfs nerve |
less fingers. When her father came
in she was standing, leaning against
the marble counter. her eyes staring