Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-05


Daura herself had just arrived No else in the
room at the moment, not a servant, and Troy
entered the girl was laying boutonniere of panses be-
side plate Having placed it, she lifted the plate,
turned upside down. and slipped underneath two small
parcels Then looking up suddenly she startled
pretended to be startled, at sight of Troy.
Oh, you have spoiled your surprised! she cried "Yet,
all the same, wish you happy birthday"
He had already forgotten that it his birthday,
and would not have thought of it the day before if Lord
Gorme had not brought up the subject He could not
help being touched by Lady Dauras words, and the
friendly little ceremony of the flowers and packets
although he still convinced that her kindness
directed toward one object.
as it possible those things are for me?" he asked.
eyes" Daura answered. "The flowers out of my
little garden which I've taken of myself since
was a tiny child. Pansies my favorites because
they have such quaint, expressive faces and they
meant for thoughts; felt they would be appropr-
ate for birthday. l gathered these for you myself.
Will you them? Shall put them your button
hoe?"
aWould you-realy?" he stammered
"Yes-because this is your own special day. Every
thing is to be done for you that do 1t is not
much, you will see But it is our best"
HE went to the table, and taking up the little bunch
of white and purple pansies held to his face The
faint perfume oddly individual delicate and eu-
sve Somehow, it reminded him of the grlthe strange
grl-who offered him flowers from her garden. Their
soft petals brushed his lips 1t was like the sv kiss of
a nymph in fight and though Troy knew nothing of
nyphs and their lore he felt that there something
fairyke about the touch Involuntary he closed his
eyelds for instant then opened them find Daura
looking at him with eyes that had the purple darkness
of her pansies He ngled from head foot as if
the flower touch had been the touch of her mouth-and
he ashamed of the vivid sensation because it
seemed secretly to insult the girl He that if
she knew she would hate him than ever that
she would rather die than let herself be kissed by him.
Yet she smiling, in ignorance of his thought "Am
l to put the pansies into your buttonhole?7
He felt that he could not speak just then, and in
silence gave her the little bunch of flowers
Dantily and painstakngly she fitted them into the
buttonhoe of his coat spreading the petals show
them to best advantage. Then she looked up at him
suddenly from under long lashes. There! That's
beautiful" she smiled.
ayes, very beautiful he echoed.
But he not thinking of the pansies as Daura
knew There was, however thing that she did not
know yet though she would have liked to know-Troy
considered her far pretter, far fascinating and
altogether wonderful, than Lady Annira, who loved
George Conway
aNow don't you want to look under your plate, be-
fore anyone else comes breakfast the girl asked
@You have two other presents from my father and
one from my sister,
A dark flush stained Troy's sun-browned face Ee
felt it would have been to bear these people had
struck and insulted him. rather than loading him with
favors and all in this simple kindly way that it was
impossible to return with GOODNESS He could comfort
himself little where Lady Daura was concerned, by
the assurance that she playing well calculated
game and that he had real to feel remorse or
gratitude; but with Lord Gorrne it was different.
Troy believed his host to be ignorant of his misson
and Lord Gorme's worship for Margaret Cameron, so
frankly confessed, appealed to the mans strong
conscious love of romance,-the mpelling passion
which had urged him in his youth ouandsh places
search of the fortune that now he did
value. Lord Gorme's heart had turned him, asking
and expecting affection. This the irony of fate