The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-26

that he whistled TO the anall dog
and raised his cap. A moment later
he was busy In the other garden
Joan was trifle irritated for an.
unknown reason. A. she put in her
sweet pea seed she cast an occasIon-
81 glance at the man who worked ana
whistled % joyfully few yards
away.
However. she felt more nearly rec
onciled to city life and the spring
seemed to have lent to her trtfle
OF Its promise. She could at least play
1t gardening in the interim between
columns OF chats with working girls.
Days and weeks flew into . month.
The seeds were beginning to raise lit
tie humps Of earth as II struggling to
tble growing things. Joan looked Gag
erly a dozen times a day at her
trench. The man who had dug 1t for
her worked only occasionally In that
other garden and there were long in
tervals when he did not come out at
all. Joan had come to the conclusion
that he was a resident gardener and
perhaps did other things indoors.
The sweet peas had lifted tiny green
heads above the ground upon the day
that Joan made her great discovery.
She was glancfng through cur
rent magazine when she came across
. photograph of a man and a dog.
The dog it was that at first opened
her eyes. 1t was a white dog, and 1t
was none other than the one she had
gardener at the work she had offered
him.
Joan looked quickly at the mans
face. Her face. she fancied. went pale,
even as does that Of book heroines.
Then she flushed angrily.
The photograph was OF one Robert
MacLean, clever young author, who
had recently been sent to Scotland to
gather material for the series of
Scotch stories, one of which would be
found in the March number of "Ro-
nance
him for a gardener and offered him
wages.
With characteristic directness she
jumped up and looked out of the win
dow into the garden below. Fortunate
ly, the man with his pipe and dog was
there. Joan did not stop to put on q
! hat. She went down like q small fury.
| the open magazine in her hands and
approached MacLean.
He looked up with quizxical light
| in his very blue eyes. When he saw
the open magazine in Joan's hand he
hanging limp in his hand.
| why did you let me take you for .
gardener 20 demanded Joan with flash
ing eyes and glorfously colored cheeks
l because L was at the moment YOU
came for me, secretly craving that dis
tinction. 1t is not every one who has
the honor of digging a sweet pea
| trench for Miss Joan Lawler." The
smile was undaunted in his eyes. The
little dog had greeted Joan like lost
friend. She found herself trying vainly
to be angry.
"I have a whole scrap book full OF
Chats with Wrk ioGgrin1 fiandE1
Chats with Working Girls" went or
MacLean trifle more seriously, "an(
your picture Is at the head of every
column. thought perhaps you woult
chat with me-but you did not" H,
ended rather appea1ingly, and Joal
smiled frankly into his eyes.
my sweet peas came up today
tshe said, and held out a slim hand FOL
MacLean to clasp. IT want to THANH
Iyou for making the spring homelfk'
for me. I was dreadfully homesicl
for the country and growing thing
iwheri-
so was t. said .MacLean. II wan
Ito take a little place in the country
twhere there is garden-soon." HI
looked long and intently at Joan. He
1ashes swept hurriedly down and sh'
buried a peculiarly happy smile in tn
small dogs white fur.
THAT would be lovely" she said
and for a fleeing moment her eye
Hooked into MacLean's.-(Copyri
1914 by the Mcclure Newspaper Syn
bAioofo