The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-01-12


Twas the wee small hours OF the
morning when Phyllis Kent entered
her apartment, slipped out Of hei
coat and sank into chair before:the
CHEEKY OPEN FIRE that her maid had
kept bright. She glanced about the
'iower.laden room with happy smile,
Tor at last her dream OF dreams had
come true and she had reached the
pinnacle Of success, III
She had completed a long. success:
full engagement in a Western metro,
polls. and when the curtain had fallen
for the last time and she had stood
almost buried by the floral tributes
OF her friends and admirers, she felt
that her. cup Of happiness was full to
the brim. But! later at a supper, after
the performance, when one OF the
greatest theatrical managers OF the
day had offered her a European tour,
she knew that It had needed just that
one drop more to overflow the cup.
From childhood 1t had been her am.
bition to become an actress but her
parents would never permit It When
she had married David the fire had.
s%mouldered for a time until one day
there came an opening that she could
not resist. That had been six years
before, when she had quietly slipped
out Of her home in a little New Eng.
land village n morning, leaving a
note that told her young husband that
she could no longer fight against the
desire for a stage career and because
she knew that 1t would be- as i'm.
possible to win his consent aslit had
been to win that OF her parents she.
was going without.
During those, years she had gone
steadily forward with scarcely back.
ward glance. Although she knew
that Dave still lived in the old home
she had never heard from him dir.
! ectly: So sure. had she been that6he
would never forgive, her, and could
never approve OF her career, that she
had put all thought Of him away from
her In the beginning. The love that
she bore him was merged into the
love OF her art. Sometimes perhaps.
she longed for a companion to share
her success, but the longing would
quickly pass and she had worked on
alone and had won.
As sha cot go1tpn q. a. 4I
and living again the. triumph ofsthe
last few hours, her eyes fell upon al
small package almost hidden by a
basket of gorgeous roses She pick.
ed 1t up, and as she read the address
the color rose in her cheeks, and re.
ceding left her pale and trembling.
for the writing OF the box she re:
cognized as that Of her husband.
With unsteady hands she tore away
the wrappers and cover. Under
layer OF moistened paper were a few
sprays Of VALLEY lilies, her fayorite
flower, which grew In such profusion
during the early spring In the garden
Of that little home back East. Gently
She removed the fragile flowers, and
as she passed them against her Inns
they seemd to whisper to her that
there was one more who paid her
homage that night besides the hun.
dreds that had been in the brilliant
theatre-that in a little New England
village. a mar whose heart had re.
manned staunch and true to her
through all, had anticipated this night
and had gathered the first, OF the
valley lilies that had unfolded their
waxen bells to the spring sunshine !
and sent them as a silent messenger
Of his love.
The happiness Of an hour before
was not to be compared to this new
strange joy that now filled her heart,
To know that Dave still cared for
her; to know that during those years
when she thought she had been work.
ing alone he had been silently watch.
ing her career, brought a glad, tende.
light to her eyes that had never shone
there before.
: Fondly %caressing the lilies she be.
gan to dream Of q future vastly, dit.
ferents from the one that had pre-.
scented itself a few hours earlier!
On an Afternoon three days later
a lonely mans stood 0in his garden
gazing with sad eyes at asgreat bed of )
lilies, Hetwas thinking ,offthe
old days, years before. when his, girl
wife had stood there beside hin. How
she loved those fragile, waxen
flowers! With a sigh heiturned to 70
when he beheld vision Of beauty and
coming up the garden walk.
speechless and half dazed he remain
ed m%otionless while the one woman
OF his dreams came toward him.
"Daye, Dave" she sobbed, ..your
lilies came to me that night-the last1
tribute Of all-and they told me that
you loved me still; that your heart
longed for me; and oh, my husband
they have sent me back home to you!.
The man gathered her In his arms.
Then as he bent to kiss her be mur
INJURED: "God bless the ulies.:-
Mollie L. Body.