The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-04-04


from the little pale face.
When at last he had gone, promis-
ing the mother to come again shortly,
she asked:
Who was that man, Josie?"
That's my driver man." replied the
sick one. HE gives me apples and
everything"
On the following evening the
chauffeur returned with another
bunch Of flowers.
Josie had taken turn for the
worse in the twenty-four hours, and
Jerrold was unable to see her.
He left the flowers and departed, as
doWncast as though the child had
been his own.
Day after day he continued to call
with the floral offerings from the
fower-holder of Mrs. Oliver Sher-
woods car, and his worry over Josies
state was such that he thought moth
ing of the flowers until his mistress
spoke.
"Jerrold," she said, somewhat
sharply, what becomes of the flowers
each EVENING""
Why-why he answered." stumb-
lngly. Il suppose, madam, some of
the men at the garage take them out
of the car. I didn't think you'd mind,
madam.
"Well, do mind Mrs. Sherwood
snapped. I'm not buying flowers for
greasy garage hands. You will see
that in the future the flowers remain
in the vase. When l want them re-
moved shall inform you.'
very well, madam" Jerrold re-
piled humbly.
Thenceforword the Sherwood flow
ers remained in their vase, but the
visits of Jerrold to the little patient
continued without interruption, and
each time he appeared in the sick.
room, or, if Josie were bad, in the
outer rooms, the odor of flowers came
with him. He was now buying the
posies, cheerfully paying his own
money and disregarding the con.
sequences to himself.
His income was not large, and what
there was of it was subjected to steady
drains.
In little. town in Shropshire his
mother depended, in part, upon what
he could send her from his weekly
earnings, and Jerrold was as generous
as it was possible to be.
Therefore the nightly floral Offering
for the sick-room meant important
things; it meant smaller meal at the
little restaurant, and the pipe and cut
, plug continuously, instead of an occa.
sional cigar; but Jerrold's daily JOY
was the conference at the little
florists shop, the selection of the
freshest, daintiest flowers, and the
manner in which the bouquet should
! be formed.
you're mighty good, kind
man." Mrs. Mcneil told him, with the
tears in her eyes; but he laughed of
her gratitude as noisily as he dared
as though his kindness to little Josie
merited no praise.
7 CAS- long as Josie likes them she
gets them," he replied.
"She wants them every day." sale
, her mother, "and she seems to pici
r up the minute they are in her hands
2 Often she talks about you-she calls
: you her Jerry when she's little BIZ
2 feverish-and it's the flowers, always
the flowers, that seem to be in hel
r mind"
r Little Josie didn't seem to make ap
preciated progress.
T Some days she rallied and fain
e flush would come into her cheek, BID
she was pitifully frail; and when Jer
= rold often raised the thin hand from
b the coverlet he marvelled sadly
was almost transparent.
= To the economical mistress of tn,
a Mercedes there came news of a won
e derful Frenchman, with an invention
that had a pleasing sound.
|. The foreigner had opened shop il
New Bond Street, and he was pre-
a pared to welcome the city's gentee
i trade and offer artificial flowers o
/ such wondrous texture that Mature
might we'll become envious.
8 He could initiate the rose, tn,
violet, the carnation, and the orchit
1 with such rare skill that only tn,
keenest examination would revea
their falseness; and he had produced
cunning receptacle which stored
/ rare and delicate perfumes and i'm
e parted unexcelled fragrance to hi
e silken limitations.
: Mrs. Oliver Sherwood investigated
3 was charmed, purchased.
t "Jerrold,' she said, Il wish to cal
} your attention to the new flowers il
the vase. They are not real flowers
but very clever imitation. might
: add that they cost me a great deal Of
3 money! very great deal, and I will
hold you strictly accountable fol
them. Under no circumstances must
they be removed"
| Eyes, madam" Jerrold answered
respectfully.
| That night, owing to u sudden
| descent of unexpected obligations, the
driver discovered himself devoid OF
ey-cold-stone broke.
t He looked longingly at the new
flowers in the Mercedes, but the words
| of his mistress were in his ears.
It was impossible for him to buy
, flowers on credit; once before he had
/ attempted to do so and the florist had
cut him short at the bare suggestion
> He wandered home miserably, moi
L r.s- Inps TCT& RI