The Washington herald., 1915-02-24
SUNDAYS HERALD PAGE GOLDBERGS CARTOONS

she had fallen. faint, sick feeling takins
| full and throbbing.
| Il wonder If l can get back again.
she thought. miserably.
| Then a dog barked somewhere and she
was galvanized into action. She was
| afraid Of strange dogs. She scrambled
to her feet and leaped across the turf
\ under the trees. In the distance she
| could see the mellowed walls of a red
| brick house bathed in afternoon sun
| shine.
gardener was working somewhere
there was the cIinking SCUM of a hoe
| against stones
ITS jolly here" commented Robina
| and she rounded little summer hous,
| and came upon the gardener. who wa'
vigorously stirring up the soil in the bee
| Of gorgeous chrysanthemums.
He turned a pair of surprised blue
| eyes upon discriminating blue eyes, sci
| in a sunburned face. clean-shaven and
| squared jawed. Robina rather liked tc
| talk to gardeners. especially when they
| Wore such snowy shirts and white ten.
mis- shoes and had twinkly eyes.
''Well"' he exclaimed.
Well gasped Robina. for she had
| nothing else to say. Then. with sudden
| inspiration. she added. The chrysanthe-
| NUNS are lovely
Think so? Then you must have some
he decided. promptly. and, taking a
knife from his pocket, he proceeded "a
cut a huge bunch OF white and yellow
!, and crimson chrysanthemums.
"YOu-you wouldn't mind giving me
just one OF the variegated ones?" hes
itated Robina. and afterward she told
Grace that she loved him form the
moment he smiled at her over his Shout
der as he gave her the only blossom
left on the bush.
You are so kind-you are sure Mr..
Hodge won't mind" suffered Robina.
as she took the great bunch of flowers.
'Sure!" he smiled down at her.
Il hope he doesn't mind my coming
in here" went on Robina. with a glance
at the house. You see. i belong at the
school next door. and We girls know
about Mr.. Hodge; and We have felt sorry
about his being SO lonely. and l said that
was coming in some day to see him.
and Grace dared ME to come. I'm afraid
I must go now
$50 you are sorry for Mr.. Hodge!"
laughed the gardener. Why
Because he lives here alone-and be-
cause some of the girls say that he had
been disappointed-oh. l should not talk
to you sou Robina suddenly remembered
the proprieties. She thought the gard
ener's blue eyes clouded, but he was still
smiling.
Il don't believe Mr.. Hodge would care.
He would be grateful and immensely fat
tered if he thought so many warm-heart-
ed little girls were sorry for his lone
illness. You may tell your romantic
friends that Mr.. Hodge once loved a fair
lady who. for certain reasons, broke her
engagement to him, and that he has felt
hao -l,ao, xaxl e,y ~ SL.t
solitude Of his garden is conducive to his
literary labors and
'Oh- shrieked Robina. you don't
talk like a gardener"
Wouldn't it add to the romance of
the occasion to discover that / am Mr..
Hodge?" asked the gardener calmly.
"Oh! OH" moaned Robina. How the
girls will laugh at me"'
Don't you believe that" he grinned
cheerfully. They'll be eaten up with
envy at your romantic adventure"
"Robina!'
The clear. sweet call came from the
other side of the high wall.
who is that" asked Mr. Hodge, look
ing very pale.
1T is Miss Gerald-our drawing teach
er-she is looking for me-good-by-and
thank you!" Robina flung this informa-
ton over her shoulder as she FASTENED
toward the door in the wall.
Just as Robina reached the door Il
opened and Pauline Gerald stood there
Robina rushed past her into the school
grounds. but Pauline paused within the
grounds of Mr.. Hodge looking with glad,
bewildered eyes at the man who stood
there with outstretched hands
Pauline" he was saying. when II
bought this old place I never dreamed
that you-why. Pauline, darling, YOU
would not look that way unless you
loved mel"
And when I peeked through the gate"
said Robina to her school-mates. "she |
was in his arms-and-'' She paused |
'And-?' breathed her companions |
tensely.
'They-were kissing each other-and |
so l guess it's all right!' ended Robina, |
who had brought this romance to mass.