Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-05

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enough to be read from the next house
the young man kept a constant watch
with a view to discovering whether
they were observed. Days passed, and
the delicate lines were lost In the ex-
uberance of the growth, but never did
the planter see a face at the window.
II his declaration had been seen 1t had
not met with any response.
Atwater argued In this wise: If she
has seen the flower words and Is a
person of ideality, refinement and kind
lness she will make a reply even II un-
favorable. So he waited and watched.
Weeks passed, and neither the heav-
ems, the air nor the earth gave a sign.
Atwater's ideality was giving way be-
fore the Impotence of love, and he was
about to try some more commonplace
method. Then morning when the
air was clear and the sun was shining
on the garden opposite be fancied he
saw In a new growth just appearing
above the soil that which might be let
tiers, but since 1t came up %uneyenly he
could not be sure at so great a dis
lance. In another moment he had q
pair of glasses leveled at the flower
bed. The only growth that looked like
letters spelled No"
Atwater was momentarily discour-
aged. But 1t was evident that there
was more coming up which might
change what appeared to be a refusal.
Again the impotence of love impelled
him to push for an immediate response,
but his ideality again triumphed. He
concluded to wait. Realizing how he
should suffer watching for a response
to his message to grow out Of the
ground, he absented himself for u
time. He returned late at night, and
the next morning, to his satisfaction,
he saw plainly letters In the adjoining
garden to read, 81 Know You Not"
1t is high time that we should have a
view of what is transpiring in this
ideal affair from the other side of the
garden wall.
Miss Edith MacGregor was looking
out of her window n morning when
she saw a young man leave the next
house and saunter down the street.
1t was enough for her that he was nice
looking and that he lived next door.
Unlike Atwater, whose musings on
first seeing her were what she might
be, she unused on something to happen
and, woman1lke, at ono decided to
place herself on the vantage ground Of
invisibility-that is, she would not be
e when within doors and she would
appear unconscious of the fact that a
nice looking young man lived In the
house next door.
While Atwater was assuming that
she did not consider him worth looking
at she was constantly observing him
from a dark room that she had fitted
up for that especial purpose. Never
theless when at a window she took care
not to look into the adjoining place and
never appeared ct ali except when be-
comingly dressed.
And so 1t was that Miss MacGregor
was perfectly aware that Mr.. Atwater
admired her before he supposed she
was aware of his existence, and she
knew he had been pierced by n of
Cupid's arrows before he knew 1t him
self. She had concluded to have a
garden that they might have an K
cuse to meet with only a hedge be-
tween them, and when he planted
seeds to spell II Love You" she had
seer the letters traced out in the soil
before the seeds were put in the drills.
Moreover, she had purposely planted
In her response the letters mo" in
thin soil in order that they might grow
up before the others to give her lover a
temporary disappointment.
Miss MacGregor knew very well that
Mr.. Atwater was a man Of an ideal
nature both from his face, which she
had carefully studied with a glass, and
from his method Of making love. She
did not therefore propose to destroy
any illusions he might have. She knew
very well that no man In love will be
long satisfied with communications that
must take the time necessary to grow
out of the ground, and awaited her low
er's next move. So when she received
a note begging permission to begin a
correspondence on paper she replied
that 1t would be a pity to descend
from beautiful and natural letters to
artificial ones made with a combina-
ton of chemicals.
To this Mr.. Atwater replied that,
while the flower words were beautiful
and not usual. they were very slow.
And he made a request to be allowed
to call.
Miss MacGregor delayed to reply to
this note, but a day or two later APP
peared in a becoming morning cos
tune in her garden with a small water
ing pot. Atwater saw her and lost no
time in going into his own garden
with gardening tools. The lady was
watering her plants when, hearing a
sound, she looked up with well feigned
surprise to gee her lover craning his