The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-12-04
~ ~ ~ N -
/. APPLE BLOSSOMS.
IA
~
N BY LOUISE OLIVER.
U N n ~ =

for the office, sighed uncOnSclously sew
eral times as the warm blossom-laden
breeze gently blew in the dining room
window.
Finally she shook herself free from
her reverie. Time was going and dishes
were to be cleaned up and she had
a full days work ahead. She had been
so busy with emergency classes and
sewing for the soldiers that the spring
cleaning had had to wait. Now she re-
allied that If she wished to finish be-
fore very hot weather, she would have
TO begin at once. The attic was
scheduled for today. Being a model
wife and h~ousekeeper, II shocked her
UNNECESSARILY to think that so much
dirt should accumulate in her house.
And for several hours her broom flew,
her scrubbing brush ratified, n
channels whined over the window
panes.
At last the dirt was "out." except
what had adhered to her, and she CAME
to the sorting-out process.
Reserve bed clothing had to be shak-
en- out of its moth-ball coma, summer
garments ousted from trunks to make
room for furs, and accumulated Junk
sorted for the ragman, keepsakes gone
over, laughed over or cried over and
replaced in their pa~steboard boxes.
Mrs. Irons had come down as far as
the keepsake process.
On the floor in front Of an old bu-
--.- ~-g.L wu.-nT-v lru xuorG Ghn gnrfn6
letters and pictures of a time gone by
-carefree, mad, happy time of her
girlhood, when as Flora Fleming, she
had hearts strung aquiyer. pierced by
the arrow of her charms. The hearts
had offered homage by the usua vari-
Gus tokens that youth in love general
" sends his lady, and Mrs. Irons now
fingered tenderly punches of faded
flowers. strings of candy spoons, rep
~resenting on an average five pounds
of bon-bons apiece, photographs, etc.
And as the b-lossom-sweet breeze
blew dangerously in she suddenly
found herself with a dry bunch Of vio-
lets In one hand and a photograph of
Fred Mapleton in the other.
Why hadn't she married Fred? She
picked up the photograph again n
looked thoughtfully into the intense
eyes, and glanced rather fondly at the
dark hair waving back romantically
from the forehead. IF | had married
Fred" she reflected, Il wouldn't be
cleaning Emery Irons attic. I'd be
roaming hand in hand with him mid
the blossoms of Normandy as he used
to say. Fred, | mean" and her heart
stirred ~uneasily. 81 wonder why I did
marry Emery2 Just because-well, be-
cause he insisted so, / guess. He's
that kind-makes everybody do just as
he wants. And, besides, Emery was
nice before ne got SC deep In business
and g%ray-haired and stout. But
Fred" she sighed softly again and
shook her head. I'm afraid I've missed
something In life. / wonder where he
is and if-if he is married." she said,
tenderly laying the flowers and photo
graph back in their box and closing
the drawer.
The bell rang and Mrs. Irons went
down, forgetting that she much re-
sembled a blue-cheeked beetle In a
night cap.
Looking through the net curtains on
the glass door, she identified her visitor
as an agent, and opening 1t rather
belligerently, armed with a round OF
copper-tipped refusals, she suddenly
found herself voiceless and unable to
move with chagrin and establishment.
Her caller was no other than her for
mer sweetheart, of whom she had just
been so fondly reminiscing, Fred Ma
pleton. Fred Of the curly hair, pas
sionate eyes and supple, graceful con-
tour, but now partly bald, eyes faded
and embedded In puffs of fat, a figure
rotund, but not portly, and clothes that
If they bespoke that their wearer had
taken the advice of Polonius, and that
his raiment was as rich as his purse
could buy. certainly attested to a short
bank account.
But ii was neither the clothes, the
badness nor the agents case he car
ried that fairly ~stupefed Mrs. Irons.
It was the eyes-eyes that spoke of in
diligence, soft living and decline, eyes
that had lost their temper-their man
hood. She drew back ~involuntarilyi
and he caught the motion.
Isis the lady of the house inT'
he asked, hurriedly.
"N-nol" said Mrs. Irons family
starting TO shut the door. "I-Pm
sorry I" she added. rather compassion
ately before the latch clicked.
The telephone rang three times be
fore she answered. 1t was Mr.. Irons
''That you, Flor
"Yes, dear"
"What you doingT"
"Cleaning house."
"Oh, It's too nice-cut 1t out and ge'
somebody to do 1t. I've sort Of go
spring fever-feel as moony as a two
year-old. Let's get the car and run on
TO Mayfair n for dinner, just us two