The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-05-27
|THE DAILY
SHORT'STORY
Vernon Pope. 3klEt
By JANE OSBORN.

Doin noH C4TIlIeS anu uoVe"- ''N
ainR PAGER out OF The torty.fiye cents
She allowed herself for spending mo-
new every day, che went 70 a lit'!ee
haSemAnt lower shop and exchanged
that silver piece for a rose or oou.
ME OF carnations. a few datiodil' OF
pausiss. or any other bloom thar tna'
ANAL sum would secure.
"pon't YOU every buy candy The
rirls IN the office would say 10 her
When she steadiastly refused 70 snare
with them in a little bag OF lieorice
dnops or chocolates that they hrough'
hack With them at-r luncheon ~
erv girl has a sweet tooth; it's unny
you haven't
well. maybe ! do like sweets Hes
ter would say But 70 me flowers
are 80 much sveeter than candy. AND
a rose on your desk will stay sweep
for DAYS. and the candy is all gone
n an afternoon
On her way from business she use1
~ walk up the avenue past the biz
floFists' windows. and there LOOK eaz
efly in 10 see the flowers, "hDs'
names she did not know, that were
arFAnred 10 tempt the folk who c2u'1
afford 10 nav as much t1r a box
flowers as Hester received for WORK
ing a whole week,
D Then Hester read IN the paper ma.
n treat flower show was 70 be Ec.l
early in the spring The tickets we're
fifty cents. and that meant tnat i've
dimes would have 10 be saved ana
that five times when she might have
bought a little nosegav she ToC,d
have 10 20 without To spend NiF
cents for A sing.e evenings entertain.
ment seemed like eE,ravagaEce 70
Hester, o. che determined % 20 ~
the flower show. on the day thet 70
6oeaed. rs soon as slo was through
WORK at her Office End remain 'ho.e
with tie ro-'e-s tn the doors closed.
SIZE wt.l9 have from halipait five
ill eleven o'c'ocE, II she Ch5ce Jicl
20 wander about ard ,Tcl tn cvoet.
ness and rtrel IN INT COO OF the low
ers that tie pa1er said were % be
evan more z-r-ecus tA-n IL previous
veA.s. TO be ,Ire, tbs v3c.d mean
coiaT vitfcI. di7rcc, but $50 bought
= t.a3-!cA. -'h!ch -ta az r1o.lT ar
A lrr.A c-"n:e- on her w2y - nc
ts,w. sa1 tAis sa;.s.ei be. craving
ts: f:cl.
At first Hester wandered abcl, TIE
krs2; h1ll N a Gcze now STANDING
trant..1tl before a table on which
coth!nz tut roaes we're placed arl
then hurting ic-m c2a rock gas'2l
Is aaothe-. se--ci.-- CT, - eerh
rev and hidden tc2-.-., till SIC
reH the cL-Tsc.e..sJc7; b.. not the
GAMES Ct al tie H'c2'c that eve: found
p.sce in rcc,; garden. /; an one
btsrr.l 70 notice the on',2. az &c
y9rag girl a. gEe c,c,1 Wen hands
c..arsa sal eyes sleaming tc-o-a enc
o. tie cxh.S.ts, Hester id Mt lnc"
4, tc- the 70. too intent On c. '"ic-
the ficv:-s ever m,nut, @. TIE r-"'.
ehe h.1 10 spend 10 notice The otat.
tpeo....tors at all.
k.:st she had wandered about for
ever zen E3ur, ;he finally stco1 Lest
n admiration and almost perfect con
teat hA!orA the tulip exhibition that
had been awarded the first prize. Il
RaS the exhibition Of the millionaire,
Z. X. Pope, whose worldiamols tulip
lighthouses and gardens made certain
bis taking the first prize for this class
o. novers every year. Hester had
not reed her evening paper every dsv
without knowing the reputation that
IGr. Pope and his family had gained
IN tields other than tulip raising. Mr.,
Pore himeel, as every one knew, was
at the time seeking a divorce from
bis third wife, and his only son. young
Vernon Pope, had given interesting
reading recently in the evening pa
pAfs because Of his elopement with
musical comedy star OF considerable
reputation.
Hester didn't IN the least approve
OF the Popes, but she did love their
TULIPS, and when she heard one won.
a who stood for a while beside her
Say 10 her companion, 81 can't even
edmire the exhibition when ! think
what kind Of people the Popes arc
Hester wondered for a brief minute
whether she wer weakening in her
very rigid standard, because she
could admire the Pope'S tulips as
much as she did. II seemed 10 her
e. she stood there feasting her eyes
on the sea OF golden tulips, as pure
e morning sunlight, that Just 70 grow
flowers like that would make people
want 10 be good and decent
The exhibit, as every one said, was
the most attractive OF any shown, for
tulips in beds Of red and yellow, pink,
white, and OF that rich dark red char.
aeteribtic OF the black tulip, were
arranged about q little Dutch cottage
that had q real little door and two
widows with white muslin curtains
Il Hester had any well.dsfined idea
@ heavenly mansions it was Of some
such little white.curtainAd Dutch cot.
tage a. this, surrounded by beds OF
glorious peoples and paths OF pure
white pebbles like those she now gaz.
"a upon.
A young man came out Of the cot.
taee; Il there was a girl OF course Il
OF eouree II was young Vernon Pope,
end 90 be opened the door she looked
% zee Il there was a girl in the cot.
tagO; u there was 4 girl, course II
vas the dancing girl he had eloped
with. 70 n moment Hester envied
The dancing girl. Just because she
might claim Gdmittance TO the white.
euFt0ined cottage. But no girl follow.
q Vernon, and there appeared TO be
20 one left IN the cottage. Vernon
nFUnehed hig way down the White.