The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-11
EVENING STORY
elm Tulip Time"
BY GERALD ST. ETIENNE.

BY GERALD ST. ETIENNE.
| There was a ten-mile sweep Of even
road before him, and Roland Dodd
put on every drop Of gasoline his en-
CINE would take. It was the last ride
he would have in his little car for
/ some time and he was making the
best of it. Then. too. every mile
brought him nearer his Tulip Girl"
He smiled at the thought Of her. He
| hoped the tulips would still be in
bloom, but he expected they would
not be. It was four weeks since he
! had made her acquaintance. Some OF
| her tulips had been at their best then.
| so it was hardly likely that any would
| be left. She would be charming with
! out tulips, but just the same he would
always picture her before a back
ground of those glorious blossoms. He
had never known how beautiful tulips
could be until he had seen hers.
AS his car stopped in front of the
large country home Roland shifted the
fragrance that greeted his nostrils.
One glance over the hedge caused HIN
still blooming, and there, filling her
arms with a large bouquet, serenely
stood Belle Willard, his Tulip Girl"
.'FIo, no! Tulip Grill" Roland called
out as he vaulted the hedge. You
didn't think you would see me SO soon,
did your"
4 Belle looked up in surprise. but
came forward. with hand Of well
come extended, as she recognized him.
ITO tell the truth. ! didn't expec:
you: but you are welcome, all the
same" she said.
II have come to say goodby." Roll
and told her. II am going south, to
train for the flying corps"
How splendid and brave of you'll"
. she exclaimed, genuinely. You will
make splendid aviator. am sure. /"
I'll try to make your words come
true. But telf~n1e all about the tulips
and what you have been doing all this
time. 1 was afraid the tulips would
be dead"
THE early ones are. but these are
, the late ones-the beautiful Darwins.
They are the finest variety and last
the longest See these pink Gretchens
) l-just like q rose, and scented, too.
r Aren't they wonderful?'
''Wonderful!" he agreed.
One by one. she described the differ
/ emit varieties in her seemingly unlim-
tied garden. The mauvess pinks and
other delicate shades, blended with
! the reds, puppies and even blacks of
some Of the blooms, only nature can
| blend. Belle, too, seemed to be part
of them-half their glory would have
been lost without herr Roland could
do nothing but stand and admire.
It was hard to leave just as they
Roland promised to write. As his car
sped away he took one glance back
and saw her standing among the tulips
making the most beautiful picture
The had ever seen.
1t was fall. Once more Roland's car
lstopDed in front of the Willard home.
He jumped out, brushed the dust from
his otherwise immaculate uniform-a
full-fledged aviator's-and vaulted the
hedge. One glance caused him to
t.% -@s rfay- bn hhy1C NO c
Iempty. The flower beds were black
= with stubs of frozen plants. Desola-
ton prevailed Belle had moved. Ro-
: Hand sat down on the steps with
/ tsigh: of regret. The disappointing n'
wassof his own making, he knew. He
Y Should. have written Belle as he had
promised, and then he would have
known where to find her. 1t was all
because of the girl he had met while
in training. He had realized too late
that she was tickle and unworthy OF
: his affection. Now she was married tc
a major and Belle had gone he knew
not where. It was a doleful Roland
that started on the homeward jour
1ney./ To make matters worse he was
going overseas in the course of few
days and would not have time te
make inquiries to find Belle y
Roland was lost In the spring mist
d There was no use denying it. There HI
l. was, thousands OF IeeI III the dlI AM
d without a knowledge of the land tina
lay below him. He had been in France
Il for seven months and it was the, frs
II time he had been lost Something hat
II gone wrong with his compass. Every
thing had failed him He didn't know
how long he had been in the air, but
Il seemed hours. His gasoline would no
II last much longer. 1t was best to maxi
IS landing before his engine wen
J. ''dud." What if he was flying owe
n
of the kaiser's castle? Heavens! 4
church steeple would be preferable t
that Down, down, down he guide
his machine. AS he neared the eartl
he expected every minute to hear buf
lets whizz about him. Just as h
ina gined he was within landing dis
lance a pleasant odor came up thrl
the mist and reached his nostfils. H
recognized it almost Immediately
the scented Gretchen-the fairest o
all the Darwin family. Then befor
him came the picture of Belle, encir
cled with tulips. Crash! his machin
" shot into the branches of a tree.
,e 1t seemed hours before he regaine
lie consciousness. He opened his eye
dreamily, but closed them agar
There was a terrible ache all over hi
'. body and the pain in his head wa
- almost unbearable. Suddenly voic
- sounded in his ears. He couldn
-, open his eyes to see who it was, blu
it was some ones he knew.
Roland heard it quite distinct
u u ly now. Roland, open your eyes.
u is I, the tulip girl you have talke
so much about all night. I am her
-, in my mothers native land. I am you
nurse. Roland. Here are the tulips
the pretty Gretchens" The touch {
3. their waxy petals against his liz
ae seemed to revive him. He opened h
eyes and recognized Belle leaning owe
him.
i'd .sNsy +,1;, eir,t, xvaa oil he co,,1d ca
e. before he went off into doze.
Before long Roland was on the roa
- to recovery. "It seems like a dreal
to have you here" he told Belle s
she propped him up in bed for tt
first time. what part Of England al
II I in ~