The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-12-11
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Tony the Florist.
BY DOROTHY DOUGLAS.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.

doWs across the avenue. Hi
ierk eyes, that held the tragedy an,
heauty OF Italy in their brown depths
zazed during all idle moments ill tina
same direction.
But the girl in the shop behind tha
window was not aware Of TOMS gaz'
or in any way conscious OF the florlst'
existence.
Had both the tiny fragment 81 shops
been rolled into one there would no
even kaI2 been space wo"!h calling
( E!iop MT real Broadway shop Dt'
wt.din the Heart of Ruby Vale was Al
ambition and sense of the artistic
IEite big enough to fill Il gr2at'r
space i!lsh her slim means 5ould 'Aea
olira III actual possession. RUBY was
t7t e.attI! one Of the Gftl herd OF
Interior decorators that Wee filling ~,
available Easements with oddments ol
antiues and aQronge candlesttc1s, but
Eli. carried an assortment of acces-
s0rieS to the home.
AS . ny gazed across the Avenue
each morning he knew that some new
exquisite color scheme would greet
him in Rubys window. Try as he
might to rise early, the girl opposite
always managed to be down earlier
and to have arranged her display
Tor the day before he could get there.
He would then arrange his own beau
.iful flowers and was beginning TO
JAKE his color effects as far as Was
possible with seasonable bloom from
The window opposite.
Only the day before there had been
IN exquisite twisted silver candlestlcK
with an amethyst, chiffon shade, and
lying carelessly beside it cushion
Of amethyst taffeta with great silver
asscis. Tony had sighed rapturously.
Asters were in season and within ten
minutes after seeing Rubys windows
Tony had display of lavendar asters5
with here and there touch OF silver
birch.
Today the color was softest maze,
and Tony had gloried in the pale'3t of
chrysanthumums. with few nastur-
tiums for character.
Had the two shops been side by side
they would have lured the most in
different passer-by and drawn many
a customer, first to buy dainty lamp
shade and then into Tony's shop for
cluster OF flowers TO match it.
How Tony longed to go across the
street with Just flower or two and
thereby add the necessary finishing
touch to Ruby's window display no
one but himself knew. And perhaps
had Ruby been other than an amber
eyed, golden haired girl to make one
dream Of, Tony would have found the
courage to make his small contr1bu-
ton. But the heart of the florist
beat thunderously at the very sight
Of Ruby and he feared 10 seem foolish
in her eyes.
Had Tony been a scheming lover
he could easily have gone boldly into
the shop opposite and purchased any
amount of lovely things for the little.
apartment that was oerchcd high up
on Riverside drive, with its windows
turned toward the broad Hudson. He
could have had endless trips to the
shop, first for hangings for those win
lows, then for candle shades and fl.
nally for cushions, and in the end he
might have carried Ruby herself out OF
The shop and into his heart. But Tony
vas not wise in the art Of wOotng. HeI
vas far wiser in the art Of making and
investing money, and graver at fight
Ing, as a medal or two pinned on his
Did uniform could vouch, than he was
1T winning girl.
Modesty forbade Tony even suppos-
ng that Ruby had cast eyes In his d.
tection.
Put nodesty was greatly in error,
Tor Ruby had not only cast many I'D
nSrdng glances at young, good-looking
Tony, but she sent many longing eye(
pt the wonderful flowers that so often
matched the color of her own window
decoration.
RUBY had put all her small hoard
lres into very lovely stock and
could not afford to buy the few flow
erE she would love to have had daily
10 adorn her window. She, with Tony,
realized, that the few living blossoms
would add touch to her color scheme
that would attract even the most elu-
sive eyes. But flowers in the city
were too expensive for struggling dec
orators to buy, so Ruby contented her
self by planning for the day when
she would not only have all she want /
ed but full garden Of her very own.
The morning that gave Tony time
advantage over Ruby was a record day
He arrived at his shop before the |
blinds opposite were even drawn or
the color scheme there for him to
COPY. Tony wondered whether he
thould wait, but decided to develop a
window effect Of his own and was not
without faint hope that Ruby would
zee It and take his lead as he had
10 often taken hers.
Chrysanttemums were In from the
maHket-great shaggy wonders of the
lower kingdom. Tony, unable to re-
let the warmth Of pink, threw him
self with Characteristic swiftnes into
he arrangement of a window that sent
Its glow along the entire block. Ger
'leinly II chee:ed the early business
humane az they waahed into the sub
Eay's yswuing mouth.
Z Had Tony been anywhere but in the
Extreme hac:s Of his shop he would
ave Cecil Ruby emerging from that
same subway, standing for a moment,
entirely absorbing the exquisite color
pf dis flowers, then fit across and
lnSSrE the key In her own door and
pass within.
II When he next looked across the
street his heart jumped joyfully.
IN Ruby's window, With its soft back
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