The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1919-07-11
Stanley's Water
Lily
ByJANE OSBORN



"And down that lane you get to the
bungalow Of Tom Stanley, the water
lily man-water lilies. pond lilies or
whatever you call them. He calls them
n%ymphacae, II that is the way you
pronounce the botanical name" This
was pDrt Of the information that Mrs.
Bob Manning gave her house guest,
Fay Mcleod, on the first of her week
ends at the Manning country cottage.
$50, you see, we haven't very many
eligible bachelors for you. Fay" she
went on though, truly, | Imagine that
NIr. Stanley is nice enough aside from
the pond lilies. He's a professor ut
one Of the colleges In the winter,
though his property would make him
Independent If he chose. At least, he's
harmless and quite good looking and
YOU can see how you like him. We've
asked him up for the little dance to-
night"
Perhaps the fact that Fay was get
ting all her vacation In those week
ends at the summer place Of her old
friend, Mrs. Bob Manning, that sum
mer, and that what diversion she had
from the grind Of directing u play
ground in one of the crowded city
neighborhoOds had to be derived from
Saturday noon to Monday morning, ac-
counted for the fact that she showed
less than her usual reserve when she
met Mr.. Tom Stanley and the other
guests at the Bob Mannings' Saturday
night dance.
1T must be a fascinating study" she
told Tom, as she brought up the sub
ject Of his hobby that her hostess had
told her about. "There are some that
bloom only at night, aren't there7'
Tom uttered an affirmative. but with
out aggression on the subject Of nym-
phacae, for at that particular mo-
ment the delicate curve Of Fay Me-
Leod's lips and the delicate rounding
of her chin seemed Of vastly more In
terest than all the notwithstanding wa
ter lilies in the world. He had an
absurd desire to tell her about 1t.
81 have always longed 10 see a
lotus" went on Fay, heroically trying
10 continue the conversation Usually
when MI other devices failed one could
talk on a mans hobby with results.
but this time the rule was failing.
There must be something inexpressl-
bly, lovely about them. Yet, I suppose
they never grow In this cllmatei"
$50 you are Interested In them. too"
said Tom Stanley. recalling himself.
Most people ind them rather stupid.
Really, DO wish you could get up an
interest In the subject. because II you
did then perhaps you wouldn't find me
so dull as | am afraid you would other
wise What a Jolly thing It would he
II ! could make myself a really inter
esting friend toto a girl like you"
Il really do wish some nice girl
could take that Mr.. Tom Stanley In
hand and marry him" sighed Mrs. Bob
Mnnnlng over Sunday morning break
fast with her husband and Fay. She
had told her husband her plans be-
forehand and had coached him on
whit he should say,
He really is a fine chap" he ex-
planned, But he had been much alb
sorhed in his shaving when his wife
had coached him, and he had forgotten
the details of the instruction. "Say
Fay" he said, "why don't You marry
him? He seemed Immensely taken with
YOU when he asked me when you were
coming again and all about You. You
might as well be spending his money
as having him squander 1t all on those
Internal wuter weeds OF his. He spends
all his stray time moping through the
marshes looking for them, and not
content with what he gets that way
he spends thousands OF dollars having
roots imported from Egypt and other
God-forsaken places. Why what he
spends On those weeds would support
half a dozen wives"
The days that followed were gloomy
ones for Tom Stanley. He was pessl.
mistic from the first about Fay. He
knew well enough that she was the
girl whom he would want to marry,
hut he felt no security at all In his
method OF courtshlp.
Now, II II was a new sort Of water
nymph that he was In search Of that
would have been different. That was a
matter Of patient search through the
marshes communication with his agent
and then careful cultivation on his own
part. But wooing a wife was some.
thing that ne felt he knew nothing
about.
II was after they had known each
other for three week ends thnt Stanley
decided he could endure the suspense
no longer. He determined 10 ask her
that week end TO be his wife. Stanley
met Fay at the small station whore
those who visit that section OF the
country must get or aud rrn her over
in his roadster to the Bob Mannlngs'
house.
Are you going 10 let me stick
around this afternoongr he asked Fay
as soon as he had reached their des.
tination.
Fay assured him That she would