Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-09-19
THE VI0LETS
BY MILDRED WHITE.


was justified in her sense Of rnilure
II was the easy-going life Of The vii.
'age nome with It's simple daily tasks
which left her united for any other
Inc concerns of the business vurld
peFpIeNed her. ana the fingers niuble
~ household duties or in the work al
the garden, We're unframed To m,
service of a typewriting machine. Mol
lie could not qualify.
She wished wiStfully rs She trndgad
The city streets. that she micht re-.
turn to teach school in the home vii.
lage. But even that was denied her
She had been obliged to leave school
oeiore her time of graduation in or.
der 10 care for her invalid mother
Now Mollie was alone; that is why il
had been necessary to give over to
strangers the home which had been
her own.
The small amount of money she
had been able to save after the debts
were paid was exhausted after her
weeks of labor seeking in the civ.
Mollie, questioned by stern employers
as to her ability, could only confess
olushingly that her knowledge had
been confined TO the home So her
nope of earning livelihood among the
oillce workers seemed reaching an I'm.
successful end.
Her pretty color which had glowed
likp rnHonf;,, % a
tended in her garden had faded now to
the Wilderness of the pavements she
traVersed. MolIie longed for the com
nanionship of her flowers, she longed
for The sweet smell of them above the
moist ground. And Molie was Won
dering with. pang of Inconsistencies
what she was going to do when that
last dollar was gone, when, with the
reckIessnesS Of the desperate she de-
cided, pausing before a shop window,
upon making a purchase, the utterly
useless purchase of bunch of violets.
The violets We're fastened into
tempting bouquets and were marked
down to so cents. Mollie felt that
she must have them. Her heart hun
gered and yearned for the fragrance
which would carry her back in mem
DRY at least to the remembered shell
ter of home If she could she would
have purchased the windowfu of
fowers-glory roses, pink and white
carnations. She would have filled her
arms with them all and carried them
back to that dingy room where she
spent as little time as possible.
A flush of excitement dyed her
cheeks as she entered the shop. A
pleasing young man hurried forward.
"Violets?" he inquired. Certainly !
will find you the freshest bunch"
He thought. as MOllie pinned the
bouquet to her corsage, that he had
never seen eyes which so prettily re-
Sembled the flowers Even there was
hint of dewiness about Mollie's eyes
as though tears might not be far from
their surface The violets were dewy
too.
I'D like to carry an sTmful of your
beautiful flowers away" Mollie said
impulsively, and the young man
| smiled.
Perhaps" he suggested, you would
like to go through the greenhouse with
me and look them over"
Mollie, with an eager glance, was
every sure that she would"
As they wandered up and down the
fragrant aisles together, pausing here
| or there TO admire an unusual plant,
the young man naturally mentioned
his ownership of the shop, dwelling
upOn its growing success and com
planning because of his lack Of help
1.-THE people | can hire are always
making mistakes" he said, "and l
have 10 let them go. One really has to
understand flowers think, love them
in other words, in order TO make
success of the business"
Mollie was enthusiastically agree
able.
~ know what you mean" she said,
and she told him about her garden.
How the rare flowers had thrived with
humble ones under her devoted care.
And the young man listening said
regretfuly at the ending Of her story:
"If | could only find some person
with your interest and admiration for
flowers, who would be willing to help
me out here In the shop. what couldn't
we make of it?'
Mollie looked at him across the
crimson roses.
"Oh!" she breatbed II would be SO
glad 10 come if you would be patient
at first with my learning
So that is how the extrayagant pur-
chase of bunch of violets led Mollie
TO the means of earning Il livelihood,
| for which she was peculiarly fitted.
And later when she entered the
pretty home near the conservatory as
it's owners bride Moliie wore cor
sage Of purple violets on her new
gray suit. And her husband thought
again joyously Of their likeness to her
happy eyes.
Copyright 1919. Western Newspaper Union)
Obedience