Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-07-18
THE vIoLETs
sv MILDRED WHITE.

Through the long futile weeks IN the
CITY her bright optimism had held
sway: but now. with no promise of n
nosition. and with one dollar exactly
In her nurse. the girl from the country
was justified In her sense of failure.
II was the easy. going life Of the vii
larc home with It's simple daily tasks
which left her untitled for any other.
The concerns Of the business world |
perplexcd her, and the fingers nimble
In household duties or In the work Of
the garden. were unframed to the |
service Of Il typcwriting machine Mol
lie could not qualify.
She wished wisfully, as she trudged |
the city streets, that she might re.
turn to teach school In the home vii |
Iagc. But even that was denied her
She had been obliged to leave school |
before her time of graduation in or
der to care for her invalid mother
Now MOllie was alone; that Is why II
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 city.
Molie, questioned by stern employers
as to her ability, could only confess
blushingly that her knowledge had
been confined to the home. SO her
hope of earning livelihood among the
office workers seemed reaching mn uIl-
successful end.
Her pretty color which had glowcd
like "A reflection OF the flowers she
tended In her garden had faded now to
the Wilderness Of the pavements she
traversed Molie longcd for the com
panionship of her flowers she longed
for the sweet smell of them above the
moist ground, And Mollie was Won
dering with "A pang of inconsistencies
what she was going to do when that
last dollar was gone, when, with the
recklessness of the desperate she de
cded, pauSing before shop window.
upon making a purchase, the utterly
useless purchase of bunch OF Violets.
The violcts were fastened into
tempting bouquets and were marked
down to 80 cents. Molle 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 smell
ter of home. If she could she would
have purchased the windowful or
flowers-glory roses. pink spnd white
carnations. She would have filed her
arms with them all and carried them
back to that dingy room where she
was obliged to sleep and where she
spent as little time as possible.
A flush OF excitement dyed her
cheeks as she entered the shop.
pleasing young man hurried forward.
"violets?" he inquired. Certainly l
will find you the freshest bunch
He thought as Mollie pinned the
bouquet to her corsage. that he had
never seen eyes which so prcttily re-
sembled the flowers. Even there was
n hint of dewiness about MoIlie's eyes
as though tears might not be far from
their surface The viOets We're dewy
too.
"I'd like to carry an srmful of your
beautiful flowers away" Mollie SAID
impulslvely, and tie young man
smiled.
"Perhaps," he suggested, YOU would
like to go through the greenhouse with
me and look them oyer."
Molie, with an enger glance. was
every sure that she would
As they wandered up and down the
fragrant aisles together rausing here
or there to admire an unusual plant
/. the yAgng man naturally mentioned
his ownership Of the shop dwelling
upon its growing success and com
plainng because of his lack of help
"rhe people | can hire are always
making Mistakes" he said. "and
have to LET them 90, One really has t.
understand flowers think, love them
in other words, in order to make /;
success of the business"
Molie was enthusiastically agree
able.
81 know what you mean" she said
md she told him about her garden
How the rare flowers had ihrived will
humble ones under her devoted care.
And the young man listening sale
regrctfllly at the ending of her story
"If | could only find some pcrsol
with your interest and admiration fo
flowers, who would be willing to he'll
me out here In the shop, what couldn'
we make OF IT.
Mollc looked at him across TIL
crimson roses.
"Oh!" she breathcd, II would he 81
glad to come If you would be patien
at first with my learning"
So that Is how the eXtrAvngnnt pnr
chase OF q bunch Of viocts led Molli
to the means of earning livelihood
for which she Mas peculiarly fitted.
And later when she entered TIT
nretty home near the conservatory n
IFS owners bride Molie wore cor
sage Of purple vlolcts on her nev
gray suit And her husband though
again joyously Of their likeness to he
hapDy eyes. y
copyright, 1919. Western Newspaper Union
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