The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-03-09
EUening Story
The New Gardener.

1t was Sunday afternoon, while
walking, in the. park. that the idea
came to Thomas Hicks, president and
owner of the Thomas Hicks company,
brokers, to visit his old home town,
Lynnewood. in the southern part of
Florida. 1t had been ten years since
he had left home. and In all that time
he had not been back. In those years
he had been busy and he had made
money-pIenty of it. Now, he could
Then, he had not been feeling up to
par of late, and for the past few weeks
memories of the old happy, care-free
life kept coming to him.
Uppermost among these thoughts
was the memory of the last year he
had spent there, when he and pretty
Martha Wells were engaged. He re-
membered. with an amused smile, the
bitter disa ppointment of his old rival,
Ben Gwynne, when Martha told him
of their plans Then came the evening
when he told Martha's father of his
plan to sell his old home and use the
money to give him a start in the city.
Mr. Wells would not hear of this at
all. What he had exclaimed. Sell
your home, adjoining mine, and take
my daughter away from me to the city
to live" OF course If Tom wanted
to sell his home he could not stop him.
but unless he settled down on the
place he could not have Martha. So
Martha had to make her choice.
At first she tried to persuade Tom
TO stay; but Tom was ambitious, and
wanted to make money. Then she
tried to change her fathers ideas, but
was without success. And SO Martha
had stayed back home with her father,
while Tom went to the city. They
had parted with the hopes that in
very short time Tom would make
good, return home and buy back the
old place; then he and Martha could
be married.
After three years of hard work, and
just as he was beginning to realize his
dreams of success, Martha had stopped
answering his letters, and Tom de-
cided that Martha had ceased to care
for him. Now he was going back to
see Martha. Even tho she were mar
ried to another man he wanted to see
her again.
As Tom stood in the depot waiting
for the train that would take him to
Lynnewood he reviewed the past few
days with satisfaction. They had
been busy days, but he had left every
thing in good shape SO that he would
be free from worry and could take
his time about coming back.
By the time he had arrived at the
little southern town he was a boy
again. AS he alighted at the station
and glanced down the clean, white
streets, with their lovely shade trees,
he. wondered now ne ndQ ever come "
leave it all. He recognized several
people on the platform, and at first
there came a pang of disappointment
when the did not speak to him. Then
he remembered why. The day before
he left the city he had conceived the
idea of returning home incognito.
The result was the purchase of
sandy wig to cover his dark hair.
large dark glasses and regular coun-
try clothes. And none knew better
than Tom just what to buy. There
were blue overalls, q straw hat and
gray tweed suit, which he had donned
that morning.
He would hire himself ass farm
hand somewhere near Martha's home.
And, disguised as he was, he could see
her often. and perhaps talk to her
without being recognized. Then fate
took hand in helping Tom.
The Abe Cory farm was just on the
other side of Martha's home and their
gardener had left them the day be-
fore, SO Tom got the job. He learned
that Martha was still single and was
living alone, her father having died
Mrs. Cory had not favored hiring
the new gardener, concerning whom,
as she told her husband, they knew
nothing. He had merely given the
name, Jim Blake, and said he was
from the city. "
A few days later Mrs. Cory felt that
heE pItJuuiCC AlhQ bCCh W Gil lOdhdOo-
Time after time she saw the gardener
stop his work and stand staring across
toward Martha's place.
He is even worse when Martha is
out in the yard" she said. I'm sure
he has some designs on Martha, or
else he is planning to rob her"
THE next afternoon Mrs. Cory
watched him as he worked nearer and
nearer the fence dividing the two
farms. Suddenly he ceased his work
entirely and leaned on the fence.
looking steadily at Martha's home.
Now Tom had been longing to go
over and talk to Martha. but then
would come the thought; mo, she
doesn't love me now, and l cannot
bear to hear her tell me So AS things
are. 1 can see her, and that is some
thing"
AS he leaned on the fence he was
tempted. There was no one in sight.
and the lilac bush. under which they
sat the night she had promised to be
his wife, was just short distance
from the fence. He wanted, just once
more, to sit underneath that bush.
That lilac bush was full of memories
for him. He wanted to sit under ii
and imagine that Martha was with
him. Leaping the fence, he went
quickly over to the bush, touching
its blossoms as tho they were sacred. !
His meditations We're cut short by
the sound of voices coming toward
him. AS he peered cautiously around
the bush he 81 - Martha and little
girl approaching. He glanced quickly
around for some means of escape, and
seeing none. stopped lower under the
branches. i
The next instant Martha and the
little girl seated themselves on the
other side of the bush, not three feet
away from him. And then the child |
ish voice:
Aunt Martha. why do you like to
sit under this bush better than the
others? Did you plant it yourself? ?"
Toms heart gave a leap as he lis |
tened breathiessly for Martha's ans /
wer.
mo. -Jeane dear man planted it |
for me-,
''Oh Aunt Martha. do tell mel Is !
it the man you have the picture of; |
the picture 7 saw YOU kiss la ST night p. |