Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-07-02
PINK ARBUTUS
BY RACHEL e. FEICH.

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! Copyright. 1920. Western Newspaper Un'on)
Before Lillian Lowell was complete
ly awakened that morning she knew in
| sttnctfvely that something nice was 60
Ing to happen to her. She gazed dream
fly at the Handicapped wall paper with
which her wOuld-be artistic landlady
had adorned her room, but somehow
! she didn't see the absurd little boat
man and the miniature lake which
was represented again and again upon
the walls. Instead her thoughts had
leaped into the country, for spring was
In the air, and in fancy she was back
In North Conway climbing the granite
studded sides of Kearsarge or toiling
laboriously up Moat mountain IN search
of trailing arbutus. How beautiful
1t was, the fragrant waXen blossoms!
| And the deep pink ones!
Package for you." called her land
lady. Mrs. Lemon. just outside her
door. ITS marked North Conway"
Lillian flew to the door. ut must be
flowers" she said when she saw the
package. Her busy fingers made short
work OF the wrappings and soon dis
! closed huge bunch of arbutus. "NIy
| little sister Ruth must have sent them
You must have some, Mrs. Lemon" and
| she chose some Of the large white clus-
terS for her friend, who soon became
incoherent in her circumstances con-
corning Lillans generosity
| -It =.
looking at the flowers moment. 81
| hate to leave you here with no one to
enjoy you, YOU little stars. I'm going
to take some of you down to the office
and put on Mr., Hartford's desk. Per-
haps you'll cheer him up"
For Mr.. Hartford was reported to be
| suffering from a misplaced affection,
so office talk had 1t. At any rate he
mad never smiled on any Of his fem!-
nine force. they knew he was unmar-
ried, and by the inductive method Of
reasoning, the man who never takes
any Of his girls out to dinner, hasn't
kind word for any Of them, never
even notices If girl has done her hair
new way. must be in love. Since
he had never been seen anywhere with
girl, they reasoned that he had be-
come n woman hater. Down ut the
office she found vase, and arranged
them so that the fragile tints deepened
to rose, and right in the center of her
bouquet she placed dainty spray of
| the most hluSling pink Of ALL Flush
ing herself at her temcrity, she placed
the beautiful blossoms upon his desk
| She hoped he would like them. She
| rather thought he would. Still men
| were queer. aud had strange prOclivi-
! ties for rising on the wrong side Of
the bed. Ssh" heard him coming. and
! suddenly wished she had not put them
| there. but the eyes Of the other girls
were upon her. and she dared not re-
move them. In came Mr.. Hartford.
His customary good morning said. he
! seated himself at his desk.
"Arbutus. and such lovely colors
Where did they come frOm?"
He swung around In his chair. All
! eyes were fixed upon him, except one
| pair, whose owner was rivaling the
nrbutus in her bushes.
ooh, I see. Thank you very much,
Miss Lowell"
'"fhey came from New Hampshire.
My sister sent them"
"And you shared them with me.
Thank you"
81, too, have picked arbutus in New
Hampshire"
''In New Hampshire" she repeated,
"whereT'
1--WE picked bushels of these" he
touched the flowers gently, Just below
the White Horse ledge. "Why, there's
one spot up there that used to go to
every year. | never told any where 1t
was, but there they are all this deli
cious pink?'
"White Horse ledger"
"Why, yes. Odd name, isn't It? They
call 1t White Horse because you can
see white horse on the side Of the
cliff. 1t really does look like a horse.
Some people have found other things
on the ledge. An Indian, canoe, n
dog, but those things require too
great strain on my imagination. The
horse, though, l can truly see"