The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-06
JUST A Girl
ZENA TELLS HER STORY.
CHAPTEP go
By JANE PHELPS

Perhaps it is not strange that the
gift of a rose should have appealed
so strongly to me. 1t was the first
flower I had had given me in months
| And neither is it perhaps strange that
| I, who had received costly bouquets
of Orchids and roses without q
thought, should have treasured this
single blossom.
In a way. too. it invested the giYer
with a new interest for me. A bit Of
sentiment was almost as unusual as
were flowers in my hunIdrum life.
placed the rose in a glass of water
until I went home. then after care
fully cutting a bit of the stem placed
it hefore mothers picture in the only
I told You that fellow was getting
sweet on you, Mary said when she
saw. Fellows Ike him don't give
roses unless they mean somethfn-
Now that fellow Mike could give a
girl a whole flower garden and not
mean q thing only that they was tryin
Ito get around the girl for no good. But
| them sort--I asked his name of the
cashier, he"
FYou did!" I interrupted. az don't
see how you could What was it?' l
asked more eagerly than I had meant
| to.
Curiosity killed the cat. Zena! I've
a notion not to tell you. But it might
work the other way with you and kill
you If you didn't know. He's got a
nice lady-like name, just like you
would know he'd have. It's HAROLD
! YES, Il think it does-Harold
Moore I repeated softly.
Mary laughed gleefully. =
you ARE hit!' she chortled, max
ling me blush crimson, and wish she
| - ha
mo, Mary But I wish you could
know how strangely that rose has
made me$feel. I used to have SO
many boxes of them sent me that l
just took them as a matter OF course.
''Didnst you say thank you?"
"Of course, 1 thanked the boys
whenever they sent me anything. 1t
would have been very rude not to.
But I thanked them carelessly. II was
because I had always received glfts OF
flowers from them. But IL mas peets
so long''--I stopped, almost evereonle
| by my thoughts-the happy, careHree
other days, dad and his love, his kno7
| ness. my beautiful home
! "TelI me all about 1T, Zena, please.
have wanted to ask you so many
times, but was afraid 1t would Hake
YOU feel bad to talk to me about them
times when, you had .things-before
tvolir father f1ied."s
For an hour talked. Talked as 4
had not since dad left us. There vas
Something in Mary's sympathy that
drew me to tell her all the little hap
penings of my girl life at home.
described our house, the furniture, my
kozyn rooms. told her of the servants,
1.-The cars and other Inquiries that went
to the making of life pleasant for me-
Occasionally she interrupted me. .
d'Gee, that must have been whale
of a. house! What did you do with al
them servants? My, I never dreamed
I'd really KNOW anyone what had all
them things!" and SO on.
But when told her of the boys and
Young men she kept perfectly still un-
| til 1 had finished. I told her OF JACK
Pryor, of Gregory Stuart, of Granville
Dawson. I also told her of my gil ]
friends, Of Claudia Sheppard, Edith
Wren, and Rose Hartman. OF Gregory
and Claudia being engaged, and OF the
gay parties we used to have. ! even
told her of Horace Saunders, the man
so much. older than was who had
wanted to marry me. But of Kenneth
Lawrence said nothing. I could not
explain my feeling, but Just couldn
talk of him.
my. Zena! How can you live like
we do? And how can you work in
that restaurant You're brick!" and
before knew her intention, her arms
were around ME and she was crying.
ct shall be quite. happy now that
have you with me-" I told her when
she stopped crying. 1T was awful TO
be there alone. but shan't mind now
mot much"
You have Harold Moore. too. re-
member" She couldn't help trying to
tease me even while aympathizing with
ne ~ -eFenA6rSow-AH invftation.)