The Snowflake herald., 1921-01-28
WEDDING FLOWERS
BY MILDRED WHITE.

country road was respondent little
f1ugre. 1t was hard to glory In the
beauty of land and sea, when just be-
hhd lay the untidy crowded cottage
that was her new home.
Elizabeth in her well ordered life
had known neither untidiness or con-
fusion. The well ordered life had
passed abruptly with the death of the
father, who had been to her both moth
er and father and it had become nee
essary for the girl to earn her own
living.
Elizabeth was glad to get any school
to teach, when there were SO many
progressive young teachers seeking;
but she had no idea that the spot des-
ignated would be one of such desoa-
ton, or that the only available board
ing place should be q crowded cottage
with an Indifferent, or perhaps dis
couraged houSekeeper. Elizabeth, with
lips pressed firm to keep back the tears,
had decided to make the best of it.
and in a measure she had succeeded.
Della. the eldest girl of the family,
idOliZed the young teacher and, in her
way, sought to make more inviting the
temporary home. But Della, before
EliZabeth's coming, had been untaught
and sadly submissive to a dull exist
ence. 1t was through Elizabeth's ef-
forts that the routine dullness was dis
persed and Della versed in better
ways; and 1t was during the making
of her first white muslin dress, while
Elizabeth sitting near fashioned the
ruffles, that Della confessed timidly
and with bright and shining eyes of
her love for her old playfellow Joel,
and of his wish to make her his wife.
you'll have to ask Mammie for Us"
Della ended. "Mammie won't ever lis
ten to any one else" And Elizabeth
had agreed.
"What'm going to do with all these
children alone?" Mammie DAVIS asked
angrily AS usual, the young teacher
placated her. "While l am here"
Elizabeth promised, 81 will train Liza
to take Delia's place."
SO Della was going to be married.
Even the gruff, toil-worn father
evinced interest in the announcement,
and Elizabeth found comfort in max
ing the cottage less dingy for the
coming event
Upon this certain afternoon, as she
went down the road in search of flow
ers, Elizabeth left her pupil of happi-
ness trilling snatches of song as she
hung the clean muslin curtains. Eliza
beth was glad for Della, glad that she
had lightened one life of care, but she
was sorry, in a wistful sort of way,
for herself She might find another
school perhaps-and she would; but
she felt at once very lonely, and but
toned her scarlet sweater close in a
chilliness, not altogether of the wealth
er. Then down in a little glen she
spied flowers tall and white nodding
in the breeze.
"The very thing" said Elizabeth to
herself, picturing Della in her muslin
wedding gown standing for the cere-
mony with white flowers nodding all
around her. SO Elizabeth hurried into
the glen, and then she saw that the
flowers grew about the shabby door
way of sunken, shabby house, almost
hidden from view by overhanging
trees. Bare windows reflected the
glow of the setting sun, and grass
about the doorway grew high untrod-
den; the house evidently had been long
deserted. Elizabeth gathered her arms
full of flowers, and the sun glinting
back from the windows brought golden
lights to her soft brown hair; and as
she worked a dog came round the
corner of the old house and growled
tbreateningly.
"Good dog!' Elizabeth bravely said,
but the white flowers fell at her feet.
Don't let Jim frighten you," came
a pleasant voice HE is unused to
visitors. but not dangerous"
1t was so long since she had heard
a voice of that pleasing intOnation
that Elizabeth turned eagerly, as one
welcoming a remembered friend, and
the young man who approached was
pleasing, too in courtesy.
Olu lOl kllOWJ oAAC 49, -
he stopped to restore her flowers, that
the house was occupied. Will you
pardon me?" she laughed uncertainty.
81 was hunting flowers for a we'd
ding"
"Delia's wedding?" asked the young
man. smilingly. "You see, know all
about it. Joel happens to work for
me, and he's made me his confidant.
From Joels condolences ] judge that
you are the paragon school teacher
who has made his romance possible"
ut is rather hard" Elizabeth said
ruefully, ito be paragon school
teacher here"
ssHard. | should think" he sympa-
thetically agreed, ''for you to be here
at all. l find 1t So I'm civil en-
gineer." he explained, land rather
than stop up at the excuse for a hotel,
/ chose to camp out in this empty
house. Jim and l have more comfort
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