Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1921-11-25
with FLOWERS"
BY JANErTE r. PRATT.

Wucu dthhltIun ana energy that she
iretled over the obstacles in her path.
Even her dear father, with ms broken
~, and broken spirit as well. was
me Of her greatest trials. Each day
he resolved afresh that circumstan-
eS should never conquer her as they
aad conquered him.
Today she had read to him until
he had fallen asleep--hs kindly face
low revealing the worry and discour
dgement that he sought so vallantly
20 hide while awake.
The coy little place, just outside
he village was typical New Eng
taud home. Faithful care had made
1t really attractive. The holder of the
/ mortgage on the home, Lucius Cal
lous was a man who put no value on
sam Wawen's Improvements, at least
not in his talk with Sam.
| Hope sat with her bare arms on
The piazza rail, gazing approximately
/ over the beautiful patchwork of
/ proved gardens and green fields.
spread like a counterpane across the
valley.
/ Lucius Gallons had said there was
no sense in wasting the front door
yard with flower beds. so her father
had sadly consented to have it plant
ed with beans.
But Hope had inherited some Of
her mothers spirit-the brave little
mother who had broken because she
refused to bend before adversely. 50.
when the front-yard controversy had
I ended she had snatched hoe, a rake,
/ and her tiny pansy plants, and had
/ marched like crusader of old down
the path and across the road to the
triangular heater-piece where the val
ley road intersected the main high
way There she had loosened the
earth, taken out all the stones and
grass roots, rakod the surface smooth
and set out her sturdy seedlings I'm
symmetrical rows. She could see
+ them now. nodding to each other like
little ladies, no doubt dreaming of the
tinery they soon would be wearing.
\ rattle Of wheels attracted her at
tentioa and q light buggy drawn by
q big sorrel horse came up the steep
valley road The driver was Callous,
and Ruth's heart hardened as she
fearfully watched his shrewd, unsmil-
ing face.
Callous at once backed his great
/ horse in n wide arc, shot his hind
wheels clear to the point of the little
,,at,s,,, I,al ,,,,-,,,,1 with a ,.,ll ,f r~1oat
ing to the sleeping man, and with
slash of the whip went laundering
/ down the county road.
Did you see that, dad?" said Hope.
Did YOU just see what that dirty, big
brute did to my pansy bed? Oh,
could kill him.
Her father had seen, with the in
tensity which a start from sound sleep
always gives. He was angry and
helpless. What more need be said?
But Hope was already stepping
carefully among the ruins straight
ening and re-setting the plants,
She rose from the ground and walk
ing toward the house. a brave smile,
not at all forced, came to her lips.
"Neyer mind, daddy, l won't give
Lush Gallons the rating he deserves.
But just watch me; I'll say it with
flowers ="
Into the house she dashed. and
brought out a wooden box of earth
with hundreds of little green plants.
1t was all she could carry, and she
wasted no breath in words.
Once more beside her pansy plot,
she began to separate the slender
stalks with loving, patient fingers.
Hope, girl, you've growed like a
weed this year. Heavens, how I wish
| could go to work and help We go to
the college where We want so to be !"
Nov, daddy, you know it won't
hurt me or my plans to teach for a
year, first" said Hope "And if l can't
manage it by then, l just want to be
around to tell Lucius Gallons to keep
his nose at home and let us plan our
own crops too"
The rains fell-soft, pattery rains
| and the sun shone, not fercely, to
shrivel the young plantlets, but just
right to make them reach for heaven.
And one day the first pansy bios
somed, and looked around and liked
itS little three-cornered home, and
that night it must have whispered to
he others, for the next morning near
ly half the fat, lazy buds opened up,
and they, too nodded and smiled and
made the world and Hope very much
| happier. But the best was to come
On a haZy day, after smart little
shower. the miracle began, and on the
second and third days it developed so
/ that even an old dreamer like Sam
/ Warren could not be fooled longer.
The heater-piece was talking! Tell
/ ing all whom that seleetman had neg
lected to tell of Lucius Callous de-
destable act in trying to break the
good old New England spirit of one
of her finest daughters.
In a perfect wv" of vivid. living