The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-26
"SAY II WITH FLOWERS"
BY Jeanette Russell Pratt.
Copyright, 1921, by The Wheeler
Syndicate, Incl


| Copyright, 1921, by The Wheeler
Syndicate, Incl
Hope Warren was young, with SO
much ambition and energy that she
! fretted over the obstacles in her
path Even her dear father, with
his broken leg, and broken spirit
as well, was one of her greatest
trials. Each day she resolved
afresh that circumstances should
never conquer her as they had con-
quered him.
Today she had read to him until
he had fallen asleep-his kindly
encouragement that he sought so
valiantly to hide. while awake.
The cosy little place, just outside
the village, was typical New Eng
land home. Faithful care had made
it really attractive. But now there
was danger of their losing it, for
with her fathers accident had
come the added shock to Hope that
the property was mortgaged for
more than half it's value. The hold
er of the mortgage, Lucius Callous,
was a man who put no value on
Sam Warren'S improvements, at
least not in his talk with Sam,
Hope sat with her bare arms on
the piazza rail, gazing appreciative-
ly over the beautiful patchwork of
plowed gardens and green fields,
spread like Counterpart across
the valley.
Lucius Callous had said there
iv,
dooryard with flower beds, so her
father had sadly consented to have
1t planted with beans, and the hate
ful leaves were even now poking
their yellow-green crooks of stem
up through the warm, brown earth.
But Hope had inherited some of
her mothers spirit-the brave little
mother who had broken because
she refused to bend before adyers-
lty. SO, when the front-yard con-
troVersy had ended, she had snatch
ed noe, a rake, and her tiny pansy
plants, and had marched like a cru
sader OF old, down the path and
across the road to the triangular
neater-plece where the valley road
the main highway. There
she had loosened the earth taken
out all the stones and grass roots
raked the surface smooth ana 80
out her sturdy seedlings in svm
metricai rows. She could see tben,
now, nodding to each other lie II,
tie ladies, no doubt dreaming of tho
Hhery they soon would be wearing
A rattle of wheels attracted ber
attention, and light buggy drawn
oy Dig sorrel horse came I'D the
steep valley road. The driver was
Caiious, and Ruth's heart hardened
IS sne lear1ully watched his shrewd.
uhsmlllng race. She hoped he would |
go on without waking her father
but there was small chance of spcb
houghtfulness there. The other man
IN the wagon was one of the select |
men, and as they swung south ar
The brow OF the hill, she heard Cal
lous' acid voice ask, That's road |
limits, amt it?" The other man hesi
.ated, then seemed to reply in the |
Affirmative.
Gallons at once backed his great !
horse in a wide arc, shot his hin6
wheels clear to the point of the liz
lie pansy bed, swung, with a veil of
greeting to the sleeping man. and
With a slash Of the whip went
numbering down the county road
Ruth sat as one WATCHING n
lrama-the muscles of her isvs
working, her face very white. Rut
Ter big black eyes were ablaze "a
he whirled toward her father
Did you see that, Dad? Did vor
ust see what that dirty, big brute
I'D to my pansy bed? Oh, I could
ill him.
Her father had seen, with the In
ensfty which a start from sound
leep always gives. He was anrrvI
What more need he
aid?
But Hope was already stepping
arefuily among the ruins, straight