The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-02
THE
sH0R1 STORY
say It With Radishes.
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD.


, Even after Betty Gaynor's uncle
died and left her several hundred
thousand dollars John Bradley
kept right on loving her, although
he didn't talk 20 much about 1t.
! How could he expect that Betty,
With all sorts OF radiant posstbIli-
ties suddenly opened to her. would
still feel the same toward the
proSaic life he contd offer her as
his wife?
John was doing we'll In his pro-
fesston. As q matter OF fact. he
was fast getting the name Of be-
Ing one Of the finest landscape gar
denets In the country and had
many a beautiful, artistically per-
feet estate to his credit. Yet It
would be many years before his
income would be drop in tho
bucket compared to Betty's.
= Now, one Of Betty's first extra
yae1nces-so termed by Miss
Deborah Perkins, Betty's middle
aged, thrifty housekecper-was
the purchase OF old Caleb Heming-
ways place, a rambling, rum
down farm Of deyitalized fields,
oYergrown woodlots and unkept
meadows. Betty had torn down
the house and replaced 1t with a
tapestrted brick affair, comfor.
table and pleasing in appearance.
The grouuds-welL what more
Natural than that she should put
them into the hands OF her old
time friend, with carte blanche to
&5Eas he pleased with them?
Their identifying became q labor
otsloye with John. Much of the
shrubbery and many OF the rara
= specimens In the rose gardens he
set out with his own hands. By
light he pored over his books and
blue prints, seeking new means Of
depressing beauty.
Frequent consultations with Bet
~ were by no means the least de.
trable feature. OF his. job, and a,
times II necessitated all his self
control not to tell her OF his love
A certain .wistfulness in the girls
eyes tempted him. Did she wonder
why he was so 2much more forma,
4 than in the. old days before her fol,
z tune had come between them?
Day by day the impulse strength,
ened to let her know, in some deli
cate fashion, that his love for hei
still existed. He came to ponder
the problem almost necessarily, bu,
not until Betty declared she must
have q vegetable garden did the
answer come.
For some time he had decided
what form his message ought tc
take, but TO use for the purpose
the conspicuous means OF flower
bed would never do. A vegetable
garden suggested the solution. He
would plant his love In seeds-ir
some quick growing annual. Rad
ishes; for example.
All but a sunny, lncohspicuous
little corner he turned over 10 hid
5assistant, a canny, tactIturn old
Scotcilman named Ferguson. In
that little plot ne lnborod carefully
reminding himself that he must
urge Betty to take personal super.
vision, OF her radish bed. Truly II
yas q workyof love as we'll MS alpha.
NC art, and on the morning Of TIA
completion, John rose from hip
knees with "a prayer for the propeI
amount Of sun and rain to produc,
speedy results.
Nov whether or not Johns lonr
hours spent bent over in the sun
was the cause, or whether, al an
apsto date psychologist might say
sltI was the result of the long re-
preston OF his love for Betty. at
i my rate something went suddenly
o1tgot kiIter that night In Johns
Wen being. Morning found him
calling incoherentIy and tossing in
teyer, while two doctors discussed
treatments and remedies and tried
MOTTO listen to Betty! Betty!
Betty"
Anxious hours followed, In which
Betty shared. Her first thought in
he morning. was for the latest
news of John; her last a prayer
hat he would spend a. quiet night,
Shemade many n dainty dish TO
tempt his appetite, but labored in
vain.
! AZ length Johns nurse assumed
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