The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-09-13

Kitty administering to your needs.
Iris, let me TAKE you away. My moth
er's home Is beautiful, of such lavish
ness ans luxuries that you will realize
only when you are there what a howell
this has been! Iris, look at me, you
do care for me, you do? You will get
well at mothers and then we will be
married. You will forget all this. You
belong in the environment 1 can give
you! Dear, tomorrow is your BIRTH
day, Is it not? Let me send you as
my gift to you a few things that will
make it possible for you to come and
then in a day or two l will take you
in my car. Iris, l love your
Her blue eyes opened wide, half
with delight and rapture, half with
modification. He spoke u long time,
but in the end she told him that she
must consider. She wanted a days
grace. Then she would give him her
nSwer
1t was her birthday. Kitty gave
her q vivid, Powered kimono and two
substantial muslin ni~ghtdresses, and
Jim slipped a ten-dollar bill in her
unwilling fingers. 1t was all so banal
she did not belong there.
1t was sunshiny but cooler thar the
day before, and Kitty added a hot
water bag to the steamer rug and
then came rushing out again with a
huge box. 1t was from Doctor Bowen,
things for the stay at the mothers.
~yUnndnrfrr1 thinnc that no x,a,,lJ not
have to be ashamed of, that would not
cause any comment. Iris understood,
yet somehow she felt strangely dis
turbed. She put the things back In
the box and wondered in some alarm
what Doctor Bowen's mother vas like.
Her thoughts were distracted by
seeing their %neighbor, Sam Moore, sud
denly vault. the fence, balancing some
thing In his hand, and then come
straight to her chair.
Happy birthday, Iris !" and held out
a blue bowl filled with yellow daffo-
dis.
Iris gave a little gasp of pleasure,
her lips parted in the faintest smile.
How lovelyl' she murmured softly.
Put 1t here on my lap, pleased" She
noticed as he obeyed her that his fin
gers were long and capable looking
and that his eyes were gray, Of pene.
trating keenness.
He looked at her and laughed, my,
but you look pretty in Jim's old cap |"
A little warm glow filled her heart and
reflected itself for a second on her
pale cheeks. Iris, 1 want you to get
we'll, of course, but l hope it takes
you a long time! l want to see you
here in this back yard; you sort Of
belong here, with your big solemn blue
eyes u She looked at him in amaze
ment, but she smiled again. "See the
apple blossoms coming and that peach
tree In It's Easter outfit? You're part
of 1t! I-none of us can eyer bear to
think Of you leaving us, going away.
OF course, you're going to get well too
quick. Can't help 1t having Kitty, liv-
ing In the sunshine of her love. She
vas a mighty good nurse, wasn't she,
and always cheerful"
Iris nodded, something stirring in
her heart.
II knew right along that you were
the kind of a girl who sees the beauty
in her environment, the %throbbing,
real beauty of love, the kind that made
Kitty sit through long nights at your
bed, the kind that made all of US pray
for your recovery! Iris, look up at
that blue sky! Smell the blossom
scented air, hear the faint buzzing of
first bees. Tell me, do 1 only imagine
1t, or is not the whole world singing
of love-" and he leaned over and
smiled in her blue eyes, full of
promise.
Her eyes fell upon the box of things
so essential to Doctor Bowen's mother,
and she shrank away from it, and
turned to the blue bowl filled with
daffodils. It was a symbol of what
Sam Moore would offer her all his
life.
She looked up with another smile
and %murmured, Eyes, Sam, it is full
of promised"