The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1922-11-24
MARIGOLDs
BY AGNES GRAHAM sRooAN

pass a garden where they grow with.
out stopping; and my paintings are
simply full of them. think It's partly
the everlasting cheer Of the golden
yellow-or maybe the artistic old fash
Toned appearance Of them. I'm paint
ing a picture now, David, gray dull
old seaside garden-with glow Of
marigolds beside the stone wall. What
do you think2 That Tommy Weston
has asked me to marry him; it's the
third time"
David slowly removed his pipe;
"And you refused him again, of
course, Geraldine. 1t is odd, indeed,
that Tommy cannot realize the i'm
portance of art as a career"
isn't lt?" cried Gerry. "A man OF
sense would know that when one has
decided talent and when one has made
all preparations to study abroad that
one would not be likely to throw 1t
all up" Gerry laughed, ito darn his
socks"
"You are going abroadf" David's
tone was casuals
"Oh, yes, indeed; just as soon as
mother feels resigned to my prolonged
absence and when have finished my
garden picture. David, would IL not
be wonderful, If it should be hung,
next fall?"
wonderful" agreed David. He
stood up before her, a tall figure In
comfortable gray tweed. But sup
pose you should happen to fall In love
with some good looking chap, Gerry
before that anticipated trip abroad3
II won't fall in love-" Gerry assured
him earnestly, because, you see'
David, won't give myself a chance.
OF course no one could possibly fall
in love with Tommy. And all other
chance-coming men / shall avoid. /
have seen too much wasted talent In
marriage-take the Winstead girl who
went to school with me. She was a
true genius In music-and along
came that coIOrless Don Campbell
and now she's his dish washer. DO
you realize what the world has lost?
No. / shall stick to art, David dear, and
some day you will say proudly to your
children, This picture of the
Gerry's laugh rippled- well, OF the
marigolds was done by an old friend
of mine, now famous across two con-
tinents.'"
"And will the famous lady remem'
Der her old commonplace David?" he
asked whimsically.
Always, everywhere, the lonely
famous lady will remember David"
she said He sat long after she left
him and the smile of consideration
upon his face did not sadden it.
II have been thinking" he told
Geraldine, upon her next visit in his
hospitable porch, that I'd like to
make this place over, Gerry. A man
cannot live always as his people have
lived before him. Times change.
need a more modern home. And who
can tell? I may not always be alone,
dear. So I thought I'd take advantage
of any time you might be able to spare.
before your departure, in helping me
with the details of 1emOdeling
1t was interesting planning the
renovation of David's old home
matching quaint blue dishes with love
~ dull blue paper; Gerry INDUCED her
dreams as she had not been privileged
to indulge them in her mothers com
fortably livable house. David pre-
ferred to lay out his own garden.
1--WE will have a stone wall like that
of your seaside picture" he told her,
"and marigolds viii riot around it,
When David went away on pro-
longed business trip, taking him to
California, Geraldine began prepare,
tons for her own trip to Europe.
Strangely she did not feel the over
whelming enthusiasm she had recently
known, herself. She wished that
David would come home before it
should be time for her to depart. No
word had come from this friend Of her
lifetime. She wondered, strangely
wistful, If he might have met in Cali.
fornia the woman who was one day to
occupy his home which she and David
had created. Then came line from
him. He was on his way home. II
was a disappolntingly brief line.
1.-THE marigolds we set out in the
garden may need attention." he wrote,
perhaps you might use them as
models, while you give them your
care" Such an unsatisfactory mes
sage, Gerry read 1t, troubled. Perhaps
she thought, he was bringing the mis-
tress Of his home with him, and
wished everything to be at its best foT
her sake. With a man as resolute as
David such a thing might happen.
Gerry went, rather forlornly, to care
for the marigolds. The second after
noon she took her sketching material
David's old housekeeper, inside, looked
out at the girl curiously. Afternoon
faded into twilight.
81 viii stay here" Gerry told the
woman. 1--WE planned to leave tomor
row and / want to say good-by to
David's garden"
Her voice caught over the last word
Ia career seemed very far away,
visionary, unreal Then something
very real happened to Gerry. Two
strong arms embodied her-ar1ns so