Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-15

Died the table beside the window In
the boarding house. Sometimes the sun
slsnting In shonc on the dull auburn of
her hair and turned 1t into fiery copper.
brakes tnble was far back In the
shadow Of the second dining room. He
sat where he was quite unobscrvcd. but
from his vantage point he was most
observing. lie studied each Of Mrs.
Drew's pnying guests while he mechan.
ieolly fed himself with her indifferently
e'Sscs Mest offer often he found himself watching
>he cir, whom he had named Violet.
He had given her this name because Of
6er slim, modest shyness. and somehow
~ seemed to exudc n fragrance TINT
vas reminiscent Of the English violet
Itself.
ing houses. nor apparently did the girl.
fore this an ordinary speaking nc
One day when Drake opened his mail
land found q check larger than he had
expected from story inspired by folks
IN that dining room he decided to buy
some flowers for the lanilady. He
bought an armful Of tawny chrysanthe-
NUNS and every table In both dining
rooms was made beautiful by them.
Drake happened to glance at Violet
and his heart gave bounS. She had
cvpped one Of the great blossoms in
ker lovely hands and was burying her
and looked into Its golden depths with
an unmistakablc love of flowers in her
expression.
"Jolly good thing didn't get roses"
be said to himself. "shc might have
iissed them right here before this cool
audience" lie wondered how II would
lei to have Violet look deep into his
eoil as she had looked into the heart
Of this flower.
That night he brought home six
byacinths and took them to his room
under cover Of his coat.
Violet usually went for short walk
after her day In business. and It wes
while she was gone that he slipped IT,.
railing and on her window sill. 80 that
they might greet her when she pulled
up her curtains the next morning.
Drake's room was next to hers md
he could hear her moving about when
the windows were UP.
The tlnkling of the brass rings on
the long curtains In the next room
brought him to consciousness In the
morning. lie sat up and listened. 1Ic
heard a soft little exclamation and
was repaid for his gift. She had found
the flowers and they had given her
delight. =,
Later. in the dining room, lie heard
her questioning Mrs. Drew, but that
sstonishcd person was as much mys-
u6ed as was the girl.
Romance had drifted into the board
INK house. and Mrs. Drew was as
pleased and excited as a cat with her
hrst batch of kittens. hut she could
not put two and two together. She
could not find the happy man.
Easy going David Drake, the Sc
rious. quiet author of so many short
stories. was the last person she would
have suspected.
And Violet? She was only half con.
scious of having stepped into the world
Of romance. But she had found new
interest In life. Her eyes took on
warmer glow, her steps became more
peared In her pale cheeks when she en-
tered the boarding house dining room.
Exquisite orange tulips had followed
jonquils. Then one morning great !
cluster Of fragrant. dcwy roses Of
deepest, warmest red greeted her eyes
when she pulled aside her curtain. I
After that she knew that she was truly ,
loved.
Violet had kept all the bulbs and was
caring for them until the following
spring, when she hoped to be able 10
plant them in the far away garden IN !
the South. She had been miserably !
homesick since she came to the big city |
to'make her living and she longed for
the family, the flowers. the birds and
oil that meant life to her. No one
knew just how much this gift Of flow
ers had meant to her nor how wonder
fully her soul had responded.
1t was getting well into spring and
the long. light evenings made 1t diff
cult for Drake 20 get his offerings un-
seen to her window. His own awnings
were up and the partition between the
oaiconies was canvascd so as to insure !
privacy. The girl had planted flowers
on her railings and he could see her
tending them.
When he sent the two tubs of Grim
son rambl'rs to her after this he de-
coco to write note to accompany
them. lie was fearful lest the girl |
worry about the material side of it !
the expenditure. lie fabricated as sue
sesstuIly as II he were writing fiction
and explained that the overprolific
greenhouses of his brother In the coun-
iiry made 1t nothing at all for him to :
Keep her in the flowers she so obvi-
ously loved.
Violet pondered over the note, un.
more than ever her eyes were dreamy
with the wonder Of her secret romance.
would 1t be NO wonderful when she met
MIN face to face?
She knew her moment of awaken
!ng had come when she entered the din
!nE room one morning and her eyes
!eil on dropping bud of begonia in
t1e lapel Of David brakes coat. She
pushed brilliantly. He caught hel
Eyes and as she found her way to her ,
own table she realized how WONDER
iullv woven was the web of her 70.
nance. No man Of all whom she had
nnown could have filed so adequately
.hto .S the dream as this quiet writer Of
snort stories.
when she returned to her room she
oaned her face In the big begonia
plAht and wrote a note. II have no
way to thank YOU for all the joy you
M asve brought into my life with your
s'lt OF howers. The begonia bud must