The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-06-26

ilcsLCIous anu are Hut 10 De taken as re-
ffowned, and then Slowly her long
black lashes closed over the blue
eyes.
At first Mary Rose thought she
had spoken in delirium, but when
she went into the clothes closet and
picked up Flossie's little black satin
slippers, she felt something hard in
the toe Of one OF them. She drew
| it OUT
It was q small white box and in it
were two rings-the sapphire ring
that Mary Rose had once returned
i to Hilary Dexter, and another,
cheap little gold ring set with q
modest diamond.
NOW, where did She get that. do
you SUPPOSE" Mary Rose turned
the little diamond ring around and
around in her fingers. Still holding
il. she tiptoed out into the bedroom,
with its shsouded llt-latst and. drawn
curtains.
"Flossie,. dear Ffeea' Noloe was lit
tie more taan g whisper. Can YOU
hear ms? Where did you get this
diamond tisg From Sam? Wouldn't
you like n on Your fnger?''
Flossis dtst mt move for a long
minute, tlscz,- slae shook her head, but
no sound Game f;eessa- hep pale lips.
She kept her sseo.et.
BY noon rhe heSt, day, Flossfe had
% fever a1s& e nttle hacking cough.
Nothing TO Worry about" Tom
told Mrs. Geeft1sl;ston, in his best bed
side AaanaaSaf, as he took her tenn
perature &aA @els4lted her pulse. TITS
just a Touch OF bronchitis and has
nothing TO Go with her mermaid
stunt yesterday She probably
would have had it, anyhow, because
she'd been lying. aroHnd tox hours in
wet bathing seit when we got
there. just keep her warm and
she'll be al right"
Aunt Henry glafr watched him
dark1y, as he went down the stairs.
She had rot Kept her promise never
to darken the Doors Of the Middleton
house agafn SO long as she lived
for she hod knocked ct the kitchen
door that morning before seven, and
had been sitting in F4essieSs> room
ever since. The rocking chair she
had pulled tb beside the bed creaked
under her wsfeht as she sat-thero
wrapped In a Paisley shawl and
blinked stssyi!y with her little black
eyes.
III | were sick / wouldn't have
him, II lie were the last Doctor on
earthg' she said, as they heard Tom
close the front door. Here's F'los-
sic half-dead from exposure and he
treats her az If all she had were
little cold Oh tke ehest" She snort
ed angrflys
'And that's oil have, as @ matter
Of fact" f7ess:e retorted, coughing
a little as she spoke. my starsl You
all treat me as il I were going to
pass on to @ happier land most any
minute. 1Eethsr rushes home from
Springfield and Mary Rose stays
away from work! Did you phone
the effiee that / wouldn't be there
today, Mary Rese7'
Mary Rose, who was wondering if
Aunt Kenny YVES going to stay for
lunch. nodded. II told Miss Mac
Farlane what happened to YOU" she
said. II knew that If I told her
everybody else in the place would
hear Of It II less than fifteen
minutes"
1t was at the precise moment that
the deefbelt rang and the florists
boy brought the first of the flowers
that so delighted and mystified Mrs.
Middleton for the next ten days.
They're fog you, F1ossier' Mary
Rose cried, as she laid the long,
white pestebeard box oil tied -
with green satin ribbon, on Flessies
bed. II wonder who in the world
could have sent such fiowersp'
And then. MS she opened the box
and saw the flowers that lay with.
In It, she knew who had sent theml
For they were soft, velvety roses Of
a rich crimson color. The kind that
Is named 1.-THE American Beauty"
1t had been American Beauty
roses that Hilary Dexter had
brought to she house weeks before,
on the day when he had given
Flossie the sapphire ring!
isn't there any card In them2"
asked Aunt Henry, hot on the trail
of another scandal. Fer she knew,
as they all knew, that Sam Jessup
never could have afforded to buy
roses with stems yard long, for his
Flossie.
( mo. there isn't" F7ossie an
swered. Maybe the folks at the
office took collection to send them
to me-" She winlxed at Mary Rose
as she said 1t.
"Hmm" They must think an aw-
full lot of you, to spend money like
that ON you," retorted Aunt Henry,