Evening star., 1927-09-14

RCf1lE HILION snapped OF
" the lights in his dining room
"A and hastily tore open the let
4 "A ter in his hand. One glance at
the contents and wave OF joy
swept his being. He was glad, in spite
of the good time he had been having.
for the letter was from his wife, to
whom he had been married but six
months. She was coming home the
next day from three weeks visit to
tho Seashore. The next day was sun
day.
He dropped into a chair and sank
into a pleasant reverie, staring and
smiling into the dreamy distance. he
visioned his little, dark-haired wife.
brightly gowned, eyes Ike black pan.
sizes, glowing above her cheeks lovelier
than early peaches, sitting beside him
at the breakfast table. He saw the
greetings at the end of the day and
the evenings at the theater or opera.
But at length a disturbing element
crept into his dreams. 1t caused the
wave of Joy to recede and the reverieS
to take wings. His eyes took on a
wild. reminiscent expression. The let
ter fell to the floor, where the warm
Summer breeze floating through the
open window Topped it along un-
needed.
"Whee-e" he whistled. What was
It she told me to do?" he muttered
desperately. IF l didn't do it she'd
know l didn't love her. What the
deuce was it?"
He plunged his hands into his
pockets, bent his broad shoulders and
blond head and began to wander up
and down the room.
Suddenly, with a startled gesture,
he raised his head. My gosh" he
gasped, 1T was water the geraminums
every other day. If l didn't-oh, my
gosh, it's lucky 1 remembered 'em
now
He fed into the kitchen, filed a pail
with water and entered, for the first
time since his wife's absence, the little
living room.
The room was in semi-darkness, a
glimmer of light rejecting in from the
dining room. When he tipped the pail
on the edge of the iardiniere at the
first window his mouth dropped apart
with aStonished bewilderment. For
three weeks the plants had stood in
hot afternoon sun without fresh air
and water. All that remained of them
was a few yellow stems with a num-
ber of rattling, brown leaves adhering.
He slowly put the pail on the floor
and sank into a big chair to consider
the matter. And now, to make the
situation more complicated. more
detrimental to his future happiness,
he remembered that Corrine had
bought the plants on the day they
had gone housekeeping. Also he re-
called that she had soulfully remarked
that she was sentimental about them
and was always going to keep them to
remind her of the eventful day.
This statement of his wife echoed
back and forth In his mind until he
alternately got feverish and cold. Re.
proachfully he gaZed at the little yell
low stubs What would Corrine dos
He had forgotten to water the gera.
NUNS! She'd VOW that he hadn't been
thinking of her, when, in truth, he
had been counting the minutes until
her return.
In a short while, however. the
cloudy forecasting and the self-accusa.
ton he was inflicting upon himself
ran their course. The logical plan
occurred to him to run out and buy a
couple Of plants and put them in the
jardiniere.
She'll never know" he reasoned.
ut S the goodsi''
Accordingly. he snatched his hat
and hurried down the street toward
the main thoroughfare, his destina.
ton being a well known florists. Half
book away his gait took on extra
speed, for he saw the windows were
brilliantly Illuminated and mountains
of variegated blossoms glittered in the
glare.
The evening, however, was further
advanced than Archie had conjectured.
When he placed his finged on the latch
of the door II refused to admit him.
The store was closed for the night.
He rushed toward the store Of a
lesser dealer on side street. He met