Evening star., 1928-06-19

air some blankets And as she
- watched him, doubt, distrust ana
curiosity began TO burn like fire
within her.
Slowly, thoughtfully. he moved here
and there In her garden, with his
pocketknife in his hand. Now he cut a
white rose, trimming of the leaves man
fashion; now he clipped bit of hello
trope or a lemon lily or broke of .
parsy. He plucked one of her lovely
purple iriSes with too short stem.
Man fashion he punched the flowers
all together. adding peony, a req
rose, two yellow roses and DIT OF
ueigelia. At last he came to her pop
pies and fingered there considering.
Another woman would have smiled at
the idea of his adding one OF these
gleaming, garish, wide-petaieo Things
to his odd bouquet, but she dio not
smile, She was tense by this time with
watchfulneSs.
After some hesitation he clipped of
n poupy and put 1t in the middle OF
his bunch of flowers It looked strange,
for he eyed 1t frowningly. He even
made some attempt TO rearrange IL.
dropping the smaller flowers from his
clumsy fingers.
She realized as he stood there in the
morning light among her flowers that
he was an exceedingly personahle man
I'm his gray business suit, crisp panama
hat and red tie He wore red ties be-
cause he was dark and pale and as
fastidious about a good appearance as
a girl would have been. Yes, he was
GOOD Looking and he had not aged as
she had. Men never did age the way
women did. At 49 she felt quite old at
times but he never appeared that way
and she, OF course, did not know from
anything he said how he felt.
He was perfectly pleasant husband,
good provider, an uncomplaining
guest at table. a quietly uncritical COM
parlion at all times A trifie too re-
served and incurious she thought. He
asked no questions and tacitly invited
none. Sometimes she sighed bit over
him for there was no secrecy in her
soul. She loved to talk about things,
but it vexed her often that while he
listened she was certain his mind was
going its own way.
Here was something that she could
not get at. Never before had he shown
any great interest in her flowers. He
allowed her to buy what she chose and
plant where she desired. he neither in
terfered nor admired. He said he could
understand books, but flowers were
something for the feminine taste to
enjoy. Oh, he liked flowers on the
table, but this simple service seemed 10
him to be the utmost they could per-
form as far as he was concerned.
And now here he was in her garden
culling her finest What did 1t mean?
She pursed her lips and knitted her
brnws. AS he went down the street with
the bouquet in his hand little glints
gathered in her gray eyes. Now for
the first time did she realize that she
could be bitterly jealous of her husband
Sitting down in the balcony she tried
20 reason with herself. tried to under
stand the situation. There was new j
stenograplaer In the ONCE. a Miss Per-
kins a ruddy-haired, young creature
fresh from business school, She was
pretty and smart. Men of 20 liked gor-
geous youthful women, especially when
the women were under their very noses
Gay after day She had always dis
liked the idea OF there being girl in
been so faithful and eficient. had in
herited some money Unexpectedly and,
TO Joanna, diStaStefully. She had
withdrawn and Fenton's partner had
engaged Miss Perkins.
The bouquet must be intended for
Miss Perkinsi She bit her lip. Her
husband TO carry bouquet 70 q girl
whose head looked like flaming hay
stack. She could not see the humor in
q middle-aged man Offering such an
aggregation Of color to young beauty.
she merely burned with agony.
Well! She would hunt the thing
down and confront him in his foolish
ness. When she saw the bouquet on
Miss Perkins desk, IL would tell her
al she wished to know. Afterward she
could have 1t out with him.
She went into her room and dressed
very carefully. Angry and excited as
she was she took pains with herself
She put on her handmade blouse and
her gray silk skirt and her kindest hat.
Then she smiled grinly 70 her reflection
IN the glass and sailed downtown.
IT was terribly hot, and heat did not
agree with her. and she had to walk
long way before she came TO her huS-
bands ofice. She popped into the place
50 suddenly that Miss Perkins did not
look up from her work for half
minute
There were flowers on Miss Perkins
degk-dark. long-stemmed red roses
which shed the fragrance of the true
Etoile de France. Red roses for q red
haired girl She had thought that far
when Miss Perkins lifted her eyes.
oh! Good morning" said Miss Per-
kins. What can ] do for you?"
Nothing" snapped Joanna, "I am
Mrs. Southweli" But she could not
help wondering why those red roses
xere on Miss Perkins desk
"Oh, yes!" Inurmured Miss Perkins,
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