Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-02-20

fLoved Old-Fashioned3
( Flower Girls /
By SIDNEY BLAIR

Iva the same; Miss Millicent
Graves. You have the address? All
right"
John Ainslee snapped the telephone
receiver into its place and leaned
back in his desk chair. "Orchlds as
usual" He told himself that TINT de-
scrlbed Milllcent and the other girls
to whom he sent flowers so frequently
In order partly to repay his social
debts. And he wondered II there
weren't any girls In New York who
were not like orchids, but llke-well,
marigolds, for instancel Old-fash'
Toned girls, who knew how to cook
dinner instead of merely telling the
housekeeper to speak to the chef
about It, girls who liked to work In
gardens, instead of merely opening
florists boxes.
"Mr. AInslee, Miss Graves is here"
His secretary spoke respectfully from
the doorway.
Every well, show her in" Ainslee
stifled a sigh as he rose.
He was halfway 10 the door when
Millicent Graves entered, exquisite In
pale gray with his orchids of the day
before pinned TO her scarf of summer
ermine
"Oh, John, you're ready to leave
this old office now, aren't your |
came down to see father, and thought
I'd drop in and get you to take me
somewhere to tea and have dance
or two. Now. don't say Nor"
As he left with her few moments
later, his secretary turned to the girl
whose desk stood next to hers in the
outer office.
You mark my words, Nancy Porter,
that Graves girl will land Mr.. Ainslee
before he knows what's happened to
him."
He's not the kind of man to marry
a girl he doesn't love-" Nancy Porter
told her quietly. "He-oh, my gar
den ~
The window washer, who had just
arrived was opening one of the big
windows; Nancy reached his side just
Ill lIlllC ~ IcSCuC u PlCSC Vi tOiuCo
felt, foot long and six inches wide,
that he was about to hurl into waste
basket.
Huh! Funny garden" grunted the
man, but he let 1t alone.
"Just wait and see II In week
from now" she said.
And a week later the garden" was
worth seeing. Nancy had kept 1t wa
tered, and placed 1t where the sun
shone on 1t every afternoon; tiny
green shoots appeared all over Its
| dark surface. She was bending over
1t late one afternoon, when the others
had gone home, and hearing a step
behind her. said rather loudly without
turning:
Look, Miss Curtis-my gardens
hig enough to help out my luncheon
tomorrow. The watercress and mus
tnrd seeds are awfully big"
"Whats this-a garden?" II was
moi Miss Curtis voice, but John Aims
lees that answered her.
"Oh oh. thought 1t was your sec
rotary instead of you," faltered Nan
~. blushing holly.
But how did you do it?" he de-
handed. with a smile that reassured
her.
Just folded the felt and kept II
wet. after ia scattered the seeds on
IT," She answered.
Two weeks later Miss Curtis left
quite suddenly to take better posi-
ton and John Ainslee arranged to
hive that little Porter girl" take her
place as his secretary The day she
made the change he suggested that
she plant garden" for him In his
window.
81 like to have bit of green
around" he explained to her.
A few weeks later when. as she was
eating her luncheon In his Office after
he had gone out--he had urged her TO
feel free to do 500 Millicent Graves
came IN.
an wait for Mr.. Anslee," she told
Nancy, and Nancy, wretche'lly con.
scious OF her frugal luncheon. finished
her bread and butter In one gulp and
SurreItltiously threw her cake-a
fresh baked one-intO the waste
basket.
John Ainslee returned to find Miss
Graves still there. lie abruptly re-
fused to take her to luncheon, telling
her that he had already lunched and
could not take more time from his
work. Half IN hour later. CHANGING
into the waste basket he caught sight
OF the little cake which Nancy had
thrown there; II had half escaped
from its oil paper wrapping.
Ten minutes later his buzzer sum-
mOned Nancy.
I'm going 10 suggest that you get
new position" he told her, more Sc
yerely than he had ever spoken to
| her before.
"Oh, I'm sorry IT'S because | was
having luncheon In here when Miss
Graves came isn'i NJ she said mis-.
erably.
Nonsense; | told you you could
eat your luncheon here he answered
~ don't think yOn Ougili 10 be doing
secretariaI work NJ all" lie rose md
came over to hei =. e what I'm 60
ing to suggest il Ills lhnf sou take
new lob which viii involve chang
Ing your name ~ wen want you
to become Mrs InhD Ainslee-how
about II. NIncyr
AMI "a. hs tn,k nor iufo hia arma