Smyrna times., 1931-02-25
Flower Garden of
Her Heart
BY SIDNEY BLAIR

cent Graves. You nave the AT
dress? All right"
John AinsIee snapped the tele-
phone receiver into its place and
leaned back in his desk chair.
"Orchids as usual" He told him
self that that described Millicent
and the other girls to whom he
sent flowers so frequently in order
partly to repay his social debts. And
he wondered if there weren't any
girls in New York who were not
like orchids, but like-well, mari
colds, for instanceI Old-fashioned
girls, who knew how to cook din
ner 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.
"AIr. Ainslee, Miss Graves is
here" His secretary spoke respect
| fully from the doorway.
VERY well, show her in." Aims
lee stifled a sigh as he rose.
He was halfway to the door when
Millicent Graves entered, exquisite
| in pale gray with his orchids of the
day before pinned to her scarf of
summer ermine.
"Ob, John, you're ready to leave
| this old office now, aren't you?
| came down to see father, and
thought I'd drop in and get you TO
take me somewhere to sea and have
dance or two. Now. don't say
Nor"
/ AS he left with her a few mo-
ments later, his secretary turned to
/ the girl whose desk stood next to
/ hers in the outer office.
You mark my words, Nancy Por-
ter, that Graves girl will land Mr..
Ainslee before he knows what's
happened to him.
Hes not the kind of man TO
marry a girl he doesn't love-" Nancy
Porter told her quietly. "He-oh.
! my garden y
The window washer, who had just
arrived, was opening one of the big
windows; Nancy reached his side
/ just in time to rescue a piece Of
folded felt, a foot long and six
inches wide, that he was about to
I nufl INTO Il waste DdSkel.
Huh! Funny garden" grunted
\ the man, but he let it alone.
Just wait and see it in a week
| from now," she said.
And a week later the garden"
was worth seeing. Nancy had kept
it watered, and placed it where the
sun ShOne on it every afternoon;
tiny green shoots appeared all over
its dark surface. She was bending
over it late one afternoon, when
the others had gone home, and hear
ing a step behind her, said rather
loudly without turning:
Look, Miss Curtis-my gardens
big enough TO help out my luncheon
tomorrow. The watercress and mus
tard seeds are awfully big"
whats this-a garden?" It
was not Miss Curtis voice. but
John Ainslee's, that answered her.
"Oh, oh, thought it was your
secretary instead Of you," faltered
Nancy, blushing hOtly.
But how did YOU do it," he de-
manded, with a smile that reas-
sured her.
''Just folded the felt and keEt
it wet, after ia scattered the seeds
on it," she answered.
Two weeks later Miss Curtis left
quite suddenly to take a better pO-
sition and John Ainslee arranged
to have 'that Porter girF' take her
place as his secretary. The day
that she made the change he sug-
gested that she plant a garden" for
him in his window.
II like to have a bit Of green
around" he explained to her.
A few weeks later, when, as she
was eating her luncheon in his Of
flee after he had gone out-he had
urged her to feel free TO do So
Millicent Graves came in.
I'll wait Mr.. Ainslee," she told
Nancy, and Nancy, wretchedly con
scious Of her frugal luncheon, fin
ished her bread and butter in one
gulp and surreptitiously threw her
cake-a fresh baked one-into the
waste basket
John Ainslee returned to find
Miss Graves still there. He alb
ruptly refused to take her to lunch
con, telling her that he had already
lunched and could not take more
time from his work. Half an hour
later, glancing into the waste bas-
ket, he caught sight of the little
cake which Nancy had thrown
there: il had half escaped from its
oiled paper wrapping.
Ten minutes later his buZZer sum
mOned Nancy.
I'm going TO suggest that you
get new position" he told her.
more severely than he had ever
spoken to her before.
"Oh, I'm sOrry-it's because i
was having luncheon in here when
Miss Graves came in, isn't it?" she
said miserably.
Nonsense; / told you you could
eat your luncheon here" he an
swered. Il don't think you ought
to be doing secretarial work at
ALL" lie rose and came over to
her side. "What I'm going to sug-
gest is this-that you take a new
job which will involve changing
your name as well. | want you to
become Mrs. John Ainslee-how
about it, Nancy?"
And as he took her into his arms
Nancy laughed softly, though the
l l. II. hr ffrfo,.