The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-01-21
SHORT
SHORT
STORY

SHOK Z there was something
in the wind, for he
was not given to promiscuous
chuckling.
There was no question but that
John Linden was a very successful
business man. Financially he was
rated high among the big fellows in
bankers row."
John looked annoyed as Miss CHM,
his secretary, entered and took her
accustomed place at her desk.
Kindly see that this check is
mailed by noon to Mrs. John Lin
den," he said CURLY "South Park
avenue, Larchmant district And by
the way, Miss Ginn," severely, "you
haven't been very punctual at the
office lately"
Miss CHM flushed and started to
speak, but thought better of it. Pick
ing up the check, she took it, along
with notebook and pencil, into her
own little cubbyhole, where she
hastily fshed an envelope from a
pile and stuck it il her typewriter.
Mrs. John Linden Well, what
of it? 1t wasn't her affair. But she
had thought He had been so
kind Tears welled into her
eyes. And John Linden, coming
suddenly in from his private quar-
tiers just then, saw a tear splash
upon the keyboard of the typewriter.
Now, Miss CHM was a nice little
thing, smart and capable. Maybe
he had been too harsh.
"I-er-" laundering helplessly,
"where are you going tomorrow"
She looked at him coldly, mistress
of herself at once.
''Home" with emphasis.
Home, sweet home," amusedly.
"To spend the day with mother.
Nice little girl" he beamed. Then
he noticed a large tissue-wrapped
parcel on the desk. "Ah, flowers"
benignly. "Pinks?"
She shook her head.
"No? Roses? Or orchids?" BAN
teringly.
She held his eyes a moment
bravely. cts a pimy-palmya show.
What would you give to see it?'
He laughed at that, quaintly SssIl-
iniscent of kid days.
"Well pins are out of date. But
brightly, 81 might rustic up a few
marbles, aggies perhaps" Frisk-
ing in his trousers pocket he glee-
fully brought forth two gayly col
ored glass marbles. 'Found 'em
this blessed morning. Now, if that
isn't luck!" gloatingly.
She unwrapped the parcel, expos
ing to view half hundred smiling
flower faces that nodded to him in
the most friendly way, then set the
basket on the sill of an open Win
dow nearby.
"Pansies are for thoughts" said
John Linden slowly. "And you're
bringing them home to your 9TH
er. l see"
She seemed surprised. "My moth
er died when I was born. They're
for somebody else's mother. For
a dear little old lady whom I've
adopted. A lovely lady who is as
kin-hungry as I've been at times.
She has the pansy-est eyes. And
she has a son." cycling him stead
lily, "'vFo liz at his club in town
here. - never goes to see her out
there IN the suburbs, though he
sends. generous checks regularly.
Once she called upon him at his
place of business and-iIe was an
noyed. Enthusiastically"
"Ah." The word was very ex-
pressive.
''She keeps his baby picture in a
little pansy-embroidered frame on
her bureau. 1t means lot to her.
Especially since she became ILL.,"
She faced him squarely. "That is
why have been late mornings, Mr..
Linden. She was drooping-they do
when they're old-and they have
nobody who cares ="
His face suddenly whitened.
"What is her name?" he asked
tensely.
MRS. John Linden. You see, I
didn't know myself until last week,
when she was taken i'll. These big
checks" holding the addressed en-
velope aloft, "they pay her bills, of
course, but otherwise they don't
mean a thing to her. She is heart
hungry for a sight of her grown-up
baby"
John Linden tore the envelope in
two and thrust it into the waste
basket.
Get your wraps, and we'll take
the pansies to her-together."
Miss CHM jumped up, her face
radiant. 81 knew it. l told her so
this very morning. That you weren't
as callous as you pretended That
if you knew the ache in her dear
mother heart" she hesitated, en-
barrassed
A bee buzzed in through the win
dow and lowered above the pansies.
Look" she said, suddenly, to hide
her confusion, "a bee singing his
honey song to our own little demo-
cratic flowers. Now watch the bold
pilferer dip into their sweetness"