Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-02-15
fleTIOM

Il ~
FleTlOn II that lazy spring I used to take
rose to Miss Caroline Wexford.
Every Saturday. rain or shine, at exactly eight O'Clock.
It was always the best rose in the shop. would
watch old man Olsen nest it tendaly IN green tissue
paper and fern Then would take the narrow box and
pedal fwously through the quiet streets and deliver
the rose to Miss Caroline.
In those days after school and on Saturdays. /
worked as delivery boy for Olsen the florist. The job
paid only three dollars week but that was lot of
pocket money for teenagH then and used to squan
der It gioriously. My mother always wanted to make
me save some Of d. but my father said no. He said
tele were only few years IN your life when you could
spend money On yourself without your conscience hurt
ing ydu, and had better make the most of them.
From the beginning there was something little
strange about those roses-or rather. about the cir
clmstances under which l delivered them to Miss
Caroline. The night the first one was sent pointed
out to Mr. Olsen that he had forgotten the card.
He pe1ed at me through his glasses like benevolent
gnome There isn't any card James" He never
called me Jimmy. "And furthermore the - h - party
sending this flower wants It done as quietly possible.
So keep It under your hat, viii you?"
Even then was old enough to know that the sWest
way to spoil secret IS to tell it. 50 was willing to keep
II under my hat was glad Miss Caroline was getting
flower, because We an felt sny for her. As everybody
IN our small town knew. the worst of all fates had
befalIen Miss Caroline. She had been Tilted.
FoR years she had been IN love with a. good as
engaged to Jeffrey Pemimm. one of the ablest young
bachelors IN town Keeping herself usefuly busy, she
had waited for him through World War |. Then she
waited while he got himself through medical school
She was still waiting when. halfway through his IN
teneship DR.. Pemimm fell m love with younger.
prettia girl and married her.
It was almost scandal My mother said that AT
men were hrutes and that Jeffrey Penimm deserved
to be horsewhipped My father said on the contrary.
that it was the right no. the sacred duty of every
man to marry the pettiest girl who would have him.
That's what he had done my father said and he hadn't
regretted it yet My mother found It difficult to reply
to that.
The girl Jeffrey Penniman married was beauty, all
right Her name was Christine Marlowe. and she came
from big city. and she looked it She must have had
an uncomfortable time m our town. because naturally
the women despised her and said all sorts Of mknd
things about her.
As for poor Miss Caroline, the effect On her was dis
astrous She shut herself IN her house, stopped leading
her Girl Scout Troop. gave mp all civic activities She
even refused to play the organ at church any more.
For six months, now, she had been acting like ths
She wasn't old, really or mhmdsome, but she seemed
determined to turn herself into eccentric old maid
She looked like ghost that night when she came to
the door, Hello. Jimmy" she said istlessly. When
handed her the box she looked startled For me?"
was inclined to share her incedulity. The notion
that Miss Caroline might have secret admier lurking
somewhere struck me az highly improbable. But all
said was, Sign here, please"