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 SAN DJEGO
 
 "CHE BLOSSOM SHOP
 
 ' OH, MOTHER, . . . HERE IS A DEAR BABY BLOS 
 SOM.' ' (See page 123.)
 
 THE BLOSSOM 
 
 A STORY OF 
 THE SOUTH 
 
 BY 
 ISLA MAY MULLINS 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 JOHN GOSS 
 
 BOSTON 
 COMPANY 
 
 L. C. PAGE & 
 MDCCCCXIII
 
 Copyright, 1913, by 
 L. C. PAGE &. COMPANY 
 
 (INCORPORATED) 
 All rights reserved 
 
 First Impression, May, 1913 
 
 THE COLONIAL PRESS 
 C. H. SIMONDS 4 CO., BOSTON, U. 8. A.
 
 TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER 
 
 AND 
 
 Ipfcia Cobb
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. CAPE JESSAMINES . . . i 
 
 II. A GAY CAVALCADE .... 20 
 
 III. WAS GRANDMOTHER GREY MEAN? 34 
 
 IV. UNCLE SAM'S ECONOMIES . . 45 
 V. LOVE TURNED AWAY . . . 56 
 
 VI. HURRAH FOR THE BLOSSOM SHOP! 67 
 
 VII. FIRE! FIRE! 83 
 
 VIII. HANNIE'S WICKED WISH . . 90 
 
 IX. A BLOSSOM SPARED . . . 104 
 
 X. THE BROKEN - HINGED TRUNK . 125 
 
 XL AWAY UP NORTH . . . . 139 
 
 XII. DR. MURTON 153 
 
 XIII. LIVELY VISITORS .... 166 
 
 XIV. AN ARCH SCHEMER . . . .180 
 XV. UNFOLDINGS 197 
 
 XVI. LOVE BLOSSOMS . . . .213
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 " ' OH, MOTHER, . . . HERE IS A DEAR 
 
 BABY BLOSSOM ' " (See page 123) Frontispiece 
 
 " ' WE'LL TURN THE OLD HOUSE INTO A 
 
 BLOSSOM SHOP ' 13 
 
 " USHERED THEM IN WITH STATELY DIG 
 NITY AND GINGERLY TOOK CHARGE OF 
 THE PARROT " l68 
 
 " HE LOOKED DOWN HUNGRILY INTO HER 
 
 EYES " ....... 184 
 
 " * OH, OH, CAPE JESSAMINE!' CRIED THE 
 CHILD, AS HER GAZE FELL UPON THE 
 FLOWER " . 2OI
 
 THE BLOSSOM SHOP 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 CAPE JESSAMINES 
 
 " The hills untied their bonnets, 
 
 The bobolinks begun. 
 
 Then I said softly to myself, 
 1 That must have been the sun.' ' 
 
 MRS. GREY began chanting the little 
 verse in soft contralto tones with a 
 lilting swing as they settled themselves 
 to work in the early morning, and Gene 
 joined gaily in with her clear, childish 
 treble. 
 
 "Aren't mornings beautiful?" the 
 child said, as they ended the last word.
 
 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " Yes, they are," agreed the mother, 
 reserving the suggestion that man does 
 not always think so. 
 
 " Mother, dear," the child went on, 
 with renewed enthusiasm, " the florist 
 will say these are the very prettiest flowers 
 we have sent. They must be very big, 
 for they smell the very nicest." 
 
 "Yes, Gene, they do," responded Mrs. 
 Grey absently, as her deft fingers began 
 sorting, wrapping and fitting the cape 
 jessamines into boxes for shipping. 
 
 ;< I believe they are all grown-ups," the 
 child again went on, passing her hand 
 lightly with inquiring touch about the 
 tableful of beauties, but never marring 
 their delicate perfection. 
 
 " I'm so afraid there isn't a single baby 
 here," she added, with a grieved little 
 voice, " and hardly a big girl or boy 
 
 even."
 
 Cape Jessamines 
 
 Mrs. Grey smiled at the child's ear 
 nestness, and looking the blossoms rap 
 idly over found a wee one which she 
 placed in the small hands. 
 
 "Oh, I'm so glad! It would be too 
 bad for them to go without a baby," said 
 the child. And the little fingers lightly 
 traced from beneath each waxy petal 
 with satisfaction. 
 
 " Is this the only one, mother? " she 
 said again after a moment. " We ought 
 to have one baby for each box, you 
 know." 
 
 " So we ought," replied Mrs. Grey, 
 and again her quick eye ran over the 
 flowers till she found half a dozen wee 
 ones for the small, eager hands. 
 
 " Oh, aren't they nice! " exclaimed the 
 child, touching each with a tiny finger 
 and counting up to six. " Will there be 
 six boxes, mother? "
 
 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " Yes, just about six this morning, I 
 think." 
 
 The small hands clapped gaily. Then 
 gathering the flowers up gently in her 
 white apron skirt with one hand, and 
 putting the other out with a pretty move 
 ment which robbed the groping of some 
 of its pathos, the child made her way 
 across the piazza to a little basin and put 
 each flower carefully in. 
 
 " Now, babies, you must be good, 
 get your dinner and sleep there till 
 your mothers and fathers are ready to 
 start." 
 
 Back again she tripped with scarce a 
 motion of the little guiding hands, and 
 then fell to work, wrapping stems and fit 
 ting the flowers into boxes with far 
 greater skill than a seeing child of 
 her age could have done. 
 
 There was the same grace and deftness
 
 Cape Jessamines 
 
 of movement in the child as in the 
 mother; in fact, barring stronger tints 
 in the mother's coloring, the one was 
 almost a counterpart of the other. 
 There was with both the well-shaped 
 head, softly rounded cheeks and a cer 
 tain delightful piquancy of expression 
 that indicated few dull moments for 
 them or those about them. Both were 
 lithe and graceful in figure and some 
 what petite. But the unruly, waving 
 tendrils that played about the mother's 
 face were a soft brown touched with gold, 
 while the child's dancing curls were of 
 gold shading oft into brown. The child's 
 cheeks were a delicate pink, while the 
 mother's easily flushed with warm, rich 
 color. There was simplicity and dainti 
 ness in the dress of both, and in the midst 
 of glossy, green leaves and white-petalled 
 beauties, mother and child fitted into the
 
 6 The Blossom Shop 
 
 floral picture like rare blossoms of a 
 larger growth. 
 
 " Mother, do I pack them nicely, 
 now? " asked the child anxiously. 
 
 "Yes, darling, you do," Mrs. Grey 
 returned tenderly. 
 
 Then a merry laugh rang out 
 from the child. " What did the man 
 say, mother, when we sent the first 
 box?" 
 
 " Oh," her mother returned gaily, for 
 it was an old story they loved to go over, 
 " he said, ' Eugene Grey & Co., Dear 
 Sirs: ' ' making her voice big and scary 
 to the child's delight, " ' You know noth 
 ing whatever about packing jessamines. 
 Your flowers are fine, but you do not 
 know your business,' " and both went off 
 into happy peals of laughter. Then the 
 child said: 
 
 " And he didn't dream that ' Eugene
 
 Cape Jessamines 
 
 Grey & Co.,' were just you and me, 
 did he, mother? " 
 
 " No, indeed," responded Mrs. Grey 
 with a mist over her eyes, as she looked 
 into the unseeing face of the little hea'd 
 of the firm. 
 
 " But we just tried till we found out 
 how to do it right, didn't we, mother? " 
 
 " Yes, we did, but we mustn't forget 
 that nice man in New York who helped 
 us so much," Mrs. Grey returned. 
 
 "Oh, no, we mustn't!" exclaimed the 
 child, " he did write us such a nice letter. 
 What did he say, mother?" always 
 eager to hear it again. 
 
 " ' Eugene Grey & Co.,' " she began, 
 knowing that it would never do to leave 
 out the name of the firm. 
 
 " ' DEAR SIRS: Your flowers are the 
 finest ever sent me, but if you will par-
 
 The Blossom Shop 
 
 don my frankness, I will say that you do 
 not pack them to good advantage. You 
 take infinite pains, but much of your 
 labor is wasted. I am taking the liberty 
 of sending you a box of jessamines prop 
 erly packed, and shall be greatly pleased 
 if it proves of service to you by suggest 
 ing an improved method. 
 
 " ' Yours very truly, 
 " < SHAW & COMPANY. 
 " ' Per Alfred M. Shaw.' " 
 
 Both knew by heart the letter which 
 had meant so much to them, but Gene 
 clasped her little hands with fresh joy 
 when she heard it once more, and said 
 ecstatically: 
 
 "Oh, wasn't that nice, mother? and 
 when the box came we saw just how to 
 do it right, didn't we?" 
 
 "We did indeed," said Mrs. Grey,
 
 Cape Jessamines 9 
 
 " and the beautiful blossoms have 
 brought us so many good things 
 
 since." 
 
 " Oh, mother, we began in the middle 
 of the story," laughed Gene, with playful 
 scorn in her small voice, " tell what the 
 cape jessamines whispered and about the 
 tall old gentleman who came to see you." 
 
 Mrs. Grey smiled, tucking carefully 
 in the last fragrant, white beauty a box 
 would hold, before she began at the 
 beginning. 
 
 " Your dear father had gone, because 
 God wanted him in Heaven," she said, 
 her voice dropping into tender sadness; 
 " it was five years ago, and you, a little 
 three-year-old, and I were all alone, with 
 almost nothing but the dear old house 
 and Uncle Sam. I did not know how we 
 were to live. It seemed to everyone that 
 I must sell the old home and try to get
 
 10 The Blossom Shop 
 
 a place to teach somewhere." Then she 
 roused herself from the sadness and went 
 on with gentle gaiety. 
 
 " But, there was still mother's little 
 Eugene, when her big Eugene was gone, 
 and we walked about the dear old house 
 and we said, ' there is grandfather's chair 
 by the library table, we can sit here on 
 the couch by the windows and dream that 
 he is there still, and we will keep so quiet 
 lest we disturb him as he reads.' Then 
 out in the yard we walked among grand 
 mother's flowers, and we could hear 
 every cape jessamine whispering ' stay 
 and take care of us for her sake,' and 
 when we went to the long, cool porch, 
 father seemed to smile at us from the 
 pillows again, and we said finally: 
 
 ' We will not leave the old place. 
 God can take care of us here, and He 
 will.' "
 
 Cape Jessamines 11 
 
 The child listened with rapt, exalted 
 face. 
 
 " Then old Sam came around and we 
 told him we were going to stay right 
 here, and he said: ' Bless Gord! An' I'll 
 stay wid you an' take kere of you lack I 
 promise ole Mistis.' ' 
 
 There was a pause while Mrs. Grey 
 drew forward another box for packing. 
 
 " What next, mother? " asked the 
 little listener. 
 
 " Well, Uncle Sam did stay and help 
 us all he could, and we got along some 
 how for a year; but we needed* money 
 for many things, and we had very, very 
 little. At last one day, when the cape jes 
 samines blossomed again, came a tall, 
 old gentleman from a town far away, 
 who knew grandfather well, and who 
 talked with us a long time about him. 
 When he went away we walked down the
 
 12 The Blossom Shop 
 
 front steps with him and down the long 
 gravelled way to the gate, with grand 
 mother's cape jessamines growing each 
 side all full of fragrant blossoms, and he 
 exclaimed : 
 
 " * How these would sell in northern 
 cities! If they could be successfully 
 shipped there, they would bring in a 
 good sum of money each year.' And I 
 stopped still and said : ' Tell me all you 
 know about shipping flowers, please,' 
 and he looked at me surprised, but he 
 told me a great deal about the flower 
 trade of the North, for he was a retired 
 florist, and how he thought jessamines 
 might be shipped successfully. Then he 
 took from his pocket a bit of paper with 
 a receipt for a preservative to be used in 
 shipping flowers and gave it to me. I 
 thanked him, and when he was gone you 
 and I skipped into the dear old house
 
 WE LL TURN THE OLD HOUSE INTO A BLOSSOM 
 SHOP.' "
 
 Cape Jessamines 13 
 
 again and we hugged and kissed one an 
 other!" 
 
 " Oh, didn't we? " laughed the child. 
 
 " Yes, and you didn't know what it was 
 all about till I said : ' We'll go into busi 
 ness, my baby Eugene. Oh, the sweetest, 
 dearest business in the world! We'll be 
 flower merchants, baby; we'll turn the 
 old house into a Blossom Shop, and the 
 name of our firm will be " Eugene Grey 
 & Co." You are " Eugene Grey," you 
 know, and mother will be the "Co." 
 And we laughed and danced till we could 
 no longer. Then we remembered that 
 dear grandmother used to say few people 
 were so poor they had nothing to share 
 with others, and here was our chance. 
 Most of us in the South are pretty poor 
 since the war, but we do have more sun 
 shine than people in the North, and we 
 felt it would be lovely to send our rare
 
 14 The Blossom Shop 
 
 flowers with their beauty and fragrance 
 to the cold North. The very next day we 
 began packing grandmother's cape jessa 
 mines and shipping them away to big 
 northern cities, and they brought us back 
 money ; the town schools, also, soon came 
 to buy our japonicas and many other 
 flowers for decorative use at their con 
 certs, debates and various entertainments. 
 So we have stayed in the dear old place, 
 thanking the cape jessamines and all the 
 other flowers every day for the good 
 things they bring us." 
 
 " These jessamines, I am sure, are go 
 ing to a wedding, mother," said the child 
 after a moment, with the quaint look of 
 a seer upon her face. 
 
 The mother laughed with the always 
 ready response to the child's pretty fan 
 cies, and replied: 
 
 " Yes, I see, the wedding of a dear
 
 Cape Jessamines 15 
 
 young girl as sweet and pure as the blos 
 
 soms." 
 
 " What color hair has she, mother, and 
 what are her eyes like? " 
 
 Mrs. Grey made pretense of consulting 
 unseen authorities and then announced: 
 
 " Why, her hair is like gold spun into 
 curling, gossamer threads, and her eyes 
 are like the bluest blue violets!" 
 
 " Oh, what lovely things you always 
 see!" exclaimed the child ecstatically. 
 
 Sometimes it was a little sick girl, or 
 a crippled boy in a big hospital to whom 
 they decided their flowers were going, 
 and they pictured the delight when the 
 box of sweet-smelling things were 
 opened. Gene declared with a pathos 
 of which she was wholly unconscious 
 that things which smelled sweet were 
 trie prettiest things in the world! Or 
 sometimes the blossoms were bound for
 
 16 The Blossom Shop 
 
 a baby's birthday party, or perhaps a 
 specially beautiful waxen flower was to 
 be clasped by tiny still hands, and the 
 mother's skill made even this a sweet, 
 dear mission for their treasures which 
 held no sadness. 
 
 " Now they are done," announced 
 Mrs. Grey, at last, " the six boxes of 
 beauties." 
 
 " They are all ready for the dear 
 babies then," cried Gene, and with a 
 hand slightly lifted she tripped across to 
 the basin where her baby flowers lay. 
 She took them up tenderly saying: 
 " Now, you must get on your soft warm 
 cloaks," and carrying them back to the 
 table, she wrapped each stem in fluffy 
 cotton, kissed each baby blossom a rap 
 turous good-by and tucked them, one by 
 one, snugly in the center of each big box. 
 
 It had always been hard for the little
 
 Cape Jessamines 17 
 
 girl to see the dear flowers go without 
 kissing them good-by, so they hit upon 
 this plan of putting always an extra one 
 in each box, a baby blossom which she 
 could kiss to her heart's content. 
 
 High-spirited, independent, impulsive 
 by nature, the mother's daily pivotal 
 thought from Gene's babyhood had been 
 to transmute everything into sweetness 
 and light for the child, and she had 
 learned well how to catch and reflect the 
 inner gleam of every passing cloud, al 
 though within her own breast something 
 bitter of which the little one knew noth 
 ing often heaved and surged. There 
 was little of the business atmosphere 
 consequently apparent with this unique 
 firm. " Doing for others " seemed to be 
 its watchword. There was always one 
 big box of cape jessamines packed with 
 special delight, which went to Shaw &
 
 18 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Co. of New York each May, marked, 
 " For some Hospital," and no money 
 came back in return. Then at Christmas 
 another box was similarly marked and 
 filled with japonicas, beautiful southern 
 wax-like flowers of brilliant reds, pink 
 in varying shades, and pure white, which 
 did not ship successfully for commercial 
 purposes, but which went quite well 
 with no delays. 
 
 When the last baby jessamine was 
 tucked in, the child turned to her 
 mother, anxiety in her voice. 
 
 " Are there any flowers left, mother? " 
 
 " Why, yes, there are five or six very 
 pretty ones." 
 
 " Then we can take them to Aunt 
 Calline this evening, can't we? Uncle 
 Sam says * de mis'ry in her back was most 
 concruciating de las' time he seed her,' ' 
 said the little girl, merrily imitating
 
 Cape Jessamines 19 
 
 Uncle Sam. Then sobering instantly, she 
 asked, " Could there be some broth, 
 mother? " 
 
 " Yes, darling, I think so," the mother 
 replied. 
 
 Giving had always been a part of 
 living in the old Dawson home. Few 
 there were in the little southern town 
 about whose door-yard flowers did not 
 spring up almost unbidden, but barren 
 negro cabins, not a few, were trans 
 formed in sickness or sorrow by blossoms 
 from the old Dawson yard, while a bowl 
 of soup or some small delicacy took the 
 place of substantial supplies which once 
 went freely from a full larder.
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 A GAY CAVALCADE 
 
 1 HE boxes of jessamines were hardly 
 disposed of when there came a tramp 
 ing of heavy hoofs, mingled with merry 
 talk and laughter of children. Gene's 
 head was poised a moment, listening, 
 then joy lit up her small face. 
 
 "They are coming, mother; coming 
 for me, I know," and even as she said it, 
 a great black mule loaded with children 
 from neck to tail came around the corner 
 of the house to the rear piazza where the 
 flowers had been packed. 
 
 " Here we are," cried Hannie Carter, 
 
 small driver of the big black steed, " and 
 20
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 21 
 
 there's room for Gene, Mrs. Grey, and 
 we'll take such good care of her. You 
 know old Queen never did anything bad 
 in the world, she's the dearest old 
 mulie ever was," and she leaned for 
 ward to stroke the big, black ears 
 while the old mule looked kindly from 
 her sleepy eyes as if to reassure Mrs. 
 Grey. 
 
 " Oh, mother^ mother, do let me go," 
 begged Gene, dancing up and down in a 
 flutter of delight. 
 
 Before Mrs. Grey could answer, an 
 other big, black mule turned the corner 
 of the house similarly loaded with merry 
 children. 
 
 " Oh, Mrs. Grey," began May Carter, 
 the second small driver, almost out of 
 breath in her haste, " do let me have 
 Gene this time? You know old King is 
 such a good mule! "
 
 22 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " But I got here first," said Hannie 
 stoutly. 
 
 " Well, you had Gene last time," re 
 torted May. 
 
 " Wait a minute, wait a minute," cried 
 Mrs. Grey, laughing. " Where are you 
 going, small travellers?" 
 
 " To g-r-a-n-d-m-o-t-h-e-r's," came a 
 chorus of gay voices, drawing the word 
 out to lengthen the delight. 
 
 Uncle Sam stood by the piazza steps, 
 his old hat in one hand, his kindly black 
 face softened by a gray crown of hair 
 meeting a thick, short mass of white 
 beard in a snowy circle, his old figure 
 bent and poorly clad, but holding a cer 
 tain dignity of bearing. 
 
 " I'll go 'long, Miss Alice, ter see ter 
 'em," he said, for he could not resist the 
 pleading, eager face of the little child of 
 his heart. She ran forward at the sound
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 23 
 
 of his voice and jumped, unseeing, into 
 his big arms, knowing they would be 
 ready for her. 
 
 " We're going to have her," cried 
 Hannie. " We're going to have her," 
 clamored May, and before Mrs. Grey 
 could speak, old Sam put out a staying 
 hand: 
 
 " Now, yer jes' let me fix dat She's 
 gwine wid Miss Hannie, 'cause she got 
 here fust, but she's er coming back wid 
 Miss May, 'cause we won't have no 
 favorin'," and that settled it. 
 
 In the rough, black arms Gene was 
 carefully lifted to a place in the center 
 of the wriggling line of merry, laughing 
 children on old Queen's back. There 
 seemed always room for one more on 
 that broad expanse. 
 
 Then, as the mules turned slowly 
 around amid squeals of delight, Gene
 
 24 The Blossom Shop 
 
 waved a hand to mother, her little face 
 radiant, and Mrs. Grey waved gaily in 
 return, feeling sure that with Uncle Sam 
 in charge no harm could come. 
 
 Down Main Street they went, waving 
 and shouting merrily to the people they 
 passed, for everybody knew the Carter 
 children and the two fine carriage 
 mules, which had always been their 
 playmates. 
 
 The big, black fellows were gentle as 
 great dogs, and knew well their responsi 
 bility, when loaded with happy little 
 folks. 
 
 Main Street straggled through the 
 small Alabama town where the Greys 
 and Carters lived, creeping in at the 
 north from picturesque, red-clay hills 
 and turning out or in accommodatingly, 
 as it went, to include everything of impor 
 tance, except the schools. It gathered in
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 25 
 
 the big, dignified antebellum homes in 
 the suburbs at either end, then the stores, 
 the hotel, the court-house and the 
 churches. Finally, as if to make up for 
 its neglect of the two fine old colleges, 
 which were left with their beautiful 
 campuses on either side, it made a sharp 
 detour near the southern end to reach the 
 sleepy little railroad station, where trains 
 came in bringing troops of boys and girls 
 to the schools in the fall and carried them 
 away again in the late spring. The strag 
 gling street was lost at last in the south 
 amid fertile farms and luxurious wood 
 lands. 
 
 Not far from the abrupt turn near the 
 southern end of the street stood the homes 
 of the Greys and Carters, somewhat 
 apart from their fellows. The Carter 
 house was square and dignified, with 
 massive white pillars in stately row
 
 26 The Blossom Shop 
 
 across the front, reaching from the 
 veranda floor to its roof; broad halls 
 separating spacious rooms on either side 
 of two floors, while a big attic filled the 
 space above. Tall shrubs, perfectly 
 trimmed, outlined the yard, arched the 
 entrance and followed the paths about 
 roomy flower beds, while magnolias, 
 japonicas, citronalis, syringas, altheas 
 and crepe myrtles grew luxuriantly 
 everywhere. Mr. John Carter lived 
 there with his two motherless little girls, 
 Hannie and May, eleven and nine years 
 old, and Mammy Sue, their capable old 
 colored nurse. 
 
 Big, branching trees with nesting 
 mocking-birds hung protectingly over 
 the old place where the Greys lived. It 
 was one-storied, broad verandas follow 
 ing its rambling outline, and wide halls 
 intersecting it at right angles, through
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 27 
 
 which swept the summer breezes, laden 
 with the fragrance of row after row of 
 blossoming cape jessamines. It was 
 called the Dawson place, though bearers 
 of the old name had all passed away, 
 and Mrs. Grey and her little daughter, 
 last descendants of the fine old family, 
 lived there alone with Uncle Sam, 
 the old colored man-servant, in the 
 yard. 
 
 The inmates of the two houses had al 
 ways been closest friends, and now it was 
 one of Gene's great delights to be with 
 Hannie and May. Hannie was large 
 for her age, her light hair sunburned 
 and wind-blown, her gray-blue eyes big 
 and merry and eager with the delights 
 of ever-new plans; impulsive, blunder 
 ing, she was always getting into some 
 difficulty, but as surely coming out safely 
 through her honest intentions and warm-
 
 28 The Blossom Shop 
 
 heartedness, which won her friends 
 everywhere. May was small with dark 
 hair always precisely combed, soft dark 
 eyes and rosy cheeks; a dear, happy, de 
 pendent child, just her sister's opposite 
 in many things. 
 
 If Gene loved to be with her two little 
 friends, they as certainly loved to have 
 her, and nothing was nicer for all three 
 than to go on a frolic with the mules. 
 Mrs. Grey often trusted them with Gene 
 when they went alone, but she could not 
 have let the child go with the spirited 
 company of that June day without Uncle 
 Sam. 
 
 The gay cavalcade soon passed the 
 little railroad station and jogged on mer 
 rily into the country about a mile, when 
 they drew up before a beautiful old plan 
 tation home, where the Carter children's 
 maternal grandmother lived.
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 29 
 
 They halted before the gate with a 
 chorus of gay " Helios," and grand 
 mother, a round, smiling old lady, soon 
 came slowly down the front walk to meet 
 them. Of course there must always be 
 some " make-believe," and she was ready 
 for it. 
 
 " Howdy! " said Hannie, who was usu 
 ally spokeswoman, as grandmother came 
 near to them. " Can you keep a poor 
 family for a little while and let 'em rest 
 a spell, lady? " 
 
 " Why, certainly," replied grand 
 mother, " just light and hitch," falling 
 into the parlance of " poor whites." 
 " Are these all your children? " she went 
 on. 
 
 " Yes, they're all mine," said Hannie, 
 while the rest giggled behind one an 
 other in delight, " but they are not all 
 I've got. Most of my children are at
 
 30 The Blossom Shop 
 
 home with the measles," and then they 
 laughed outright. 
 
 " Is that so? " cried grandmother, 
 pushing up her spectacles. " Well, you 
 shall have some sassafras to take back 
 with you and make tea to bring the 
 measles out good, and your ' chillun ' 
 will soon be well." 
 
 " Thank you so much, lady. I've 
 heard how good you are, and that's the 
 reason I come to see you." 
 
 "Just get right down, all of you, for 
 I know you will be needing some tea 
 cakes and lemonade. But I want the 
 dear little girl in the middle first," and 
 Uncle Sam, grinning in as much enjoy 
 ment as the children, handed Gene down 
 to the motherly arms of Grandmother 
 Butler. 
 
 Into the house they trooped and over 
 flowed the place, running riot every-
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 31 
 
 where. Somebody always had hold of 
 Gene's hand, and her little feet went fly 
 ing with the rest. 
 
 They played hide-and-seek, prisoner's 
 base, and " Chickie me, chickie me, 
 cranie crow," out under the big trees, till, 
 breathless at last, they sat down on the 
 front porch steps, and then grandmother 
 served the lemonade and tea cakes. 
 How delicious it was! 
 
 As they sat there in comparative quiet, 
 Gene said ecstatically, " Grandmothers 
 are so nice, aren't they? I wish I had 
 just one grandmother," with a little plain 
 tive note in her voice. 
 
 " Well, your Grandmother Dawson 
 was all right," spoke up a clear little 
 voice, " but I should think you'd be glad 
 your Grandmother Grey was dead, she 
 
 was so mean." 
 
 The listeners all were appalled at the
 
 32 The Blossom Shop 
 
 child's frankness, and frightened wonder 
 flashed upon Gene's sweet face, which in 
 the moment's silence following the 
 speech settled into little hurt quivers 
 about the mouth. 
 
 Then Hannie Carter sprang noise 
 lessly for the offending child and taking 
 her stoutly by the arm hurried her away, 
 while May with quick tact took Gene's 
 hand in hers and cried: 
 
 " Oh, I know what let's do! Get 
 grandmother to tell us a story about when 
 she was a little girl! Won't you, grand 
 mother, dear? " and the story began 
 promptly. 
 
 When Hannie had the small offender 
 out of hearing, she demanded: 
 
 " Oh, what made you say that? " 
 
 The little girl looked frightened, and 
 faltered: 
 
 " I didn't mean to don't Gene know
 
 A Gay Cavalcade 33 
 
 her Grandmother Grey was mean - - 1 
 thought everybody knew it," the child 
 ended stoutly. 
 
 " No, she doesn't," declared Hannie 
 emphatically, " and I know Mrs. Grey 
 wouldn't have her told for anything!" 
 
 " I didn't know," said the other begin 
 ning to cry, and Hannie Carter, always 
 big-hearted and blundering herself, put 
 her arms about the little transgressor 
 repentantly : 
 
 " Never mind. I hear grandmother 
 telling a lovely story, we'll go back and I 
 reckon Gene will forget all about it." 
 
 But Gene did not forget; she was quiet 
 during the rest of the stay and the ride 
 home, though the children scarcely no 
 ticed, so gay were they themselves.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 WAS GRANDMOTHER GREY MEAN? 
 
 .L/ATE in the afternoon when Gene and 
 Mrs. Grey strolled together among the 
 flowers in their own big yard, the child 
 made her mother's heart stand still when 
 she asked: 
 
 " Mother, was my Grandmother Grey 
 mean? " 
 
 Mrs. Grey knew instantly some one 
 had been talking to her, and that bitter 
 hidden thing in her breast beat with sud 
 den fury against long restraint, but after 
 a moment's pause to steady herself, she 
 replied: 
 
 " No, dear, I do not think your Grand 
 mother Grey was mean. I never saw 
 
 84
 
 Was Grandmother Grey Mean? 35 
 
 her, but your father loved her most ten 
 derly." 
 
 " Why did Susie Milton say she was 
 mean, then? " 
 
 " There is a story I meant to tell my 
 little girl when she was older " 
 
 " Oh, mother, tell me now, I can't 
 be wondering if Susie was right about 
 my dear Grandmother Grey," and the 
 little slender hands clung pleadingly to 
 the mother's. 
 
 " Well, dearie," said Mrs. Grey 
 slowly, girding herself for the task of 
 making the story meet for such a hearing, 
 " it is just a little bit of a story. Your 
 father's home was in the North, but he 
 was South one winter on business, and he 
 met me and wanted that we should stay 
 together as long as we lived. He wrote 
 his father and mother a letter telling 
 them he wanted to marry a southern girl,
 
 36 The Blossom Shop 
 
 but you know in that dreadful war, we 
 had not so very long ago, the war be 
 tween brothers north and south, many 
 people in the North learned to dislike 
 people in the South, and many in the 
 South to dislike those in the North. Your 
 Grandfather Grey was one who felt very 
 bitterly toward southern people, and he 
 was extremely angry when your father 
 wanted to marry a southern girl, so 
 angry that he never forgave father. So 
 we always lived here, and your father 
 never went to his home again. But 
 Grandmother Grey wrote to him always, 
 and to you and me after he was gone. 
 In less than a year after your dear father 
 left us, Grandfather and Grandmother 
 Grey both died the same night. It was 
 thought that the shock of his death, com 
 ing in the night while she was alone with 
 him, caused her death, for she was
 
 Was Grandmother Grey Mean? 37 
 
 found kneeling beside his bed the next 
 morning." Feeling the little hand 
 tighten nervously upon her own, the 
 mother went on steadily: 
 
 " It was a beautiful way for the two 
 to go to Heaven, to go together after 
 so many years with one another on earth." 
 Then there was a pause for several min 
 utes. 
 
 " Well, I don't see why they call 
 grandmother mean," said Gene, at last, 
 a little indignantly. 
 
 " It is unjust, I am sure, so far as she 
 was concerned," replied the mother 
 quietly. " But your grandfather was a 
 very wealthy man and he did not leave 
 you, his son's little girl, a cent of his 
 money," the words were a bit crisper 
 now. " I believe grandmother would 
 have been glad to leave it all to you," 
 softening again, "but she did not have
 
 38 The Blossom Shop 
 
 the opportunity, and yet people generally 
 blame them both, so that is probably why 
 Susie said what she did. The money all 
 went to your grandfather's sister, a 
 maiden lady, your great-aunt, with 
 plenty of money of her own. Some day 
 I will show you the letter she wrote to 
 us telling us all about it. And now, 
 dearie," firmly, " I want you to love 
 Grandmother Grey just as you always 
 have, and Grandfather Grey, too, for 
 I don't doubt he thought he was doing 
 exactly right," she compelled herself to 
 add. 
 
 " Your father always said he was a 
 very upright and kind man, though very 
 stern." 
 
 The two walked quietly a few minutes 
 more and then Gene began: 
 
 " Mother dear, read me the letter from 
 my great-aunt" She never forgot what
 
 Was Grandmother Grey Mean? 39 
 
 she heard, the little ears held tenaciously 
 what came to them, to make up for what 
 the eyes failed to bring. 
 
 Knowing that the child would not rest 
 until she knew all, Mrs. Grey at once led 
 Gene into the house and took from her 
 desk drawer a letter some four years old. 
 
 Long restraint was standing the high- 
 spirited young mother in good stead in 
 this unexpected crisis. 
 
 She drew Gene down beside her on 
 the library couch, and folding an arm 
 quietly about her began the reading: 
 
 "MRS. EUGENE GREY. 
 
 "DEAR MADAM: My previous let 
 ter of last week gave you the details of the 
 death of my dear brother James and his 
 wife, father and mother of your late hus 
 band. I write now to tell you that by the 
 terms of my brother's will, which has just
 
 40 The Blossom Shop 
 
 been probated, I, his only sister and near 
 relative, am made sole heir to his estate. 
 Lydia, his beloved wife, was given a life 
 time interest, which in the providence 
 of God was exceedingly brief. I can but 
 carry out conscientiously the wishes of 
 my esteemed brother, on whose wise 
 judgment I have always relied. It 
 seemed to him unwise to turn over to 
 you and your child, the earnings of 
 his busy life, and I respect his conclu 
 sions." 
 
 Between indignation, resentment and 
 protective tenderness for the unseeing 
 child the mother's heart was in a tumult 
 as she approached the next sentence. 
 Never had she taken advantage of the 
 child's infirmity for real deception, but 
 she could not read quietly aloud the fol 
 lowing cruel words:
 
 " I realize that your child is blind, but 
 can only remind you that this was prob 
 ably in the providence of God a judg 
 ment sent upon poor, erring Eugene for 
 his utter disregard of parental authority. 
 See Exodus, twentieth chapter, verse five. 
 And even if I should be willing to set 
 aside my brother's wishes, I dare not in 
 terfere with the dispensations of Provi 
 dence." 
 
 Desperately Mrs. Grey plunged past 
 this, touching the letter at a point below. 
 
 " Lydia, the wife of my brother James, 
 fully forgave her son, your husband, and 
 would gladly have given his widow and 
 his child everything she possessed, so I 
 am sending you by express, at my ex 
 pense, a trunk full of her clothing, of 
 which I am sure you can make use, if
 
 42 The Blossom Shop 
 
 properly brought up in economy and 
 thrift. 
 
 " Yours sincerely and faithfully, 
 " MARTHA GREY." 
 
 There had been times when Mrs. Grey 
 had found grim humor in this part of the 
 letter, but for the little girl's ears it 
 seemed so cold and hard that the mother's 
 breast heaved as she finished, though her 
 voice was still steady, and holding her 
 self firmly she went on at last in a matter- 
 of-fact way: 
 
 " Now, dearie, Mr. Carter said he was 
 sure we could break that will of your 
 grandfather's and get all the money, and 
 he urged me to do it, but, sweetheart, 
 would we want it if grandfather didn't 
 want us to have it? " 
 
 And the little figure straightened in 
 the mother's arms, with the blood of
 
 Was Grandmother Grey Mean? 43 
 
 proud ancestry both north and south, and 
 said with the firmness of a mature 
 woman : 
 
 "No, mother, no!" 
 
 The mother gathered the little one to 
 her heart with tears quivering upon the 
 proud gleam in her eyes, but not one 
 drop was allowed to touch the small 
 head, lest it bring distress to that brave 
 little spirit. 
 
 After a moment the child asked softly: 
 
 " Mother, did the trunk ever come? " 
 
 " Yes, dear." 
 
 Another pause, but Mrs. Grey knew 
 well what the child wanted, so she went 
 on: 
 
 " I have never opened it, darling. I 
 am waiting till you are grown, when I 
 shall be stouter-hearted, I hope, and you, 
 my precious little girl, may be standing 
 beside me then, looking with me."
 
 44 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " Oh, won't that be lovely! I believe 
 I will, mother, I do truly! " 
 
 Then, after a moment, the child turned 
 with some instinct toward the setting sun, 
 questioning wistfully: 
 
 " Tell me how the sun sets, mother." 
 
 And Mrs. Grey, summoning her accus 
 tomed gaiety, repeated rhythmically: 
 
 " How he sets I know not, 
 There seems a purple stile 
 Which little yellow boys and girls 
 Are climbing all the while." 
 
 paraphrasing a bit upon the little sun 
 poem they had recently come to love. 
 
 " I'm glad the little yellow boys and 
 girls are still there," said the child joy 
 ously, and the mother knew it meant to 
 the little girl who could not see a subtle 
 reassurance of the joys of life after a first 
 touch of its bitterness and its sorrow.
 
 m 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 UNCLE SAM'S ECONOMIES 
 
 IDUT it had been a day of unusual emo 
 tion for Mrs. Grey with all this going 
 over of past things, and when Gene was 
 in her little bed asleep the mother paced 
 the cape jessamine walk from the front 
 piazza to the front gate, again and again. 
 The full moon turned every snow-white 
 jessamine into a silver star of hope, and 
 at last she stopped beside them murmur 
 ing: 
 
 " Yes, yes, I believe her sight will 
 come, but I must know, I cannot bear 
 suspense any longer." 
 
 Then she went around the house to 
 Uncle Sam's cabin and found him sit- 
 
 45
 
 46 The Blossom Shop 
 
 ting on his door-step, smoking a cob- 
 pipe. He rose as quickly as his stiff 
 joints would let him. 
 
 " Uncle Sam," she began hurriedly, 
 " I do not know if there is really any 
 hope that Gene will ever see. I feel I 
 just cannot stand the suspense any 
 longer," and her voice ended in a sob. 
 
 The old negro shuffled noisily on the 
 step to cover the break in her voice, and 
 said hastily: 
 
 " Yas'm, Miss Alice, yas'm, er co'se 
 ye gotter know. Hit Stan's ter reason ye 
 can't wait." 
 
 By this time she had regained control 
 and went on steadily: 
 
 " I must take Gene away to some eye 
 specialist and have her eyes thoroughly 
 examined." 
 
 " Yas'm, yas'm, I shore would," re 
 turned the old darky heartily.
 
 Uncle Sam's Economies 47 
 
 " We've got a good bit of money in the 
 bank now, and I believe it would help 
 me to get more if I knew definitely there 
 was hope." 
 
 " Er co'se hit would!" old Sam ex 
 claimed. 
 
 So the next week Mrs. Grey stood in 
 the doctor's office at the nearest large 
 town, while he examined the little girl's 
 eyes. 
 
 With utmost care the physician made 
 every test, while the mother steadily held 
 a small, tense hand, her heart almost 
 breaking with suspense, but showing no 
 sign. 
 
 At last the physician said cheerily: 
 
 " Now, we will go out where there is 
 the sweetest bird singing, and you can 
 listen, little one, while mother and I 
 come back here for a talk." 
 
 So Gene was comfortably seated be-
 
 48 The Blossom Shop 
 
 side a warbling canary, and Mrs. Grey 
 went back with the doctor to the consult 
 ing-room. 
 
 She stood before him unable to ask a 
 question, but the doctor did not wait. 
 
 " Madam, I believe Dr. Eastman of 
 New York can give your child sight. 
 Mind you, I believe'' he said sternly, 
 seeing the rush of joy. 
 
 " I haven't the skill," he went on a lit 
 tle sadly, " but I think Dr. Eastman has." 
 
 There was silence a moment as she 
 struggled to stem with his uncertainty 
 the tide of joy within her, lest hope over 
 whelm her. At last she asked: 
 
 " It will cost a great deal? " 
 
 " Yes," said the doctor, letting his 
 glance rest keenly upon her face instead 
 of upon her quiet, tasteful costume, which 
 might have meant either wealth or pov 
 erty. " There is no hurry for another
 
 Uncle Sam's Economies 49 
 
 year or two; it might be better to wait 
 until she is a year or two older." 
 
 " Thank you," returned Mrs. Grey 
 with warm gratitude. Time would 
 mean much to her slowly growing bank 
 account. 
 
 She settled her bill with the doctor, 
 which his keen insight led him to make 
 extremely moderate, and then the mother 
 went to the little room where the child 
 waited alone. 
 
 The canary was fairly throbbing with 
 his outpour of melody, but the little one 
 sat waiting with tightly clasped hands, 
 straining for the sound of her mother's 
 footstep. She did not even rush for 
 ward when it came at last, but still sat 
 tensely immovable, like a beautiful 
 waxen flower. 
 
 " Darling," exclaimed Mrs. Grey, 
 kneeling gently before the child and
 
 50 The Blossom Shop 
 
 clasping her with repressed joy, " the big 
 doctor thinks you may see some day." 
 
 The little face quivered pitifully a mo 
 ment, then joy flashed over it. 
 
 " I am so glad, mother, for you ; but 
 I don't mind not seeing, I b'lieve I'm 
 most afraid of seeing, --I'd rather trust 
 you and God and Uncle Sam," with a 
 little tremulous laugh. 
 
 The doctor standing in the doorway 
 dropped back, brushing his eyes fur 
 tively. 
 
 When Mrs. Grey returned home with 
 Gene and told the joyful news, she had 
 serious trouble with Uncle Sam. The 
 old darky, who had continued with his 
 " white folks " after the war was over and 
 freedom declared, had always refused 
 wages, saying: " He jes' wanted what he 
 needed lack the res' of the fambly," and 
 when the failure of a bank and death left
 
 Uncle Sam's Economies 51 
 
 Mrs. Grey with a very small income, his 
 needs grew remarkably few. She had 
 trouble constantly to make him take suf 
 ficient money from her for reasonable 
 comfort. But when Sam learned that 
 sight awaited little Gene, the idol of his 
 warm old heart, so soon as there was 
 money enough for the trip to New York, 
 and to pay the big doctor there, Mrs. 
 Grey could hardly keep clothes on his 
 back and shoes on his feet. 
 
 She urged him to get new footwear 
 without avail, and at last as cold weather 
 came on, she handed him a pair of stout 
 new shoes which she had herself bought 
 for him. 
 
 " Now, Miss Alice," said old Sam 
 with righteous indignation in his voice, 
 " I tole you I didn't need no shoes." 
 Then as his protruding toes bound in rags 
 proclaimed the falsity of that statement,
 
 52 The Blossom Shop 
 
 he qualified it with another: " Leastways 
 I can't wear 'em, kase my foots is kinder 
 sore-like, and they has ter have air," he 
 ended deprecatingly. 
 
 Mrs Grey hid a tender smile, but in 
 sisted firmly that he must wear the 
 shoes. 
 
 iVery soon he began coming to her 
 with odd sums of money; he had sold a 
 few potatoes " outen the garden " or 
 some chestnuts " offen the aidge of the 
 place," and she grew sorely troubled over 
 the matter, but the old negro's joy was 
 so great and the sums were so small that 
 she hadn't the heart to refuse them. 
 
 Sam suffered much with rheumatism, 
 as winter came on. A good-natured 
 young white boy hearing him complain, 
 took a flask of whisky from his pocket 
 and handing it to the old fellow, said: 
 
 " Here, take this, Uncle Sam, it will
 
 Uncle Sam's Economies 53 
 
 cure you of that ' rheumatiz,' and I s'pose 
 it ain't good for me." 
 
 Old Sam smiled with delight, having a 
 negro's weakness for whisky, and ambled 
 to his cabin with alacrity. But as he was 
 about to pour out a good, stiff drink, he 
 stayed his hand. 
 
 " Look here, I'se a good church mem 
 ber, an' I specs I better let dis stuff er 
 lone." 
 
 " But there is the rheumatiz," said the 
 tempter, " hit's jes' gwine ter cure dat, 
 'tain't no sin ter take medicine." 
 
 How the battle between the church 
 member's conscience and the tempter 
 would have ended is uncertain, but sud 
 denly there flashed before the old darky 
 a vision of a little sweet face and small 
 groping hands. 
 
 He put the bottle down instantly, the 
 liquor untasted.
 
 54 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " I kin sell dat out ter niggers in dis 
 here dry town, an' get a lot o' money 
 outer it fer Miss Alice's bank," he said, 
 and the church member's conscience did 
 not seem in the least astir on this point. 
 He watered it freely and sold it out by 
 the swallow! 
 
 Mrs. Grey looked greatly troubled 
 when he handed her some money a few 
 nights later. She could not imagine 
 where he got so large a sum. 
 
 He grinned delightedly: "Now, Miss 
 Alice, don't be pesterin' your head. I 
 earned hit all right here on dis 
 place." 
 
 He began also to look askance upon all 
 needless expenditures of the family. 
 
 One day he stood by Mrs. Grey while 
 she fried some fritters for their dinner. 
 " Miss Alice," he ventured, " dem takes 
 a heap er lard."
 
 Uncle Sam's Economies 55 
 
 " Yes, they do," Mrs. Grey acknowl 
 edged. 
 
 " I don't think yer can 'ford 'em, Miss 
 Alice," he said solemnly. 
 
 And her laugh rang out as she de 
 clared, " Now, Uncle Sam, you are not 
 going to persuade me to give up fritters," 
 for nobody cared so much for them as 
 Uncle Sam himself.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 LOVE TURNED AWAY 
 
 WHEN their friends, the Carters, 
 learned of the glad possibility for Gene, 
 Mr. Carter, big, strong, gentle, a very 
 well-to-do lawyer, came at once to see 
 Mrs. Grey. He had come before with 
 fruitless errand of the heart, but now his 
 fine dark eyes were alight with fresh 
 hope, his broad shoulders thrown back 
 and his step eager. 
 
 It was evening and she sat alone on 
 her piazza gowned in the white she usu 
 ally wore, and full of the charm which 
 had long ago mastered him. She saw 
 his tall, well-built figure turn into her 
 gate, and watched its graceful, vigor- 
 
 66
 
 Love Turned Away 57 
 
 ous swing as he came, hat in hand, with 
 quick stride up the walk, the moonlight 
 first outlining his fine head with its 
 waving dark brown hair and then re 
 vealing the smooth high-bred face, 
 stamped for woman's love and trust, 
 and her alert eye caught the spirit of 
 braced shoulders and eager step, putting 
 her instantly on the defensive. 
 
 She greeted him in easy, friendly cour 
 tesy, then said with bantering gaiety: 
 
 " I'm so glad you've come ! I've found 
 a new poet whom you will want to 
 know." They were both lovers of books. 
 
 " Alice, " he began in strong, reso 
 nant tones that had nothing to do with 
 poetry, she knew. Being older than she 
 he had domineered over her when they 
 were children, she had often told him, 
 and always expected to, it seemed. 
 
 " Now, John," she broke in, " I am
 
 58 The Blossom Shop 
 
 literary this evening, encourage me, 
 it is so hard for a business woman to find 
 time for such things, - ' and she well 
 knew how he hated the thought of busi 
 ness for her. " The new poet is Emily 
 Dickinson. A college friend in the East 
 sent the book to me not long ago, and 
 Emily certainly has more delightful 
 quirks and turns, more unexpectedness 
 than any one I know. I want to give 
 you some things that Gene and I have 
 been so charmed with." 
 
 " All right," the man returned at last 
 quietly, " if you still want to when I have 
 said something to you." 
 
 " But, do you think that is polite," she 
 returned, " to thrust in first the thing 
 which interests you?" 
 
 Sometimes in the past she had been 
 able to capture his interest with her 
 womanly gaiety and completely foil his
 
 Love Turned Away 59 
 
 intentions, but now she knew intuitively 
 that her banter was hopeless, and yet 
 something drove her desperately on. 
 "Just listen to this," she said: 
 
 " * I'm nobody! Who are you? 
 Are you nobody, too? 
 Then there's a pair of us don't tell, 
 They'd banish us, you know.' 
 
 " Gene thinks that is delightful. 
 There is more of it. We have said it 
 over till we know it by heart. This is 
 another Gene and I love: 
 
 " l I'll tell you how the sun rose, 
 A ribbon at a time. 
 The steeples swam in amethyst, 
 The news like squirrels ran. 
 
 "'The hills untied their bonnets, 
 The bobolinks begun. 
 Then I said softly to myself, 
 "That must have been the sun!"'
 
 60 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " Gene makes me say that to her every 
 morning, and at sunset we have the other 
 half: 
 
 " ' But how he sets, I know not. 
 There seemed a purple stile 
 Which little yellow boys and girls 
 Were climbing all the while. 
 
 '"Till when they reached the other side 
 A dominee in gray 
 Put gently up the evening bars, 
 And led the flock away.' ' 
 
 A patch of moonlight flickered 
 through the trees upon her lovely face 
 as she recited the little poem in her soft 
 lilting way, while underneath the gaiety 
 in a strain of pathos ran an undefined 
 yearning to draw him into the common 
 joys of life with her, the daily morn 
 ing sunrise and the beauty of the sunset, 
 since she could not meet the full de-
 
 Love Turned Away 61 
 
 mand of his heart. But utter silence 
 gave back the sweet allurement and her 
 gaiety ran completely down. 
 
 " I can talk about but one thing to 
 night, Alice," the man said firmly at last, 
 " and you must listen," was added with 
 the masterful note in his voice before 
 which woman capitulates. 
 
 There was a moment's silence again, 
 then: 
 
 " Alice," he repeated, " I am here to 
 ask you once more, come to me and 
 let me care for you and Gene," and his 
 voice, dropping the masterful tone, held 
 a tender, glad thrill of renewed hope. 
 
 " Oh, don't, John," she exclaimed, lean 
 ing forward in tense earnestness, " for I 
 cannot, I must not be tempted. It is 
 not sure that she can ever see, and you 
 know I have told you that my little help 
 less child must have all my mother-heart;
 
 62 The Blossom Shop 
 
 I could not give your children equal 
 measure, and I would not offer them 
 scant mother-love, when they have been 
 denied it nearly all their little lives. 
 Please do not say any more about it." 
 
 A long silence fell between them. 
 John Carter scorned to plead the need 
 of himself or his children, though, had he 
 chosen, he might have presented their 
 case most eloquently. He was a lawyer 
 of ability, but the little southern town did 
 not offer great things even in return for 
 ability, and Mammy Sue administered 
 the affairs of his household with an ex 
 ceedingly lavish hand. She had been 
 trained in the affluence of ante-bellum 
 days and now disdained economy. His 
 motherless little girls were not being 
 reared to meet the necessities of the new 
 south. They never dressed themselves or 
 cared for their clothes, and when Mr.
 
 Love Turned Away 63 
 
 Carter suggested that they should be 
 taught these things, and to sew as well, 
 Mammy Sue's nose went high in the air. 
 And yet she was &o capable, so high- 
 minded in the best as well as in the fool 
 ish sense that he could not afford to lose 
 her. In fact, dismissing Mammy Sue 
 would have been a most difficult process. 
 Neither she nor the children dreamed 
 that such a step was physically possible 
 except through death. Had she not be 
 longed to Mr. Carter's mother and her 
 ancestors to the Carter family for genera 
 tions back? So Mr. Carter had to see 
 his children being poorly prepared for 
 their probable future, when close at 
 hand was the one who could train them 
 with consummate womanly skill, and, at 
 the same time, one with the delicate, tact 
 and understanding necessary to recon 
 struct Mammy Sue's views of life. As
 
 64 The Blossom Shop 
 
 for himself, he simply could not do it; 
 after his most well-directed effort with 
 her he could vividly imagine the scorn 
 with which she inwardly proclaimed: 
 
 " Men-folks don't know nothin' 'bout 
 things! Reckon I's gwine to listen to 
 him and make my chillum jes' lack po' 
 white trash? Not ef I kin he'p it, -- I'll 
 work dese ole fingers to de bone fust!" 
 
 But John Carter never mentioned 
 these things to Alice Grey. He offered 
 her the strong, abundant love of his ma 
 ture manhood, a love based upon early 
 youth's first passion. Another love had 
 intervened, but he knew now that it had 
 been a far lighter bond of the soul, sweet 
 and true though it had seemed. He had 
 offered the woman of his early and ma 
 ture love and her helpless child again 
 and again the highest, best that was in 
 him, should that not be enough? He
 
 65 
 
 would not dwell upon it again, and he 
 could not plead any need of his that her 
 heart did not voluntarily come out to 
 meet. 
 
 So after the long silence John Carter 
 braced himself and said again gently: 
 
 " Alice, let me advance you the money 
 to have this operation performed. I am 
 able to do it." 
 
 She leaned back in her chair and 
 looked away from him for a moment, 
 then replied firmly: 
 
 " I thank you, John, but I might never 
 be able to pay you." 
 
 " I don't care if you don't," were 
 words which leaped hotly to his lips, but 
 he restrained himself, and said quietly 
 instead: 
 
 " Oh, yes, you will, you are sure to, 
 but it will be so much easier if you 
 take your time getting the money. If you
 
 66 The Blossom Shop 
 
 must earn it while the little girl is wait 
 ing for sight, you will feel so hurried." 
 
 Her lips trembled at the tenderness 
 which the last held, but grew firm again 
 instantly. 
 
 " I must earn the money first, John," 
 she said, putting out a hand to him, and 
 he knew that was final.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 HURRAH FOR THE BLOSSOM SHOP! 
 
 bit of available space had 
 been long planted in cape jessamines on 
 the old place, and Mrs. Grey had ex 
 tended the business as far as possible, but 
 in spite of all her industry and economy, 
 together with Uncle Sam's surreptitious 
 earnings, the bank account increased very 
 slowly in the light of that new hope. 
 She grew restless and troubled. 
 
 Along the middle of November, one 
 beautiful clear day, the Carter children 
 had Gene between them on old Queen's 
 back. When they rode up to the door 
 after an hour in the woods, the old mule 
 
 67
 
 68 The Blossom Shop 
 
 was much festooned with wild southern 
 smilax, looking very gay, if long-suffer 
 ing withal. 
 
 "Isn't old Queen beautiful?" cried 
 Hannie. 
 
 " She is," laughed Mrs. Grey, and 
 then an idea flashed instantly through her 
 mind. " Wouldn't that smilax be fine 
 for house decorations! I am going to 
 send samples of it to northern florists!" 
 were her inward declarations. 
 
 Next day she had old Sam go out to 
 the woods and gather enough to make up 
 a number of sample boxes, which she 
 shipped at once to the dealers whom she 
 supplied with jessamines. 
 
 A few days later came a dispatch from 
 a Chicago firm ordering a number of 
 pounds immediately. 
 
 Mrs. Grey had no idea how to estimate 
 the weight of the amount sent to this
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 69 
 
 order, but she had Uncle Sam get out the 
 old surrey and horse and she and Gene 
 drove, in fine spirits, out in the woods 
 for the smilax. They gathered beauti 
 ful, graceful sprays in armfuls and piled 
 them into the surrey until, when they 
 started home, it looked like a veritable 
 traveling evergreen. 
 
 Gene put out her little hands, touching 
 leaves everywhere, and laughed in glee 
 as she said: 
 
 " Oh, mother, what will they do with 
 all this?" 
 
 They hurried home, packed a big box 
 and sent it off post-haste. But when a 
 letter came back in equal haste, Mts. 
 Grey held her breath at its angry vehe 
 mence. 
 
 Then a ringing laugh followed as she 
 saw the ludicrous in it all. " Oh, Gene 
 darling, they are scolding us dreadfully,"
 
 70 
 
 she said at last between the ripples of 
 laughter. "Just listen: 
 
 " ' EUGENE GREY & Co., 
 
 " l DEAR SIRS: ' " she read, in the big 
 scary voice, laying a hand on Gene's as 
 it rested on her knee. 
 
 The little girl was all eager expecta 
 tion. 
 
 " t You certainly know absolutely noth 
 ing about the flower business. I wired 
 you to ship me - - Ibs. of your southern 
 smilax, as you call it, and you sent me 
 barely a quarter of that amount. You 
 caused me to disappoint a most valued 
 customer. I ought to withhold payment 
 for the miserable little lot you sent, but 
 here's your check. 
 
 " ' Get a move on you now, won't you,
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 71 
 
 and ship me Ibs. more by return ex 
 press.' ' 
 
 "Oh, mother, isn't he mad!" said 
 Gene, her small face full of wonder. 
 
 Mrs. Grey fluttered a check happily, 
 and reassured her with: 
 
 " Oh, we must just get lots more at 
 once, and next time we must weigh it and 
 know exactly what we are about." 
 
 A letter followed from the firm in 
 New York who had so kindly shown 
 them how to pack cape jessamines, and 
 it said, " If you are shipping this for the 
 first time, as we judge from your note 
 with sample box, we may be able to help 
 with suggestion for weighing and pack 
 ing," and then followed some most help 
 ful hints. Other florists sent orders and 
 Eugene Grey & Co. found themselves 
 with much business on hand. The Bios-
 
 72 The Blossom Shop 
 
 som Shop, as they always playfully called 
 the old place now, was in much excite 
 ment, indeed quite flustered. 
 
 " We must propitiate that Chicago 
 man first," said Mrs. Grey. It was late 
 Friday afternoon; she must think fast. 
 
 " Uncle Sam, hitch up the spring 
 wagon, go up town as quickly as you can 
 and get me half a dozen large goods 
 boxes. Get them weighed and have the 
 weight marked upon each one. Then to 
 morrow we will go into the woods for 
 our smilax." 
 
 " Oh, let us go too, please, Mrs. Grey," 
 begged Hannie Carter, who with May 
 and Gene were playing within hearing. 
 
 " I am afraid there will not be room 
 for you," said Mrs. Grey. " I wasn't 
 even going to take Gene, but leave her 
 with you." 
 
 " That would be nice," replied Hannie
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 73 
 
 a little tamely, " but oh, Mrs. Grey, we 
 would go on old Queen, with Gene be 
 tween us, and that would be lovely!" 
 she ended enthusiastically. 
 
 Mrs. Grey, looking into the three little, 
 eager faces, could not refuse, even though 
 she felt it to be too strictly a business ex 
 pedition for enjoyment, so she said at 
 last: "Very well." 
 
 Uncle Sam came in later with the big 
 boxes properly weighed, and by bedtime 
 everything was made ready for an early 
 start and an all day in the woods. 
 
 To Mrs. Grey's surprise, instead of the 
 Carter children coming on old Queen 
 next morning, they hailed her gaily from 
 the broad seat of the big Carter wagon 
 with King and Queen in the traces, and 
 the Carters' man-servant riding Queen 
 and driving. 
 
 " Here we are, Mrs. Grey. Do
 
 74 The Blossom. Shop 
 
 p-1-e-a-s-e let Gene come with us," they 
 cried. 
 
 Mrs. Grey smiled, and murmured 
 under her breath, " I see, John Carter, 
 you are determined to help me." 
 
 Uncle Sam lifted Gene to a place be 
 tween Hannie and May who hugged her 
 rapturously, and then from beneath the 
 broad spring-seat upon which they sat 
 came a sudden squawking cry of " Get 
 up, get up," and Hannie and May gig 
 gled uncontrollably. 
 
 " Now, Polly," Hannie cried re 
 proachfully when she could speak, " we 
 told you to keep still and not let anybody 
 know you were there." Then turning to 
 Mrs. Grey she said with apologetic 
 pleading, " Oh, Mrs. Grey, Polly wanted 
 to come so badly we just couldn't leave 
 her. You don't mind, do you? " she 
 ended ingratiatingly, and Mrs. Grey
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 75 
 
 could only smile back indulgently as she 
 climbed into her spring wagon with 
 Uncle Sam beside her. 
 
 She had loved the woods all her life 
 and knew just where the smilax grew 
 most abundantly, so after a drive of two 
 or three miles they halted in a beautiful 
 grove upon the bank of a creek. Every 
 where the hardy vine wove its lacy 
 beauty. The satiny leaves, veined melon- 
 like and curled a bit at the ends, sprang 
 abundantly from slender stems and over 
 spread the ground, bushes and small trees 
 in riotous profusion. 
 
 The children tumbled gaily out of the 
 big wagon, only Gene waiting for Uncle 
 Sam's help. Polly was lifted down last 
 in her cage, squawking, " Polly too, 
 Polly too," which was always her cry 
 when the children were starting any 
 where. They hung her cage from a low
 
 76 The Blossom Shop 
 
 limb and she kept up a constant chatter 
 while the children worked. 
 
 Soon everybody was busy cutting the 
 long, beautiful sprays of smilax. Even 
 Gene had a pair of scissors, and her little 
 fingers skillfully traced a spray to the 
 main stem or root and clipped industri 
 ously like the rest. 
 
 " Oh, there is enough smilax here for 
 the whole world," declared Hannie, who 
 always saw things largely. 
 
 " What will folks do with it, Mrs. 
 Grey? " asked May. 
 
 " They will decorate their houses for 
 Christmas, I suspect, and churches, too, 
 perhaps," she replied. 
 
 " And we can send some to the chil 
 dren's hospital, can't we, mother? " asked 
 Gene eagerly. 
 
 " I think so," returned Mrs. Grey. 
 " Little white beds would be very pretty
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 77 
 
 for Christmas with these vines around 
 them." 
 
 " Oh, won't they? " cried Gene. " I 
 can just see them! " 
 
 And according to Mrs. Browning: 
 
 " Folded eyes see brighter colors than 
 the open ever do." 
 
 " And oh, some of it will be for wed 
 dings," Gene went on, with certainty, 
 ending fervently, "I do love weddings! 
 I wish we could have one at our house." 
 
 " Oh, Mrs. Grey," began Hannie, with 
 emphasis, dropping her work for a 
 minute, " you know Sally, the new house 
 girl we had last week. Well, she said one 
 night that our papa might marry just any 
 day! Oh, I was so mad! I didn't believe 
 it, but I asked her who, and she said c Jes' 
 anybody.' We told her that it wasn't so, 
 but we were so scared it was that
 
 78 The Blossom Shop 
 
 we couldn't go to sleep. We read a 
 dreadful story about a stepmother once, 
 and we are so afraid of 'em! " 
 
 " Stepmother, stepmother," screamed 
 Polly. 
 
 Everybody stopped in astonishment, 
 but Hannie exclaimed indignantly, " Yes, 
 that mean Sally taught Polly that, and 
 Mammy Sue sent her flying when she 
 found it out, she didn't wait for papa 
 to come home." Turning to Polly then, 
 she scolded, " Polly Carter, if you ever 
 say that again, we'll never take you with 
 us anywhere! " 
 
 Polly knew she was being seriously re 
 buked, and looking meekly out of the 
 corner of her eye, said nothing more for 
 quite a time. 
 
 After a moment Hannie went on with 
 her story. 
 
 " We just lay in bed that night and
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 79 
 
 cried and cried, and I don't believe we 
 ever could have stopped, but at last May 
 said, ' Oh, Hannie, if our papa does 
 marry, he may marry somebody just like 
 Mrs. Grey,' and I was so glad she 
 thought of that, and we turned right over 
 and went to sleep." 
 
 It was said with all the frank inno 
 cence of childhood, and Mrs. Grey only 
 replied: 
 
 " That was dear of you to think of me 
 in so kind a way." 
 
 The Carters' man worked with an en 
 ergy that suggested more than a philan 
 thropic interest in the day's results; old 
 Sam was faithful as usual, and the chil 
 dren worked as well as Mrs. Grey would 
 allow, for she could not let them tire 
 themselves out in her behalf, as they 
 were quite ready to do. The lunch 
 spread on the ground was delicious, the
 
 80 The Blossom Shop 
 
 children had great fun with Polly, and 
 Hannie said when they drove home in 
 the afternoon, with both wagons heaped 
 with smilax, " it had been a beautiful 
 day!" 
 
 But Mrs. Grey's mind was very busy, 
 and she could hardly pause for tempo 
 rary satisfaction. The smilax was firm, 
 would keep for weeks without wilting, 
 it was abundant, and judging from the 
 response to samples already sent, would 
 find ready sale with eastern florists. 
 
 In the time intervening between then 
 and Christmas, Eugene Grey & Co. must 
 go into business on a large scale. She 
 must hire hands and teams to gather it 
 for her. She talked with Uncle Sam on 
 the way home. 
 
 " Miss Alice, yer knows better'n I do, 
 er cou'se, but I can't see what folks would 
 wanter buy dat stuff fer what I been
 
 Hurrah for The Blossom Shop! 81 
 
 tramplin' on all my life. I'se feard 
 dey'll sen' it all back to yer when they 
 gits a good look at it, and hit'll cost a lot 
 o' money to hire all de niggers an' teams 
 you er talkin' 'bout." 
 
 n Yes, I know it will take money," said 
 she, respecting his concern, " but I tell 
 you, Uncle Sam, this thing we have 
 thought nothing of, because God has 
 given it to us most abundantly, is a beau 
 tiful thing, I used some of it last night 
 in the library, and parlor, you know, and 
 didn't you see how beautiful it made the 
 rooms? " 
 
 " Yas'm, Miss Alice, yas'm. I know 
 you knows mo' 'bout dat den I does," he 
 returned meekly, " an' I'll git de niggers 
 an' de teams, jes' es you say, er hopin' 
 hit'll be all right." 
 
 Late as it was, when they reached 
 home, they fell to work packing boxes
 
 82 The Blossom Shop 
 
 with the smilax, Uncle Sam hauled them 
 down to the station, not far away, 
 weighed each one and sent them off that 
 night. 
 
 Orders followed this shipment thick 
 and fast, and for the next few weeks Mrs. 
 Grey had scarcely time to think, with 
 the hands and teams to keep occupied to 
 advantage and shipments constantly to 
 make, while, as soon as it became known 
 what she was doing, the schools began to 
 clamor for it for Christmas use. But 
 there was a singing in her heart, as she 
 worked, " My little girl will see, my 
 little girl will see," and she caught Gene 
 up, over and over, with a gay " Hurrah 
 for The Blossom Shop!" 
 
 " Another good season like this and I 
 believe I can do it, with the cape jessa 
 mine money added two springs more," 
 she assured herself many times a day.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 FIRE! FIRE! 
 
 Ti 
 
 HE winter passed quickly and spring 
 came with the cape jessamines again. 
 Mrs. Grey and Gene walked among the 
 long rows of wax-like bushes with a 
 wealth of starry bloom and deep fra 
 grance unfolding about them. 
 
 " We can make a fine shipment to 
 morrow," Mrs. Grey said; " the best we 
 have ever made at the opening of a sea 
 son. We must have extra help to-mor 
 row," she added, and her voice was so 
 brisk and happy that Gene reflected her 
 
 " What do the jessamines whisper now, 
 mother? " she asked.
 
 84 The Blossom Shop 
 
 "Just keep on, just keep on," Mrs. 
 Grey laughed, with rhythmic gaiety. 
 
 " I wish I could think just how they 
 look," said the little girl wistfully. " I 
 can think it all except the color; I can't 
 make my ringers feel that." 
 
 The mother's throat ached an instant 
 and then she said softly: 
 
 " Dearie, I do not know how to make 
 you feel the color except to tell you that 
 it seems to me white, the beautiful jessa 
 mine white, is God's color. His throne 
 is called the great white throne, and the 
 angels and all the redeemed in heaven 
 are clothed in white." 
 
 The little face suddenly lit up with a 
 radiance that was surely not of earth. 
 " Oh, mother, I know now," she said, 
 stopping and putting her hands together, 
 " for I know how God and the angels 
 look!"
 
 Fire! Fire! 85 
 
 How she knew the mother did not 
 question. She stooped and clasped the 
 child in tender reverence. 
 
 " Now, mother, what is the green of 
 the leaves like?" Gene went on, turning 
 naturally to the material, without know 
 ing that an instant before she had touched 
 the gleaming heights of faith. 
 
 Her mother paused with a swift in 
 ward prayer, then, " Green is cool and 
 rugged and heavy, beautiful too, but 
 it seems only made for the background 
 of beautiful white. There is more green 
 on earth than any other color, and I think 
 it is just to make a strong contrast for 
 the glorious colors of heaven." 
 
 The child listened intently, then 
 thought a moment: 
 
 " The sky is blue, and that is the out 
 side of heaven, isn't it? What is blue 
 like, mother? "
 
 86 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " It is soft and pure and true; I think 
 God made the blue of the sky especially 
 for babies, that they might catch the tint 
 as they come through, for every blessed 
 baby's eyes are blue, and some, like my 
 little Gene, never lose it afterward," she 
 said tenderly. 
 
 " Are mine really still like the sky? " 
 the child asked, sweet wonder in her 
 face. 
 
 " Yes, dear, very like it," but she did 
 not add, " with a mist of cloud upon it." 
 
 The child thought again. 
 
 " The stars are little lights in the sky, 
 aren't they, mother? " 
 
 " Yes," Mrs. Grey returned, waiting. 
 
 " Then babies must get the light for 
 their eyes to see with from the stars, as 
 they come through," Gene said at last; 
 " I wonder why I didn't get one," she 
 ended with a little plaintive note in her
 
 Fire! Fire! 87 
 
 voice. They had seldom talked of her 
 blindness and she had never made the 
 least complaint. 
 
 " Oh, darling," murmured Mrs. Grey, 
 struggling to restrain herself, " I am sure 
 you did get one, but a bit of a cloud 
 sailing by just then has hidden your little 
 light for a time. Mother feels almost 
 sure that the great doctor in New York 
 will know how to brush the cloud away 
 and let you see like other children." 
 
 " That will be beautiful, beautiful, 
 mother; I have thought about it so much 
 since we went to see the other doctor, and 
 he said I might be made to see some day, 
 and I am not afraid to see any more, 
 as I was at first. But, mother, I am not 
 afraid never to see, either, if God really 
 didn't let me get any little light at all as 
 I came through," and the small upturned 
 face was so quietly trustful, that though
 
 88 The Blossom Shop 
 
 her heart was breaking, the mother re 
 plied- as quietly: 
 
 " No, dearie, we will not be in the least 
 afraid if God withholds the light." 
 
 They went into the house, a strange 
 foreboding in the mother's heart which 
 she found hard to cast aside. Twilight 
 had fallen, and it was soon Gene's bed 
 time, and Mrs. Grey rallied her spirits 
 to make it, as usual, a happy hour, suc 
 ceeding at least in hiding her depression 
 from Gene, who chatted with unusual 
 gaiety about the lot of boxes they would 
 pack to-morrow, and wondered if there 
 would be a baby for every box. 
 
 She was asleep at last. Then the de 
 pression returned for Mrs. Grey. 
 
 Finally, Sunday though it was, she be 
 gan counting the probabilities of the in 
 come from the jessamines for the season. 
 Many bushes were bearing this year that
 
 Fire! Fire! 89 
 
 had not borne before. She got her bank 
 book and added the amount to that al 
 ready to her credit. 
 
 She smiled with pleasure, at last, over 
 the goodly sum, and said to herself, " It 
 is a shame for me to be so mercenary, but 
 another year like this and we can go to 
 New York!" 
 
 Just then she heard Uncle Sam from 
 the yard cry out: 
 
 "Good Gord A'mighty!" and she 
 hurried in alarm at the frightened tone 
 to the back window of her room. 
 
 She did not need to ask why that cry, 
 for the instant shutters were opened she 
 saw great tongues of flame leaping from 
 the sides of the old stable, and excited 
 cries of "Fire! Fire!" with hurrying 
 feet about the house were quickly added 
 to the tale of terror.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 HANNIE'S WICKED WISH 
 
 A PASSING cloud, with a gust of 
 wind blowing directly toward the house, 
 and no rain accompanying, fanned the 
 flames from the stable into fury, and in 
 an almost incredible space of time great 
 fiery tongues were reaching out upon the 
 house itself, which was also a frame 
 building. Being almost at an end of the 
 long, straggling street, they were so far 
 from the center of the town with its ama 
 teur fire company that help from that 
 source was too late in coming. 
 
 Mrs. Grey ran quickly to and fro, 
 gathering up a few priceless things, feel 
 ing there was yet time for this, when 
 
 90
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 91 
 
 Gene started up from sleep with a cry of 
 fright. 
 
 " Oh, mother, mother, what is happen 
 ing? Oh, come to me," she pleaded piti 
 fully, reaching out trembling hands. 
 
 " Yes, yes, darling," the mother cried, 
 running to the child. " We are all safe, 
 nothing is going to harm us. The old 
 stable is burning down, that is all." The 
 mother's touch and quiet voice soothed 
 the child instantly, and then Mr. Carter 
 strode into the room without ceremony 
 and stood beside them. Quietly, firmly, 
 he said: 
 
 " You must go at once, Alice. Gene, 
 little girl, I am going to wrap you up 
 and carry you right over to Hannie and 
 May." 
 
 But the child clung to her mother. 
 
 " Yes, mother is going too," said he. 
 " Just bring what you have here, Alice,
 
 92 The Blossom Shop 
 
 everything will be saved, I think, if 
 we give the firemen right of way here at 
 once," and his voice was so natural, so 
 cheery, and yet held such a note of au 
 thority, that Mrs. Grey did just as he 
 bade her. 
 
 Gene clung to both as they passed 
 through the glare, the heat and the ex 
 cited crowd across the orchard to the 
 Carter house. He pressed the child's 
 head protectingly to him, as he went, 
 while Mrs. Grey kept one little hand in 
 hers, carrying a few treasures in the 
 other. 
 
 He took them at once to a large guest 
 room upon the second floor of his home, 
 and when he had laid the child tenderly 
 down, he turned to Mrs. Grey, whose 
 hand Gene still held tightly. 
 
 " Will you trust everything to me? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, thank you," she murmured,
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 93 
 
 for safety and quiet brought momentary 
 weakness. 
 
 Rallying quickly when- he was gone, 
 she sat down by the bed talking to Gene 
 cheerily, telling her little stories, ab 
 surd little things she had never thought 
 of before, while she knew the dear 
 home of her childhood, and the place 
 which held her hope for the sight of her 
 child, was burning to the ground. The 
 room they were in was on the side of the 
 house away from the fire, but the roar 
 and shouts of men reached them some 
 times, keeping the little hands in a 
 tension, while the child exclaimed, 
 " Oh, mother, what is it? " again and 
 again. 
 
 At last quiet came and Mrs. Grey 
 knew all was over. The child relaxed 
 and fell asleep, then the mother went 
 out.
 
 94 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Mr. Carter was waiting at the door for 
 her; how long he had been standing 
 there she did not know. 
 
 Instinctively, she put out a hand as if 
 to parry a blow, and he took it in both of 
 his. 
 
 " Alice, we did the best we could for 
 you, but it was little," he said, and his 
 voice was low and a bit unsteady. He 
 waited a moment: "The old home is 
 gone, and the cape jessamines, I am 
 afraid, but we saved everything in the 
 house. The furniture is stored in my 
 stable loft, the china, glassware, linen 
 and pictures are in the dining-room, and 
 the men are waiting now to put your 
 trunks in the attic, if you will show us 
 what you want for immediate use." 
 
 He felt this was well for her, the 
 having some practical things at once to 
 determine.
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 95 
 
 " You are so good, I can never thank 
 you," she faltered. 
 
 Together they went down-stairs to the 
 back door, where stood a half dozen 
 trunks. Mrs. Grey selected two which 
 should go to her room, while the re 
 mainder they decided had best go to the 
 attic. A couple of stout negroes who 
 were in waiting carried the two up-stairs, 
 and returning for the others which were 
 to go to the attic, picked up first a big 
 brown trunk which Mrs. Grey recog 
 nized instantly as the " mother Grey 
 trunk," as she had always called it. 
 
 An unchecked wave of bitterness swept 
 over her for a moment as she saw it, 
 why could not the worthless thing have 
 been burned, it would have been such 
 a relief, and she stepped recklessly for 
 ward, her lips parted ready to say, " I 
 don't care anything about that trunk or
 
 96 The Blossom Shop 
 
 what is done with it," then as quickly she 
 pressed them together in the long estab 
 lished habit of restraint and quietly let 
 the men pass on and up the narrow flight 
 of back stairs to the attic. 
 
 But it was an awkward as well as a 
 narrow passage, the men were tired, and 
 a misstep from one of them jerked the 
 trunk from the hands of the other and 
 sent it reeling down the steps. 
 
 Mr. Carter sprang forward, and broke 
 its fall at the bottom, preventing any pos 
 sible danger to Mrs. Grey, but the re 
 curring blows against the narrow stair 
 way wall had broken the hinges of the 
 trunk. 
 
 " Now, men, that was very careless," 
 he exclaimed, much annoyed that any 
 harm should come to Mrs. Grey's be 
 longings while under his roof. 
 
 " It does not matter in the least," pro-
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 97 
 
 tested Mrs. Grey with a vigor that made 
 Mr. Carter look up at her inquiringly. 
 And, as she did not stoop to restore some 
 bulging garments at the back (for she 
 did not feel at the moment that she could 
 bring herself to touch them), he awk 
 wardly replaced them himself, pushed 
 the lid tightly down and instructed the 
 men to take it up again with extreme 
 care. 
 
 Had he looked into Alice Grey's face 
 as he did so, he would have been amazed 
 at the strange, almost mocking light in 
 her usually gentle eyes while, with head 
 erect, she watched that trunk being borne 
 up-stairs and wished from the depths of 
 her heart it might somehow be dashed 
 into oblivion. 
 
 But he did not look at her until the 
 trunks had all been safely taken up and 
 stored away, then turning to her, he found
 
 98 The Blossom Shop 
 
 her face only very tired and worn, and 
 said cheerily: 
 
 " Now, Mammy Sue has something 
 hot for us to eat and drink," and he led 
 her into the quiet library, where a little 
 table had been spread with hot milk, hot 
 coffee and sandwiches. It was after 
 twelve o'clock, a new day was about to 
 begin, a new day indeed. 
 
 They discussed the fire and Mr. Carter 
 said it was the general opinion that some 
 body had slipped into the barn, probably 
 for the night, had smoked and set fire to 
 it. Then he turned to Mammy Sue, who 
 stood nearby, her plump form clad in the 
 customary neat, dark dress, with apron 
 and head-kerchief of spotless white, all 
 undisturbed by the night's happenings, - 
 quiet, energetic, capable as usual. 
 
 " Mammy, where are Hannie and 
 May? " he asked.
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 99 
 
 He had left them in her care when they 
 all ran home from church at the cry of 
 fire, and knew they would be safe in her 
 hands. 
 
 " I got Miss May to sleep a while ago, 
 but Miss Hannie's in de parlor, Mars 
 John. I can't make out what's the matter 
 wid her; she wouldn't look at the fire, 
 and ain' done nothin' but cry lack her 
 heart done broke." 
 
 " She is a very tender-hearted child," 
 said Mr. Carter, " I guess this has all 
 been too much for her. I will go and see 
 about her," but before he could rise from 
 his seat, Hannie ran in and threw herself 
 down at Mrs. Grey's feet, sobbing out: 
 
 " Oh, Mrs. Grey, I burned your house 
 down, but I didn't mean to, I love 
 you and Gene just like I do papa and 
 May, and that wasn't what I wanted! " 
 
 It was so incoherent and the sobs so
 
 100 The Blossom Shop 
 
 tragic that both Mrs. Grey and Mr. Car 
 ter felt alarmed. 
 
 " Why, Hannie, darling," exclaimed 
 Mrs. Grey, soothing the child with eager 
 kindness, "you did not burn my house! " 
 
 " Oh, but I did! I was so wicked, you 
 don't know," she cried, between sobs 
 again. 
 
 Then Mr. Carter picked her up from 
 the floor in his arms, smoothed her hair 
 gently, and said steadily: 
 
 " Now, daughter, tell us all about it. 
 What did you burn Mrs. Grey's house 
 with, a match or a firecracker, but I 
 forget it is not Fourth of July or Christ 
 mas, and you are not a boy." 
 
 The bit of humor helped to steady her, 
 and after a moment she sat up and told 
 them all about it: 
 
 " I went to church with papa," the 
 shaking voice began, " and oh, I got so
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 101 
 
 sleepy I couldn't stay awake. I just 
 thought I'd die, I was so sleepy," she said 
 tragically, " and I began to wish some 
 thing would happen to make church stop. 
 I just wished for a big fire, or anything 
 dreadful that would stop church and let 
 me go home. Then the fire-bells rang 
 and everybody was excited and stopped 
 church sure enough, and, and, it was 
 Mrs. Grey's house I got burned down! 
 You see I had really prayed for the fire," 
 she ended in a whisper. 
 
 There was a pause that was almost 
 tragic with suppressed mirth, for' Mr. 
 Carter looked at Mrs. Grey, his eyes 
 a-twinkle, and she in quick reaction, 
 which is so easy after excitement, could 
 hardly control herself. But Mr. Carter's 
 voice kept steady. 
 
 " Well, now, daughter, that was not 
 quite right, to wish something to burn
 
 102 The Blossom Shop 
 
 down, so as to get you out of the church, 
 because you were so dreadfully sleepy, 
 but I am sure that God did not answer 
 your prayer by burning Mrs. Grey's 
 house, for I am pretty certain the spark 
 dropped in the old stable before you even 
 got sleepy." 
 
 Hannie had the utmost confidence in 
 her father and the burden of trouble 
 rolled from her young heart instantly. 
 
 " Dearest papa, I am so glad, so glad, 
 and I will never make a wicked wish like 
 that again, if I just die" she declared 
 fervently. 
 
 Mr. Carter and Mrs. Grey allowed 
 themselves unrestrained laughter at this, 
 which did them all good, and Hannie in 
 happy reaction said: 
 
 " Oh, papa, we will keep Mrs. Grey 
 and Gene always now, won't we? And 
 then I can make up for my wicked wish
 
 Hannie's Wicked Wish 103 
 
 by showing them every day how I love 
 them." 
 
 " Yes, indeed, daughter," Mr. Carter 
 returned gently.
 
 W HEN the house was at last quiet, 
 everyone having lain down to rest, if not 
 to sleep, Mammy Sue marshalled the 
 housemaids, declaring she " wan' gwine 
 to leave her dinin'-room lack dat," and 
 with her efficient generalship they stored 
 all Mrs. Grey's china, silver and glass 
 ware in the pantries, which were at that 
 season comparatively empty of the winter 
 stores of preserves, pickles and jellies. 
 The family portraits belonging to Mrs. 
 Grey were arranged around the walls on 
 the floor and everything put in comfort 
 able order for breakfast to be served 
 later. 
 
 104
 
 A Blossom ^Spared 105 
 
 It was quite late indeed when the 
 household gathered for the morning 
 meal. 
 
 Mrs. Grey's feet were weighted when 
 she tried to rise, for she had not slept, and 
 despair had tugged constantly at her 
 heart. Where should she go? What 
 should she do? It would probably take 
 every cent she had saved to locate anew. 
 There had been no insurance on the 
 house, for it had not seemed possible that 
 fire could ever reach the quiet old place, 
 and she had felt that she could not well 
 spare the money from her fund to keep 
 up the dues. 
 
 It would be impossible to wait for cape 
 jessamines to grow again, while she sat 
 idle; she must find something else to do. 
 These thoughts, with the old bitter ones 
 freshly astir, kept up a ceaseless weary 
 round, which even the night ecstasy of a
 
 106 The Blossom Shop 
 
 nearby mocking bird could not break, till, 
 with the depression of early morning 
 hours, her brain was numb. When the 
 sun streamed in and Gene started up in 
 bed at last, fear and excitement springing 
 upon her waking heart like lingering 
 spirits of the night's terror, it required 
 all the mother's strength and will to 
 keep her touch steady and her voice 
 reassuring for those sensitive little 
 ears. 
 
 " Mother, is it all so? Is our house 
 gone, all gone, and the cape jessamines 
 too?" 
 
 " Yes, sweetheart, it is all true." 
 
 " What are we going to do, mother? " 
 queried the child in an awed voice. 
 
 " Oh, we won't try to say before break 
 fast," returned Mrs. .Grey with a wan 
 attempt at gaiety, which only made the 
 small hands tighten their grasp of hers.
 
 A Blossom Spared 107 
 
 " Mother will plan everything, darling, 
 pretty soon; you need not be afraid," she 
 ended desperately, reaching out for hope 
 and courage, and succeeding so well that 
 the little one relaxed, in the habitual, per 
 fect trust of her mother. So it was that 
 Mrs. Grey went bravely down to break 
 fast to talk over all the details of the pre 
 vious night with cheerful interest which 
 betrayed not in the least .the night's 
 despair. Mr. Carter seated her opposite 
 himself at the table, seemingly as a mat 
 ter-of-course courtesy, but Uncle Sam, 
 looking in at the dining-room door 
 during the meal, drew back smiling, and 
 encountering Mammy Sue a moment 
 later, he chuckled: 
 
 " Anybody kin see dat he's mighty sat 
 isfied wid her a-settin' at de head er his 
 table." 
 
 " Go 'long wid yer," sharply repri-
 
 108 The Blossom Shop 
 
 manded Mammy Sue. " Yer can't think 
 er nothin' but folks gittin' married," she 
 added with a scornful significance that 
 suggested a possibility that the subject 
 of matrimony had been warmly and prob 
 ably unsuccessfully discussed by the two 
 at some previous time. 
 
 Uncle Sam went off at this, and his 
 smile soon faded, while he muttered to 
 himself: 
 
 " I shorely wishes she'd stay dar, kase 
 I mought drap off sometime. I feels 
 mighty lack it dis mornin', an' den who's 
 gwine ter tek care on her? " he ended 
 wearily. Sighing, he went on: " She 
 ain' gwine ter do it, though he been 
 wantin' her dis long time, yer can't 
 fool me, but her head's dess as high up 
 as ever. She's feared little Miss Gene 
 mought be a burden ter him. I knows 
 her." And he shook his head gloomily
 
 A Blossom Spared 109 
 
 as he sat down on the cabin door-steps to 
 wait till Miss Alice was through break 
 fast. 
 
 Finally she came out alone, Hannie 
 and May having taken possession of 
 Gene, and faced the ruins of her beloved 
 home, as she did so, the blackened chim 
 neys standing like grim spectres on guard, 
 and Uncle Sam's cabin the only building 
 remaining. 
 
 The old darky still sat dejectedly on 
 the door-steps, his head down, and did 
 not see his mistress till she stood before 
 him. 
 
 Then he started clumsily up at sight 
 of her pale, quivering face, and it was all 
 she could do to keep from throwing her 
 self into the old negro's arms and sobbing 
 out her despair. 
 
 He reached his hands toward her an 
 instant, and then seeing her steady her-
 
 110 The Blossom Shop 
 
 self against the door-frame, he remarked 
 in a matter-of-fact way: 
 
 " I thought I'd jes' clean up the litter 
 'round the ole place ter-day, Miss Alice; 
 dey certainly did tromple things pretty 
 bad las' night." 
 
 She looked at him gratefully, and re 
 plied: 
 
 " All right, Uncle Sam, do whatever 
 you think best to-day. I know you must 
 be tired from last night; don't try to do 
 too much. I guess I am tired too, for I 
 can't seem to think much yet." 
 
 " Co'se you is, honey," said the old 
 man with irrepressible tenderness, " an' 
 don't you worry none, Miss Alice, 'cause 
 we's goin' ter git erlong all right." 
 
 Then she went into the house and up 
 to her room in an effort to think com 
 posedly for awhile before friends began 
 to come in, for she knew they would
 
 A Blossom Spared 111 
 
 flock about her when the early hours 
 were passed, and there would be homes 
 opened to her without number, to some 
 one of which she must go temporarily, 
 for it would not do, she felt, to remain 
 long where she was. 
 
 But when Mammy Sue came up an 
 hour later to announce callers she found 
 Mrs. Grey suffering intolerably with 
 headache, and gently put her to bed as 
 she would have done a sick child. 
 
 Mrs. Grey was not subject to head 
 aches, which made the throbbing pain 
 all the harder to bear. She could do 
 nothing but obey the wise old Mammy, 
 and thought was impossible for the time. 
 
 The children were kept away and the 
 competent negress used simple restora 
 tives, but by noon there was no relief, 
 and when Mr. Carter came in for lunch 
 and learned the state of things, he sent
 
 112 The Blossom Shop 
 
 at once for Mrs. Grey's physician. The 
 doctor ordered perfect quiet, lest brain 
 fever develop, and though friends con 
 tinued to call, no one saw her for several 
 days. The rebelling head did not yield 
 to treatment for two days, and then the 
 patient lay white and spent for two days 
 more. 
 
 Mr. Carter chafed under the conven 
 tionality which denied him the right to 
 go and minister to her, even as he would 
 have done to his own sister. But for her 
 sake he did not enter the sick-room, 
 though he often noiselessly paced the 
 floor just outside. 
 
 Hannie and May did not need his ad 
 monitions to keep Gene occupied and in 
 terested, but devoted themselves to the 
 little girl every moment, Hannie still 
 with a somewhat contrite heart, for she 
 could not forget that awful wish.
 
 A Blossom Spared 113 
 
 They played all sorts of games, they 
 rode old Queen, with Uncle Sam in faith 
 ful attendance, they frolicked with the 
 parrot, they read stories, but nevertheless 
 the small shut-in world of the little sight 
 less child was reeling. The hills no 
 longer untied their bonnets, the bobo 
 links were gone from the mornings, and 
 the little yellow boys and girls had left 
 the purple sunset stile. Gene had never 
 known her mother to be sick before, 
 and her life-anchor was beyond reach in 
 that strange, quiet sick-room. She also 
 missed the touch of dear doors and fur 
 niture, and though familiar with the 
 Carter house for happy visiting times, 
 it was not a part of her being, like the 
 old home. When she tried to take a step 
 alone, fear clutched her little heart. 
 
 She asked on the second day that she 
 might sit by mother just a little and hold
 
 114 The Blossom Shop 
 
 her hand. " I will not say a word," she 
 said with pathetic intensity, and the pain 
 being somewhat less, Mrs. Grey begged 
 too that she might come for a little 
 while. 
 
 When Mammy Sue finally parted the 
 clinging fingers she led the little girl to 
 the next room, where Hannie and May 
 were waiting for her. 
 
 " May, you and Gene play ( Hull- 
 gull,' " said Hannie. 
 
 " Goody, goody," cried May, dancing 
 away for the beans they used for the 
 game, and then dividing them equally 
 between herself and Gene. 
 
 "You first, Gene," directed Hannie, 
 and Gene obediently turned her back 
 while she selected a part of her store 
 which she doubled up in her little fist, 
 and then began the usual: 
 
 " Hull-gull."
 
 A Blossom Spared 115 
 
 " Hand full," cried May, in gay re 
 sponse. 
 
 " How many," said Gene. 
 
 After long deliberation and elabo 
 rate efforts to peek into the closed fist, 
 May guessed, " Five! " 
 
 Gene opened her hand then, and 
 showed only one small bean in the palm. 
 
 " Give me four to make it so," she said. 
 
 Then it was May's time to choose a 
 few of her beans, double her fist and cry, 
 " Hull-gull," to which Gene returned 
 the " Hand full," and May came back 
 with the gay question, " How many? " 
 But there was no excited " peeking " this 
 time, as there usually was by the clever 
 little sensitive fingers, and the guess of 
 " nine," was simply mechanical, but it 
 proved to be just the correct number of 
 beans which May's hand held, and so 
 they were all turned over to the success-
 
 116 The Blossom Shop 
 
 ful little guesser, with much make-be 
 lieve mourning on the part of May, and 
 gay clapping of hands from Hannie. 
 
 But Gene could not enter joyfully into 
 the loved game which she usually played 
 with so much zest, and seeing this, the 
 girls looked at her disconsolately, then 
 May brightened with a sudden happy 
 thought. 
 
 " Let's go to the stable and see the 
 puppies! " 
 
 And taking Gene by the hands, the two 
 children led her away to see two roly, 
 poly gray puppies which were a late and 
 most interesting acquisition. Nobody 
 could resist Spot and Dot! When they 
 were down-stairs they found that the 
 puppies had been brought to the wood 
 shed back of the kitchen, being now 
 strong enough to leave their bed in the 
 stable and take a more active part in life.
 
 A Blossom Spared 117 
 
 The delight of the children was great 
 over this, but the next instant they were 
 filled with consternation to see Polly 
 with ruffled feathers standing beside 
 them. 
 
 " Oh, she will scratch their eyes out! " 
 cried Hannie. " Who did let you come 
 here? " she scolded, turning to the parrot. 
 
 But Polly was a much privileged 
 character, and bridling, she squawked, 
 " My pups, my pups! " 
 
 The children laughed delightedly at 
 this, and Uncle Sam, appearing at the 
 door, said, " Wait and see what she gwine 
 do. I ain' gwine let her hurt urn." 
 
 So Hannie and May watched breath 
 lessly. 
 
 Polly waddled close to the two pup 
 pies, continuing to say in soft, crooning 
 fashion, " My pups, my pups," while she 
 gently took in her beak a bit of hair upon
 
 118 The Blossom Shop 
 
 the back of one and caressingly rubbed 
 her throat upon his soft coat! 
 
 "Oh! Oh!" exclaimed Hannie and 
 May together. 
 
 " She loves them," declared Hannie at 
 last, and stooping, she put her arms about 
 Gene and told her the wonderful news of 
 how Polly had adopted the puppies 
 when they had been so afraid to even let 
 her see them lest she put their eyes out or 
 hurt them in some way! 
 
 But the exciting tale brought only a 
 wan smile to Gene's face. 
 
 Uncle Sam looked at her in quick 
 alarm, and said peremptorily: 
 
 " You all go on out in de sunshine, I's 
 gwine to put Polly in her cage now." 
 
 And Hannie and May, feeling the 
 little girl's depression indefinably, took 
 her by the hand and led her aimlessly 
 out.
 
 A Blossom Spared 119 
 
 Suddenly Gene stood still, dropped 
 their hands and clasping hers, cried with 
 quivering lips, " I want to go home. 
 Please take me there!" 
 
 " Oh, Gene," begged Hannie, dis 
 tressed, " don't go over there." 
 
 Somehow the happy, care-free girl 
 knew that there would be peculiar pain 
 for the little blind child if she went 
 among the ruins, and they had kept away, 
 when curiosity under ordinary condi 
 tions would have led them there. 
 
 " But," opposed Gene, setting the 
 quivering lips in new, strangely strong 
 lines, " I must find out what ' burned 
 up ' means. I've just got to know," she 
 added tensely. 
 
 The children protested no longer, but 
 led her over to the old place. 
 
 " Here is where the house was," said 
 Hannie, stopping, and Gene stooped
 
 120 The Blossom Shop 
 
 down, touching the soft ashes timidly 
 but with determination, again and again. 
 Then she stood and thought, her small, 
 pathetic face a mystery to the children. 
 
 At last she spoke, reaching for Han- 
 nie's hand: 
 
 " Take me where our room was," and 
 the children found the corner of the 
 house where Mrs. Grey and Gene had 
 slept. Next they hunted out the parlor, 
 then the library, the porches, the dining- 
 room, etc., going all around the ruins 
 many times, Hannie and May trying to 
 fit the various apartments into what now 
 seemed a very small space, and Gene 
 touched each tall chimney with trem 
 bling fingers. 
 
 Then she said, " I want to see the cape 
 jessamines now." They led her to the 
 charred and blackened bushes and she 
 dropped the children's guiding hands.
 
 A Blossom Spared 121 
 
 She put out her own, as she was wont to 
 do when hunting blossoms, and at the 
 first touch of shriveled, charred stubs, 
 she drew back with a quick, frightened 
 sob. 
 
 Hannie stopped instantly. " Oh, Gene, 
 don't touch them. I can't bear to have 
 you," she pleaded. 
 
 " But I must," declared the child with 
 that strange firmness again, which held 
 them in awe. 
 
 Again the little groping hands went 
 out, this time more determinedly, and 
 they followed persistently, row after row 
 of ruined shrubs. At last, as she stooped 
 and felt beneath a large bush near the 
 gate, she gave a joyful cry, and her face 
 was transformed. 
 
 " I have found one," cried the coura 
 geous little head of the old firm, and her 
 fingers indeed clung to the stem of a wee
 
 122 The Blossom Shop 
 
 blossom, which had escaped the scorch 
 ing heat. 
 
 White and beautiful it was, and joy 
 fully Hannie broke the stem for her. 
 
 " I will take this to mother, and she 
 will see they are not all burned up. 
 Then she won't feel so bad," cried the 
 child, reacting in a transport of delight. 
 
 The hearts of the little friends 
 bounded with hers and together they 
 went, joyfully, back to the Carter home. 
 
 Mammy Sue let them all in for a mo 
 ment, seeing their happy faces at the 
 door. 
 
 Relief from suffering had come to 
 Mrs. Grey in the last hour, and when she 
 saw the perfect starry white blossom in 
 Gene's hand, it seemed a messenger of 
 hope, and grateful tears filled her eyes, 
 even before the radiant little girl eagerly 
 proclaimed:
 
 A Blossom Spared 123 
 
 " Oh, mother, they are not all dead ; 
 here is a dear baby blossom to tell us they 
 will bloom again." They had always 
 had much pretty sentiment about the jes 
 samines. They had told the last blossom 
 good-by each year, and welcomed, joy 
 fully, the first newcomer as the little 
 white herald of a glad return. 
 
 " We can have our Blossom Shop 
 again," she ended in ecstatic climax. 
 
 " Yes, they are truly alive, some," put 
 in Hannie quickly, " but you will stay 
 here with us anyway, won't you, Mrs. 
 Grey? " she ended anxiously, feeling that 
 if the cape jessamines were really alive it 
 might somehow take the two she loved 
 away again. 
 
 Mrs. Grey smiled weakly and said, in 
 definitely, but warmly, " You are a dear 
 girl to want us to stay." 
 
 Gossip rarely tainted the quiet refine-
 
 124 The Blossom Shop 
 
 ment of that little old college town where 
 the Greys and the Carters lived, and 
 Mammy Sue jealously guarded the ears 
 of her young charges, so Hannie little 
 thought there might be impropriety in 
 Mrs. Grey's remaining there, while mar 
 riage between their father and the 
 woman they loved so dearly was an un 
 dreamed-of possibility for the innocent 
 children.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 THE BROKEN - HINGED TRUNK 
 
 1 HINGS were brighter after this. 
 Gene watched by the hour through Han- 
 nie and May's excited exclamations 
 while Polly strutted about her pups, as 
 she continued to call them, having taken 
 complete possession of Dot and Spot, 
 who, in turn, accepted her with great 
 serenity. She scolded and petted them 
 with all the privilege of motherhood, and 
 the children thought they had never 
 found anything so funny. 
 
 Two days passed happily, and then 
 Mrs. Grey, having grown much stronger, 
 was sitting upon the long front piazza 
 when Mr. Carter came home in the eve- 
 
 125
 
 126 The Blossom Shop 
 
 ning. She was alone and his face lit up 
 with pleasure at the sight of her, looking 
 more beautiful in her frailty, he thought, 
 than she had ever done in her buoyant 
 strength. Striding up the steps he stood 
 before her, letting his eyes say what was 
 denied touch or speech. 
 
 Then, looking about inquiringly, he 
 asked: "Where are the children?" 
 
 " With the parrot and the puppies," 
 she smiled. 
 
 " Of course," he exclaimed, laughing 
 heartily. " I might have known it." 
 Then, turning to her again, his face grew 
 sober with tender yearning. 
 
 " Forgive me, Alice, but God has sent 
 you and Gene to me, don't you see?" 
 he said at last. 
 
 Her face quivered an instant, then she 
 returned brokenly: 
 
 " No, no, John, you are wrong. I do
 
 The Broken-Hinged Trunk 127 
 
 not understand why this dreadful thing 
 happened, but it does not change any 
 thing, except to make it harder for me to 
 do as you wish." 
 
 He looked down upon her a moment 
 more, his face full of sudden pain, for he 
 had hoped, believed, she might come to 
 him in her desolation. Then he turned 
 without a word and went in. 
 
 Next day, as Mrs. Grey moved about 
 her room, trying to gather strength to 
 take up the problem of her life, at least 
 enough to make immediate plans, Han- 
 nie and May came running in with Gene 
 between them. 
 
 " Oh, Mrs. Grey," began Hannie, 
 " won't you please let us dress up in some 
 of the old things you've got in your 
 trunks in our attic? The puppies are 
 asleep and Polly scolds if we wake them 
 up, so we want to play lady. We've
 
 128 The Blossom Shop 
 
 dressed up in our old things so many 
 times, we are tired of them all, it's no 
 fun any more." 
 
 Mrs. Grey thought a moment. 
 
 " Why, yes, Hannie," she said, " there 
 is an old trunk up there with broken 
 hinges; it is locked and the key is gone, 
 but you can lift the lid from the back. 
 You can get anything you want from it 
 and dress up in them if you like." 
 
 " Oh, thank you," cried Hannie, and 
 they all scampered away in high glee, for 
 dressing in grown-up things and " play 
 ing lady " was the dearest play they 
 knew. 
 
 Up the stairs they flew and began at 
 once examining the hinges of Mrs. Grey's 
 trunks. 
 
 " Oh, here's the one," cried May, and 
 Hannie, running to her, found she had in 
 deed reached the trunk with broken
 
 The Broken-Hinged Trunk 129 
 
 hinges. They lifted the lid from the 
 back, and taking out some things, ex 
 claimed " Oh! Oh! " in delight, for they 
 were very nice, and promised wonderful 
 possibilities. 
 
 " I'll wear this velvet dress and be a 
 queen," announced Hannie. 
 
 " And I'm going to wear this silk, and 
 be a princess," cried May. 
 
 Then Hannie stopped a minute in 
 doubt. " But, I don't believe we ought 
 to take the very nicest things; Mrs. Grey 
 might want them some time." 
 Gene stood by, looking a little puzzled, 
 but she said at last: 
 
 " You know mother told us we could 
 have anything in it," and so they selected 
 what pleased them, but Hannie finally 
 decided to forego being queen because 
 velvet was so hot, and chose a simple 
 house-gown of soft material.
 
 130 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Gene had only a skirt on, she was so 
 little, and it was tucked deeply in at the 
 waist in front so she could step, but 
 trailed most beautifully behind, as did 
 both Hannie's and May's dresses, while 
 they held them up in front. 
 
 They all minced around delightedly, 
 called upon one another and went to 
 parties. Hannie found a pocket in her 
 gown and frequently drew her handker 
 chief out or replaced it with great dainti 
 ness. Finally she noticed a folded paper 
 in the pocket, and drawing it out, spread 
 it open with natural curiosity: 
 
 " To Mrs. Eugene Grey," it began. 
 
 " Oh, this is something of Mrs. Grey's; 
 maybe she's forgotten she ever put it 
 here," said Hannie. " Let's take it to 
 her," and the three went tripping down 
 stairs with as much speed as their long 
 trains would permit.
 
 The Broken-Hinged Trunk 131 
 
 Mrs. Grey looked up in astonishment, 
 when they came frisking in. 
 
 " Why, children, what have you been 
 into? " she said bewildered, the finery in 
 which they were arrayed being totally, 
 unknown to her. 
 
 " Why, just the trunk with the broken 
 hinges, like you told us," replied Hannie, 
 forgetting the paper for a moment. 
 
 " I don't understand," said Mrs. Grey. 
 " The trunk I meant was an old green 
 trunk with broken hinges." 
 
 " This wasn't a green trunk," admitted 
 Hannie slowly; " it was brown, but it 
 had broken hinges, just as you said." 
 
 "Yes'm, it did," declared May ear 
 nestly, " and we opened it from the 
 back." 
 
 "A brown trunk, why, that must 
 have been Mother Grey's trunk," Mrs. 
 Grey said, a light dawning upon her, as
 
 132 The Blossom Shop 
 
 she looked again at the strange garments. 
 " I remember now, the hinges were 
 broken the night of the fire," she con 
 cluded, finally solving the whole mys 
 tery. 
 
 Then Hannie, relieved, thought of the 
 paper she had found in the pocket. 
 
 " Oh, Mrs. Grey, see," she said, " here 
 is a letter which I got out of the pocket 
 in this dress. I opened it before I 
 thought what it might be, and it's yours." 
 
 Mrs. Grey took it in bewildered sur 
 prise, and the revelation of the first few 
 lines made her sink weak and trembling 
 in a chair. 
 
 " Go, children," she managed to say, 
 " go on and play." 
 
 They turned away wondering, but as 
 she summoned a smile when they looked 
 back from the door, they went off hap 
 pily.
 
 The Broken-Hinged Trunk 133 
 
 When alone she spread the paper out 
 upon her lap and tried to take in the con 
 tents. 
 
 " To MRS. EUGENE GREY," it read : 
 " I shall soon stand before the bar of 
 God and to die in peace, I must acknowl 
 edge that I treated my son with undue 
 harshness, and that I have been unjust to 
 you and your child. My last will and 
 testament, which I shall this night dictate 
 to my beloved wife (who is alone with 
 rrm in these, my dying hours) will make 
 some amends to you and your child. 
 " Your father, 
 
 "JAMES GREY." 
 
 Upon another sheet folded with it, was 
 the will, all written in the delicate, pre 
 cise handwriting of Her husband's mother 
 which she remembered see well, and
 
 134 The Blossom Shop 
 
 signed by James Grey in an uncertain 
 but legible hand. 
 
 The will gave and bequeathed half of 
 his estate to his wife and half to his son's 
 wife and child to be held by the said son's 
 wife and child jointly. Upon the death 
 of his wife the entire estate would revert 
 to his son's wife and child unless the wife 
 should die or contract a second marriage, 
 when it would revert entirely to the 
 child. In the event of the early death of 
 all three a fund for charitable purposes 
 was to be created. His sister he omitted 
 from any bequest with the statement that 
 she was already abundantly provided for. 
 Both documents bore the date of the 
 death of Mr. and Mrs. James Grey. 
 
 Mrs. Grey read and re-read it, trying 
 to" grasp the full meaning. The language 
 was so simple it could not be misunder 
 stood, and the incidents of her father-in-
 
 The Broken-Hinged Trunk 135 
 
 law's sudden death, and his wife's imme 
 diately following as she knelt beside him 
 alone, on that last tragic night, made 
 everything very clear. The brief letter 
 and will had evidently been thrust in the 
 pocket of her gown when written, as she 
 turned to minister to him in his last mo 
 ments, and ere aid came to them, she, too, 
 had passed into the great beyond with 
 the letter and will lying unsuspected in 
 her pocket. 
 
 A will written some years before had 
 been probated, which left his entire es 
 tate to his sister, Martha Grey, and she, 
 conscientiously following the wishes of 
 her brother as then expressed, had only 
 felt free to send the trunk full of clothing 
 belonging to her sister-in-law, whom she 
 felt would have been glad to have all she 
 possessed go to her son's wife and child, 
 and along the hidden paths of providence
 
 136 The Blossom Shop 
 
 that act was to bring to Mrs. Grey and 
 her child possession of the estate. Hours 
 of tumultuous thought followed the dis 
 covery of this final act of love and justice, 
 but when Mr. Carter came home to lunch 
 Mrs. Grey met him in the library and 
 composedly laid the papers before him, 
 telling how they had fallen into her 
 hands. 
 
 " Alice," he said quietly, and with 
 deep regret, when he had gone over the 
 papers carefully, " you ought to have the 
 money, I do not doubt, but I am afraid 
 you cannot win a suit with that paper be 
 fore any court." 
 
 " But I do not believe I shall have to 
 sue," she returned quickly. She had 
 thought it all out. " Eugene always 
 said," she went on earnestly, " that his 
 Aunt Martha was the soul of justice and 
 honor; if she is shown these papers,
 
 The Broken-Hinged Trunk 137 
 
 which she will know to be genuine, she 
 will at once relinquish all claims." 
 
 She asked Mr. Carter to be her attor 
 ney and go at once north with the papers. 
 He agreed to do so, never showing by 
 word or look before he left that he felt 
 anything but a business interest in the 
 matter. They decided to tell the chil 
 dren nothing until his return, and Mr. 
 Carter smiled as he said: 
 
 " Hannie will feel entirely forgiven 
 for that wicked prayer if it comes about 
 that the burning down of your house was 
 the indirect means of bringing to you and 
 Gene your lawful inheritance." 
 
 " I doubt if that letter had ever come 
 to light but for this," said Mrs. Grey. 
 " I planned when Gene was grown to 
 open the trunk with her; but it is prob 
 able, if we ever did, we would only have 
 looked in and closed it again, because I
 
 138 The Blossom Shop 
 
 should always have felt that the clothes 
 Mother Grey had worn were too sacred 
 to handle, and I am afraid there was 
 too much bitterness in my heart against 
 Father Grey and Aunt Martha," she 
 added honestly. 
 
 There was silence a moment, and then, 
 her sweet face flushing and eyes shining, 
 she turned to him and put out her hand. 
 " You and yours have always brought me 
 good," she said softly. 
 
 But he took no advantage of her mood. 
 She was a rich woman now, or soon 
 would be, he sternly reminded himself, 
 and that put things upon an entirely dif 
 ferent footing. Besides, should she 
 marry, it would mean the forfeiture of 
 her part of the inheritance. No, he 
 would never rob her of anything. All 
 hope was ended for him.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 AWAY UP NORTH 
 
 JVlRS. GREY proved to be entirely 
 correct in her unprejudiced estimate of 
 the character of her husband's aunt, Miss 
 Martha Grey. When Mr. Carter laid 
 the letter and will before the prim, con 
 scientious, self-restrained New England 
 lady, telling the circumstances of their 
 discovery, she said at once: 
 
 " That is undoubtedly the handwriting 
 of my sister-in-law. That is the signature 
 of my brother James." Then she paused 
 a moment, her lips set and black eyes 
 clear and steady: 
 
 " The documents are genuine," she 
 went on, with her high sense of honor 
 
 139
 
 140 The Blossom Shop 
 
 unshaken, " and my only wish is to carry 
 out the last will and testament of my 
 brother James. The property shall be, 
 without delay, turned over to the widow 
 and child of my nephew, Eugene Grey. 
 I, of course, have received the income 
 from the estate for the past five years. I 
 will at once make out a check for the 
 full amount of this, and send to her so 
 that she may come into immediate pos 
 session of her rightful dues in- part, and 
 that I may make reparation for the unin 
 tentional injustice done her, as speedily 
 as possible." 
 
 Mr. Carter was amazed at such rapid 
 thinking and such prompt recognition of 
 the rights of others, when such rights 
 meant great financial loss, for he did not 
 know integrity in its Puritanical rigid- 
 ness. But with this expeditious thinking 
 and complete restitution 'his business
 
 Away Up North 141 
 
 north was soon accomplished, and he re 
 turned to Alabama without delay to send 
 Mrs. Grey and Gene on at once to sign 
 papers and complete the transfer. 
 
 When the good news was told on his 
 return, Gene danced in happy bewilder 
 ment because mother kissed her gaily 
 many times a day. Hannie and May 
 would have been happy too in the good 
 fortune of their loved friends, but it was 
 going to take those dear friends away, 
 and father looked so grave and still all 
 the time. 
 
 Uncle Sam was soon turning over in 
 his hands a goodly sum of money, more 
 than he had ever possessed before, and 
 wondering if that marvelous story could 
 all be really true. 
 
 " An' me an' Miss Alice am' gotter 
 scuffle no mo'?" he said to himself in 
 quiringly. He couldn't quite pin his
 
 142 The Blossom Shop 
 
 faith to such Utopian dreams, and he 
 finally buried most of his allowance care 
 fully one dark night, lest Miss Alice find 
 out that she needed money after all. 
 
 But with Miss Martha Grey's check 
 for a very large sum at her immediate 
 disposal, the days of financial struggle 
 had really vanished like a summer cloud 
 for Mrs. Grey, and she and Gene 
 boarded a train for the north with every 
 comfort within their reach just three 
 weeks from the time Hannie's little 
 wicked prayer had gone up and the old 
 home had disappeared in a whirl of 
 flame and smoke, leaving them desolate. 
 The hills again untied their bonnets and 
 the bobolinks began each morning, while 
 little yellow boys and girls climbed the 
 purple stile at sunset. 
 
 As they drew near their destination 
 after an uneventful journey, Mrs. Grey
 
 Away Up North 143 
 
 was very grateful that she had planted 
 no bitterness in the heart of her child, and 
 again and again she told all the happy 
 things which her husband had talked 
 about concerning his home and dear 
 ones. 
 
 They arrived at last without mishap at 
 the bustling little New England city of 
 Eugene Grey's boyhood, and appeared 
 one sparkling June morning at the old 
 Grey homestead of almost a century's 
 standing. Both hearts beat quickly, Mrs. 
 Grey's with anxious uncertainty, which 
 she carefully concealed from the child, 
 and Gene's with eager, undefined expecta 
 tion. 
 
 It was a square, somber-looking house 
 before which they stood, with an iron rail 
 ing enclosing its formal front grass plot. 
 The door-bell sounded far away when 
 Mrs. Grey touched it, and they waited
 
 144 The Blossom Shop 
 
 long before the stately butler ushered 
 them in. The stillness of death seemed 
 to fall upon them as they entered a parlor 
 whose rich dark furnishings looked 
 equally funereal and imposing. Gene 
 clutched her mother's hand with instinc 
 tive fear while the two waited in breath 
 less silence. 
 
 At last from down the long hall Gene's 
 quick ears caught the sound of soft foot 
 falls, her face lit up with eager expect 
 ancy again, and a moment later Miss 
 Martha Grey was before them, tall, 
 slender, erect, with white hair put 
 smoothly back from a somewhat long 
 face, which was not old for a woman of 
 fifty, but the keen dark eyes had lacked 
 the sparkle of laughter even in youth, one 
 instinctively felt, and the muscles about 
 the mouth had become fixed in sober, 
 austere lines. With all her Puritan re-
 
 Away Up North 145 
 
 serve upon her she extended her hand 
 stiffly to her nephew's widow, and then 
 turning to Gene, she stood a moment 
 transfixed. Before her was a little fairy 
 child faultlessly dressed, with soft light 
 curls framing a sweet face over which 
 emotion played like flickering sunbeams 
 over a June rose, sensitive little fingers 
 outstretching to greet dear auntie, who 
 mother said had been so good to them, 
 and with the suddenness of magic the 
 starved maiden heart melted into warm, 
 tender, beautiful womanhood with its in 
 herent motherliness. She knelt before 
 the child, in whose veins flowed the same 
 blood as hers, and taking it in her arms 
 showered her long hidden tenderness in 
 soft ki$ses upon the fair brow, and sweet 
 lips, while the little arms twined about 
 the woman's neck in loving response. 
 Shaken in a way she had never been be-
 
 146 The Blossom Shop 
 
 fore in all her self-contained life, Miss 
 Grey rose at last, and still holding the 
 child's hand, turned to the mother and 
 said unsteadily: 
 
 " I thank God I can make restitution 
 to this dear child." 
 
 This was not at all what she had in 
 tended to say. She had meant to do her 
 duty by these aliens, giving them their 
 full rights, but, at the same time, from 
 her Puritan heights of rectitude, she had 
 intended to confine her dealings to busi 
 ness, and, if possible, to impress upon 
 them a sense of their obligations and re 
 sponsibility. But what heart could resist 
 that helpless, beautiful child? 
 
 She regained her composure through 
 a little talk of business with Gene's hand 
 still in her own, and at last said, with 
 conventional courtesy which held some 
 thing of authority:
 
 Away Up North 147 
 
 " You must remain here with me while 
 you stay." 
 
 " Oh, no," said Alice Grey, quickly 
 and firmly, " we cannot think of dis 
 turbing you; we have rooms at the 
 hotel." 
 
 " Oh, mother," put in Gene pleadingly, 
 " I want to stay here with my father's 
 Aunt Martha!" 
 
 Amazed at the choice of the child, 
 which would mean acceptance of hos 
 pitality from the main object of her years 
 of bitterness, Mrs. Grey was speechless 
 for a moment, and Miss Martha, with a 
 little happy light of triumph on her aus 
 tere face which would have astonished 
 all her acquaintances, said: 
 
 " I couldn't allow you to stay else 
 where. I will call a maid to show you 
 to your rooms and send a man for your 
 luggage."
 
 148 The Blossom Shop 
 
 So they were most unexpectedly in 
 stalled in the home of Miss Martha 
 Grey, and while every courtesy was 
 shown them, it was the formal courtesy 
 one shows a stranger so far as Alice Grey 
 was concerned, and she would have 
 speedily terminated her stay on some pre 
 text but for the amazing fact that Gene 
 with the mysterious skill of childhood 
 kept herself in perfect attune with the 
 austere woman, and her mother, remem 
 bering the close tie of blood between 
 them, was constrained by something in 
 tuitive to bide time's developments. 
 
 But after a few days the prim stateli- 
 ness of the house oppressed her and she 
 could see that Gene felt it too. They had 
 been very busy at first, and then came a 
 wait while papers were being prepared 
 and investigations made. Miss Grey was 
 not accustomed to so much going out as
 
 Away Up North 149 
 
 this had necessitated and was glad of the 
 pause. She felt, doubtless, that her 
 guests should be equally relieved. 
 
 Gene had begun from the first to try 
 to learn the highways and by-paths of 
 the house, but the more she tried the more 
 the stillness, the shut-in air frightened 
 her, while the distant, silent attitude of 
 the servants was depressing, and she 
 wanted to hold her mother's or Miss 
 Martha's hand all the time. She soon 
 ate almost nothing, saying plaintively 
 when she was urged, " Please, I am not 
 hungry." 
 
 Miss Martha, with a tender solicitude 
 that was entirely new to her, had many ' 
 dainty things prepared, but the child 
 would only say, " I am so sorry, Aunt 
 Martha, but I cannot eat." 
 
 When she awakened in the morning 
 she would ask instantly with a little
 
 150 The Blossom Shop 
 
 frightened voice, " Mother, where is 
 home?" 
 
 " Home, darling, is just where we left 
 it," Mrs. Gray would reply cheerily, and 
 then talk about what they were doing 
 down in old Alabama just then. 
 
 " Mammy Sue is combing Hannie's and 
 May's hair," she would say, or, " They 
 are just getting up," or, " still asleep," 
 and then the hills would untie their bon 
 nets and the bobolinks begin merrily as 
 of old, while the old bright look came 
 back to her little face. But as they went 
 down-stairs the child would clutch her 
 mother's hand, and then cling to Aunt 
 Martha in her morning greeting with a 
 pathetic eagerness that wrung that self- 
 contained woman's heart, while it bound 
 her to the child with a perfect abandon 
 of tenderness. 
 
 She soon came to exchange looks with
 
 Away Up North 151 
 
 Mrs. Grey which said plainly, " the child 
 is homesick," and this womanly under 
 standing could not fail to bring closer the 
 two of alien blood. They worked to 
 gether to divert the little one, but with 
 poor success. The servants, too, recogni 
 zing a change of conditions in the house 
 hold, and having been greatly attracted 
 to the helpless child with her gentle, 
 sweet ways, gave her kindliest attention. 
 But, in spite of all, the small face grew 
 daily, almost hourly, white and thin with 
 the quick change that is always possible 
 with children. At last one morning the 
 child said wearily: 
 
 " I am so tired, mother, I cannot get 
 up." Mrs. Grey's heart stood still. 
 Anxiously she called Miss Martha and 
 the two women hovered over the little 
 bed, no longer aliens, but one in distressed 
 sympathy and interest.
 
 152 The Blossom Shop 
 
 11 We must have the doctor at once," 
 said Miss Martha, hurrying from the 
 room to call him. 
 
 No one thought of breakfast; the serv 
 ants tiptoed here and there in frightened 
 awe as they saw Miss Martha's face, and 
 the household held its breath, so to speak, 
 until the doctor came.
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 DR. MURTON 
 
 DR. MURTON had been the Greys' 
 family physician for many years. He 
 was a bachelor of portly build, with an 
 abundant shock of iron-gray hair and an 
 unruly white forelock above keen, gray- 
 blue eyes and a sternly marked face which 
 broke readily upon occasion into radiant 
 good humor with astonishing transforma 
 tion. Big, blustering he was, yet very 
 kindly, and a great lover of children. 
 
 Up the stairs he came with vigor yet 
 lightness of step, his entire personality 
 being a combination of contrasts. 
 
 " Well, well, what have we here! " he 
 exclaimed, as he entered the room, then 
 
 153
 
 154 The Blossom Shop 
 
 sat down beside the child, took the listless 
 little hand and passed it caressingly over 
 his face. 
 
 " Why, it is a little southern johnny- 
 jump-up that's turned to a snow-drop 
 up here in the cold north," he ran on, 
 with a certain tender quality in his voice, 
 as he felt her pulse and examined her 
 carefully, which won her heart at once. 
 
 " Didn't they tell me your name was 
 Johnny? " he asked then teasingly. 
 
 u No, Eugene," answered a weak 
 little voice while a wan smile crept into 
 the white face. 
 
 " Well, well, I made a mistake, didn't 
 I? But we like johnny-jump-ups better 
 than we do snow-drops, and we must have 
 you up and prancing about before a cat 
 can wink her eye." 
 
 " I know the very thing that will do it," 
 he went on, rapidly writing a prescrip-
 
 Dr. Murton 155 
 
 tion and bringing another wan smile as 
 he ordered 'possum and sweet 'taters for 
 her dinner. 
 
 But out in the hall he told Miss 
 Martha that the child, he feared, was in a 
 quite serious state of nervous collapse. 
 
 " Homesickness is part of it, but not 
 all," he said. " Give her all the sunlight 
 you can, never mind fading carpets, 
 and I can tell better to-morrow. We 
 must bring about a prompt reaction," he 
 ended as he hurried out. 
 
 Next morning he came early and found 
 everything flooded with sunshine in the 
 gloomy old house. As he sat down by 
 Gene's bed he bantered her a little about 
 not having " jumped up yet," and pre 
 tended great surprise that she hadn't 
 made her dinner the previous day from 
 'possum and sweet 'taters as he had told 
 her.
 
 156 The Blossom Shop 
 
 This time her smile was hardly a little 
 ghost, and with the pretense of getting 
 her something himself worth while to 
 eat, he beckoned Mrs. Grey to go out 
 with him, while Miss Martha remained 
 with the child. 
 
 " Has the little girl had a nervous 
 shock of any kind recently? " he inquired 
 at once. 
 
 a Why, no," Mrs. Grey answered 
 slowly, " unless it was the fire," she 
 added. 
 
 "Fire?" returned the doctor sharply. 
 " Tell me about it," and he drew her to 
 a window-seat in the hall. 
 
 Mrs. Grey told him anxiously all 
 about the burning of their old home and 
 her subsequent illness, so she had hardly 
 noticed the effect on the child. 
 
 The doctor nodded his head under- 
 standingly.
 
 Dr. Murton 157 
 
 " And then she came up here through 
 the darkness into this tomb," he said to 
 himself. Aloud, " I think she felt the 
 shock of that fire more than you knew 
 perhaps, and then coming to a new 
 world, with a complete change of climate 
 and surroundings, has been rather hard 
 on her." 
 
 " Shall I take her right back? " asked 
 Mrs. Grey eagerly. 
 
 " No, hardly just now," he replied 
 slowly, then considered a moment. 
 " Has she anybody at home that she 
 thinks a great deal of who could come 
 to her, as a sort of assurance of the 
 reality and continued existence of that 
 world she and you have left? " 
 
 "Why, yes," returned Mrs. Grey, 
 greatly troubled, " I have several friends 
 who could come." 
 
 "All right," said the doctor cheerily,
 
 158 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " we'll go back and ask her whom she 
 would like to have come to see her 
 from home, and watch the effect upon 
 her." 
 
 " But, doctor," Mrs. Grey began dep- 
 recatingly, " we can't ask anybody to 
 come here " 
 
 " I'll fix that," broke in the doctor be 
 fore she could finish, and he hurried back 
 to the child's bedside, Mrs. Grey anx 
 iously following. 
 
 " Well, now," he exclaimed cheerily, 
 sitting down by Gene, " I've ordered 
 cracklin' bread and chincapins for your 
 dinner, you see, I have traveled south 
 and I know what wee southern girls 
 like." 
 
 The little ghost-smile came out as the 
 child replied weakly, " We don't have 
 chincapins in the summer, or cracklin' 
 bread either."
 
 Dr. Murton 159 
 
 " Is that so? What a blunderer I am! 
 Well, you'll get things just as good any 
 way, this time, sure. And now I want to 
 tell you something," and he took a little 
 hand in each of his, " I have found out 
 from well, the fairies, that you can 
 have anybody to come to see you from 
 home that you want! Now tell us, whom 
 do you want? " 
 
 A sudden flickering light broke over 
 the sweet face and the doctor felt the 
 little hands tremble. 
 
 " Tell us," he urged, " just whom you 
 want." 
 
 " I want," she began slowly, at last, 
 " I want Hannie to come, and May, and 
 Mr. Carter, and Uncle Sam," the little 
 voice growing stronger with each name, 
 " and Mammy Sue, and, and the par 
 rot and the puppies," till the last was a 
 glad cry.
 
 160 The Blossom Shop 
 
 The doctor leaned back, laughing 
 heartily, and then exclaimed: 
 
 " All right, we'll have them here before 
 you know it, every single one of them, 
 not a parrot or a puppy left out!" and 
 he laughed again uncontrollably, while 
 Mrs. Grey protested in consternation: 
 
 " Oh, Gene, darling, you do not want 
 so many! " 
 
 " Yes, mother, I do," she said with 
 energy she had not shown for a week, 
 " and the doctor says I can have them 
 all!" 
 
 " But, Aunt Martha," Mrs. Grey mur 
 mured feebly. 
 
 The doctor covered her murmur with 
 another hearty, " We'll have them all, 
 little Johnny-jump-up, in three days 
 from now. I'll send the telegram my 
 self that will bring them," and he took 
 the address from Mrs. Grey.
 
 Dr. Murton 161 
 
 As for Aunt Martha, she sat in equal 
 consternation, but her face was inscru 
 table. She followed the doctor out, how 
 ever, when he went, and he looked a little 
 guilty, but with a vigorous pull at that 
 restless forelock, a trick of his under em 
 barrassment or stress of any kind, he in 
 quired brusquely: 
 
 " You can manage it, can't you, Miss 
 Martha? If you can't, I can take half a 
 dozen of them," he added more boldly 
 still. 
 
 " I can entertain them," said Miss 
 Martha with stiff dignity, and the doctor 
 went hurriedly out. The door once 
 closed, he chuckled again and again, 
 now and then throwing his head 
 back with a big laugh while he 
 exclaimed: 
 
 " Two ' niggers ' and a parrot and pup 
 pies! I'm afraid the old house'll have
 
 162 The Blossom Shop 
 
 delirium tremens, to say nothing of Miss 
 Martha. But I've been wanting to see 
 that house stirred up ever since I was 
 born. It was all I could do as a boy to 
 keep from throwing stones at its con 
 stantly darkened windows. I would have 
 married Martha long ago, bless my soul, 
 if I hadn't been afraid of that house," he 
 ended viciously. 
 
 In less than an hour he had sent this 
 telegram speeding toward the little Ala 
 bama town. 
 
 " MR. JOHN CARTER: 
 
 " Little Eugene Grey is seriously ill. 
 We wish to try home surroundings for 
 her. Come at once and bring your two 
 children, also Uncle Sam, Mammy Sue, 
 the parrot and the puppies without 
 fail. 
 
 " Signed, W. W. MuRTON, M. D."
 
 Dr. Murton 163 
 
 When the doctor came in two morn 
 ings later this last happy prescription had 
 done much beneficent work. Gene's lit 
 tle face, though still thin, with only a 
 growing tinge of pink, yet held the 
 sparkle of happiness, and the pall of 
 anxiety over the old house was lifted. 
 Miss Martha met him at the door with 
 a greeting almost gay, and when he went 
 up to the sick-room he sat down by his 
 little charge with great satisfaction. As 
 he did so an envelope covering one of the 
 glasses beside her caught his eye, and he 
 read aloud the printed return address in 
 the corner, " Eugene Grey & Co., 
 Florists, " he halted there inquiringly. 
 
 Mrs. Grey saw the puzzled look upon 
 his face, and in the happiness which had 
 come upon them all she laughingly said: 
 
 " Yes, we made a Blossom Shop of our 
 old Alabama home, and let me intro-
 
 164 The Blossom Shop 
 
 duce you to the head of our firm, Eu 
 gene Grey, Dr. Murton," playfully lift 
 ing the child's hand to his. 
 
 " And mother is the Co.," came 
 Gene's weak voice with an answering 
 ring of gaiety. 
 
 Then they had to tell him all about 
 their flower business, the cape jessamines 
 and the smilax, and the funny, scary let 
 ters they once got. 
 
 " So," said he at last, " you've been 
 keeping a Blossom Shop. And didn't I 
 recognize your trade-mark the minute I 
 saw this Johnny-jump-up? You've made 
 it the business of your lives to send beauty 
 and fragrance out over the world, and 
 you've certainly been distributing it since 
 you came here. Why, look at Miss 
 Martha and me! We are growing young 
 and beautiful all the time under your 
 spell.
 
 Dr. Murton 165 
 
 " Don't ever give it up," he went on 
 with vehemence, which the bobbing fore 
 lock emphasized, " perhaps you won't 
 now be counting your profit in dollars 
 and cents, since you no longer need to, 
 but if you can go around scattering blos 
 soms of happiness as you have over this 
 home and town, you will store up that 
 sort of treasure which the Bible tells 
 about." 
 
 " Oh," cried Mrs. Grey under her 
 breath, " don't, doctor, think of the 
 trouble we have made here." 
 
 But Miss Martha, flushed from the 
 doctor's reference to herself, said with 
 nervous quickness : 
 
 " There has been no trouble that any 
 body minded." 
 
 And the doctor chuckled again con 
 tentedly when he went out the stately 
 doorway.
 
 CHAPTER XIII 
 
 LIVELY VISITORS 
 
 J. HERE had been natural consterna 
 tion on Mr. Carter's part when he re 
 ceived that astounding telegram, but 
 Gene, Alice Grey needed him, this 
 thought quickly succeeded, and he did not 
 waste a moment. As it happened, he had 
 not left the house for his office, and as 
 soon as Uncle Sam and Mammy Sue had 
 subdued their amazement sufficiently he 
 had them busy with preparations, while 
 Hannie and May ran hither and thither 
 in happy excitement. 
 
 Uncle Sam's principal part was the 
 purchase of a new suit of clothes, a neces- 
 
 166
 
 Lively Visitors 167 
 
 sity of long standing, but of which his 
 skepticism of " Miss Alice's and his good 
 fortune " had prevented practical recog 
 nition. Then he had to prepare and fit 
 up a cage suitable for the puppies' jour 
 ney. 
 
 Mammy Sue having instantly put 
 every " nigger " within reach to washing 
 and ironing, the result was, by train time 
 that night Hannie and May were dressed 
 immaculately, Mammy Sue's dark dress 
 and white apron could have stood alone 
 and her head-kerchief was spotless, while 
 the well packed and strapped trunks 
 rested on the station platform awaiting 
 the coming of the train. 
 
 Three days later they all stood at Miss 
 Martha's door under the doctor's escort. 
 He had met them at the train and es 
 corted them to the house in order that he 
 might be at hand without fail in case thr
 
 168 The Blossom Shop 
 
 excitement proved too much for his little 
 patient. As the party waited response to 
 their ring, the parrot began squawking, 
 " Get off the white folks' sidewalk, side 
 walk," because she did not know what 
 else to say which would so well voice her 
 indignation over the experiences of the 
 past few days. This put the doctor in 
 high glee, and they were a merry party, 
 for his word that Gene was already 
 greatly improved with the happy pros 
 pect of their coming had greatly relieved 
 Mr. Carter and made everybody very 
 happy. The butler soon appeared, 
 ushered them in with stately dignity and 
 gingerly took charge of the parrot and 
 puppies at the doctor's request. 
 
 Gene was lying in a big chair that was 
 almost a bed, her face alight with joyous 
 expectancy as the doctor led his flock 
 quietly in, one by one. Mrs. Grey and
 
 
 USHERED THEM IN WITH STATELY DIGNITY AND GIN 
 GERLY TOOK CHARGE OF THE PARROT."
 
 Lively Visitors 169 
 
 Miss Martha stood anxiously by, fearful 
 of the excitement. 
 
 Hannie and May greeted her and Mrs. 
 Grey in turn with rapturous affection, 
 then Mr. Carter followed, kissing the 
 little girl in quiet tenderness and taking 
 Alice Grey's hand with a warm clasp and 
 one unguarded look into her tear-filled 
 eyes. 
 
 Uncle Sam and Mammy Sue came 
 next, and the quaint immaculateness of 
 their dress, their quiet dignity, their re 
 spectful affection as they each in turn 
 took the child in their arms and held her 
 close without kissing her, was a new spec 
 tacle to Miss Martha, which completely 
 reconciled her to their presence, a state 
 of mind she had not been able to 
 reach before, though she had given no 
 sign. 
 
 When all had been greeted and intro-
 
 170 The Blossom Shop 
 
 duced, and Uncle Sam and Mammy Sue 
 had dropped discreetly into the back 
 ground, Gene clasped her little hands 
 ecstatically, and said: 
 
 " Now, where are the parrot and the 
 puppies? " 
 
 Everybody laughed, the doctor most of 
 all, for it was very apparent that joy had 
 lifted the little invalid at once almost 
 back into her old strength. His biggest 
 smile beamed out while the forelock 
 danced as he exclaimed hilariously: 
 
 "Oh, they are here all right! Bring 
 them on, Uncle Sam," and the old man 
 hurried out to get them, while Miss 
 Martha sat helplessly forestalled for the 
 first time since she became mistress of 
 the old Grey homestead. Alice Grey 
 looked anxious protest at the doctor, but 
 he ignored everybody. 
 
 Uncle Sam soon came in with the
 
 Lively Visitors 171 
 
 parrot on his shoulder and a puppy under 
 each arm, and they were put down in 
 front of Gene on a carpet which might 
 have been expected to cry out under such 
 desecration. 
 
 Gene extended both hands. " Come, 
 Hannie and May, and tell me what 
 they do." 
 
 The little girls knelt at once beside her 
 and Polly did not disappoint her breath 
 less audience. She strutted about the 
 puppies, from whom she had been un 
 willingly separated, crying, " My pups, 
 my pups," rubbing her neck against their 
 round backs and giving threatening 
 orders of, " Don't touch 'em," to the 
 lookers-on, interspersed with instructions 
 to the doggies, such as, " Bite 'em, pup," 
 or " Wash your faces," and " Mind your 
 mother," things which the children had 
 lately taught her to say, while the pup-
 
 172 The Blossom Shop 
 
 pies wagged their tails about her in 
 delight. 
 
 Uncle Sam, much pleased with the 
 success of the performance, said: 
 
 " I pretty near had all dat train full 
 er folks out in de baggage car wid me 
 looking' at dat parrot an' dem puppies." 
 
 " Well, well," said the doctor at last, 
 rubbing his hands in final satisfaction, 
 " I don't think this little Johnny-jump- 
 up of that southern Blossom Shop needs 
 me any more, so I must hustle out and 
 look after some northern snow-drop," 
 and he beamingly hurried away. 
 
 But, in spite of not being needed, 
 " Miss Martha's Zoo," as he delightedly 
 called it, fascinated him so that he was 
 there every day, and soon had carried 
 Mr. Carter's luggage whether or no from 
 the hotel, where he had insisted upon 
 stopping, to his own bachelor quarters.
 
 Lively Visitors 173 
 
 Miss Martha in turn would take no 
 denial from Mr. Carter to her invita 
 tion to dine at her house each day, for 
 she liked the southern gentleman's pleas 
 ant, leisurely way of talking, his ready 
 courtesy, and was greatly entertained 
 with his seemingly inexhaustible fund 
 of interesting stories full of a delicious, 
 delicate humor. 
 
 The doctor began taking the liberty 
 of dropping in to dinner also each day, 
 and for a week the old house knew a 
 gaiety unprecedented in its history. 
 Children's voices echoed through the 
 halls, not boisterously, for Mammy Sue 
 had her charges too well in hand for 
 that, but with innocent life and merri 
 ment. There were also some very ex 
 citing episodes, as was inevitable with 
 such lively visitors as a parrot and two 
 puppies.
 
 174 The Blossom Shop 
 
 The house stood upon a corner with a 
 side door opening from the kitchen entry 
 upon a side street. The parrot and pup 
 pies had been installed in a tool room 
 opening also into this entry, and one 
 morning Hannie and May, with Gene 
 between them, stood looking from an 
 upper window chatting gaily over every 
 thing which passed, when suddenly the 
 two puppies dashed out the side door 
 beneath them with Polly following and 
 screaming excitedly, "My pups! my 
 pups! " 
 
 Hannie and May turned in conster 
 nation to Mrs. Grey who sat reading near 
 them, " Oh, the puppies are running 
 away," they cried together, and dashed 
 from the room down the back stairs and 
 into the street in a twinkling. 
 
 There the puppies were, sure enough, 
 racing down the decorous street with
 
 Lively Visitors 175 
 
 Polly walking or flying as near as she 
 could beside them, screaming constantly, 
 u My pups! my pups!" and the two 
 little girls wildly followed. Soon Uncle 
 Sam and Mammy Sue were also hurry 
 ing along in the rear. 
 
 " What will Aunt Martha think? " 
 said Mrs. Grey, looking from the upper 
 window in laughing dismay. But the 
 children raced on with no thought of the 
 comedy they were furnishing staid New 
 Englanders. People stood aside in as 
 tonished interest all along the way, and 
 the doctor, with Mr. Carter in the car 
 riage beside him, happening by at that 
 moment, stopped his horse in equal 
 amazement. Then, taking in the situa 
 tion, he exclaimed to Mr. Carter with a 
 big laugh, " Miss Martha's Zoo has 
 stampeded!" turned his horse about and 
 joined the pursuers.
 
 176 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Two blocks were safely passed while 
 everybody watched with breathless 
 amusement, runaways and pursuers all 
 at high speed, the parrot keeping up 
 with the puppies by constant flights, and 
 then they were getting into the heart of 
 the little city. Another crossing was be 
 fore them, and oh, a big electric car came 
 whizzing up the street! 
 
 " Oh, oh! the dear puppies will be 
 killed sure," cried Hannie and May fran 
 tically, almost upon the runaways, yet not 
 quite. 
 
 But the parrot's shrill, human cries of 
 "My pups! my pups!" stopped the 
 motorman and halted hurrying vehicles 
 of all sorts while the parrot and puppies 
 went safely across, and everybody laughed 
 as Hannie and May, hurrying after, each 
 captured a naughty little fellow as he 
 struggled up the curb. Flushed and
 
 Lively Visitors 177 
 
 panting, the children started back, laugh 
 ing with the rest, while the much ruffled 
 Polly flew along beside them varying her 
 favorite exclamation of "My pups!" 
 with a scolding cry of " Bad pups! " 
 
 The doctor and Mr. Carter met them 
 at the first corner on their return, and 
 drew the little girls and their puppies 
 into the carriage with great hilarity on 
 the doctor's part, but the parrot refused 
 a ride, keeping out of the children's 
 reach. Uncle Sam with Mammy Sue, 
 who had also reached the busy street, 
 both puffing and blowing, soon subdued 
 Polly and, rebelling shrilly, she started 
 back on Uncle Sam's shoulder. They 
 had not gone far, however, before they 
 met Miss Martha, who had followed too 
 in excited interest, and Polly added the 
 last touch to the doctor's enjoyment by 
 leaving Uncle Sam and lighting upon
 
 178 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Miss Martha's prim shoulder. The ob 
 stinate bird refused to move, so Miss 
 Martha, laughing as she had rarely done 
 in her girlhood, walked down the street 
 to her home, her hair blowing about her 
 face and with Polly scolding lustily all 
 the way. 
 
 By this time Mrs. Grey stood with 
 Gene at the doorway rapidly telling her 
 all that was passing. 
 
 When the gay crowd came up to them 
 the doctor unloaded his passengers and 
 then peered anxiously about. 
 
 " Have I got 'em all, all the chil 
 dren and all the puppies? " he exclaimed. 
 " I wouldn't want to lose one, you know," 
 he added anxiously, while the children 
 giggled merrily and Gene danced up and 
 down in old-time glee. 
 
 " I tell you what," the doctor went on, 
 pinching Gene's fast rounding cheek,
 
 Lively Visitors 179 
 
 " I never saw anything like the thriving 
 business Eugene Grey & Co.'s Blossom 
 Shop is doing. It's imported so much 
 of that southern sunshine for us, the first 
 thing you know we'll thaw out com 
 pletely," and he looked out the corner of 
 his eye at Miss Martha, who was stroking 
 Polly's ruffled feathers as she went up the 
 steps. 
 
 The whole party went laughing and 
 talking into the house, and at the same 
 moment every bit of gloom for the little 
 girl who could not see was dispelled for 
 ever from the stately old place, while she 
 seemed at once to find her full measure 
 of strength and buoyancy.
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 AN ARCH SCHEMER 
 
 JL HE doctor's enthusiasm grew apace 
 with similar episodes and the returning 
 roses in Gene's cheeks. He became daily 
 more daring and was entirely responsible 
 for the next startling event which sur 
 prised the old Grey homestead. 
 
 He was passing rapidly along the side 
 street one day, his face set in the stern 
 lines, when he saw ahead Uncle Sam 
 standing rather disconsolately at the rear 
 entrance of the Grey place, and instantly 
 genial radiance transformed him. 
 
 " Hello, Uncle Sam," he called heart 
 ily from the nearest hearing point. 
 " How are you?" 
 
 180
 
 An Arch Schemer 181 
 
 "Jes' tol'a'ble, sah, jes' tol'a'ble," 
 Uncle Sam trebled politely. 
 
 " Well, how do you like our city? " 
 hailed the doctor again. 
 
 " Pretty well, sah," Uncle Sam re 
 turned. 
 
 The doctor felt there was some reserve 
 in this answer, halted by the old darky's 
 side, and knowing how to win confidence, 
 he did not cease his questions until he 
 had drawn out the fact that Uncle Sam 
 " wasn't used to so much fuss nights, and 
 that though he wan' to say ' skeered,' it 
 was powerful lonesome out in that barn 
 nights." " De norf is a lonesome place 
 fer niggers, anyways, doctor," the old 
 man ended. 
 
 "Then, too," he went on again, 
 " Mammy Sue ain't jes' satisfied in de 
 house. You see, Miss Martha makes her 
 sleep in one er de good back bedrooms,
 
 182 The Blossom Shop 
 
 'cause she says 'tain' sanitous, er some- 
 thin', fer too many ter sleep in one room, 
 an' won't let her sleep on de flo' by de 
 chillun lack she want ter do. Sue say 
 she ain' used ter sleepin' in white folkes 
 beds in a room by herself, an' she don't 
 want to disqualify her chillun, Miss 
 Hannie an' Miss May, in no sech a 
 way." 
 
 " Well, now," said the doctor wick 
 edly, " why don't you and Mammy Sue 
 get married right off and then she can 
 stay with you, and she'll be satisfied, and 
 you won't be lonesome any more." 
 
 " Jes' what I tells her, doctor," cried 
 the old negro excitedly. " She done 
 promise ter marry me 'fore we left home. 
 Wid Miss Alice and Miss Gene gone I 
 didn't have no fam'bly, an' I 'bleeged to 
 have somebody to take keer on," he ended 
 apologetically.
 
 An Arch Schemer 183 
 
 " Don't say a word more," said the 
 doctor, putting out his hand. " I'll fix 
 that thing all up for you," and he went 
 down the street chuckling with an occa 
 sional big " ha, ha," as he exclaimed: 
 
 " A l nigger ' wedding at Miss 
 Martha's! I'll fix that sure!" 
 
 And he did! Nobody ever knew how 
 he managed it with Miss Martha, but 
 that good lady had become helpless in his 
 hands, having completely lost her bear 
 ings with the sudden invasion of her quiet 
 spinsterhood. With her consent won, the 
 doctor next called Mrs. Grey and Mr. 
 Carter into the parlor and put the matter 
 before them. It was discussed with great 
 animation by Alice Grey, who thought it 
 altogether malapropos from every stand 
 point, and the doctor, with his forelock 
 bobbing energetically, would see no ob 
 jection, declared Miss Martha had none,
 
 184 The Blossom Shop 
 
 with the result that he again had his way. 
 Mr. Carter listened in quiet amusement, 
 taking no part in the discussion. 
 
 The doctor did not linger after win 
 ning his case, and left Alice Grey and 
 Mr. Carter standing in the parlor alone 
 together for the first time since his com 
 ing. 
 
 She was between laughter and tears, 
 and turning an appealing face to him, she 
 said: 
 
 " What do you think of this absurd 
 thing?" 
 
 She did not dream how beautiful she 
 was in a becoming, modish gown with 
 her face full of April charm. 
 
 He braced his broad shoulders and put 
 his arms firmly behind his back as he 
 looked down hungrily into her eyes. 
 
 " I should not worry about it if I were 
 you," he answered finally. " You are not
 
 HE LOOKED DOWN HUNGRILY INTO HER EYES.
 
 An Arch Schemer 185 
 
 responsible for it in the least, the two old 
 children will be happy, and happiness 
 is somewhat rare." 
 
 His voice, always full and mellow, 
 dropped into sadness as he added the last 
 phrase, while his eyes turned away from 
 her. 
 
 She took a step nearer to him, and look 
 ing up again with something pregnant 
 of tender things in her own expressive 
 gaze, she said softly: 
 
 " You have made me very happy by 
 coming to me in my great trouble and 
 helping to bring my Gene back to health 
 and strength." 
 
 Her voice quivered a little at the last 
 and she almost touched his arm with out- 
 reaching fingers, but he looked stead 
 fastly away, setting his lips firmly as his 
 strong will vociferated blindly, " I will 
 not rob her of her wealth," silencing the
 
 186 The Blossom Shop 
 
 yearning of his heart to take her in his 
 arms, whether or no. 
 
 Her eyes finally fell with a startled, 
 hurt look and she walked slowly out of 
 the room, while he remained immovable, 
 with clenched hands still behind his back. 
 
 The house was soon in excitement over 
 the wedding, the very first to take 
 place within its walls. The children 
 were in a perfect glee over it, Miss 
 Martha smiled in a way that relieved 
 Mrs. Grey entirely, and even the house 
 servants went about their work with sub 
 dued gaiety. 
 
 Mammy Sue had been very obstreper 
 ous at first, saying, " No, indeed, she wan' 
 gwine to marry twell she got home," but 
 Uncle Sam, with the skill of masculinity 
 which the ages have constantly demon 
 strated, over- rode her objection.
 
 An Arch Schemer 187 
 
 When Miss Martha and Mrs. Grey 
 asked about the wedding gown with 
 feminine solicitude it turned out that a 
 white swiss dress with long train, orange 
 blossoms and veil, white gloves and satin 
 slippers had all been carefully packed in 
 the bottom of the Carter children's trunk! 
 
 Mrs. Grey and Miss Martha laughed 
 together like two girls when the wedding 
 finery was displayed to them. All the 
 pent-up gaiety of Miss Martha's nature, 
 which was her natural New England in 
 heritance, and which, as in many another 
 instance, had been held in rigid subjec 
 tion by life-time repression, suddenly 
 overflowed its bounds in riotous freedom. 
 
 " Why, Mammy Sue, how did you hap 
 pen to bring them? " asked Miss Martha 
 when she could find voice. Mrs. Grey, 
 knowing the negro capacity for unexpect 
 edness, was less surprised.
 
 188 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Mammy Sue laughed with them and 
 then explained with the accustomed bluff 
 belligerency that she used whenever Sam 
 was concerned: 
 
 " Why, dat Sam he nuver give me no 
 res' day nor night twell I got um, an' 
 promised to marry him soon's Miss Alice 
 cum back, an' when I cum 'way fum 
 home 'course I wan' gwine leave um fer 
 no nigger ter steal! " Which was timely 
 discretion beyond dispute. 
 
 Uncle Sam proved to have been 
 equally forehanded in the acquisition of 
 his new suit for the journey, which with 
 the additional purchase of white gloves 
 and a white tie completed his wedding 
 outfit. 
 
 So in the evening of that day the grim 
 old Grey homestead was lit from top to 
 bottom while the minister and a little 
 company of neighbors and friends who
 
 An Arch Schemer 189 
 
 had been lately dropping in, in the de 
 lightful, neighborly fashion of New Eng 
 land, gathered in the parlor. The chil 
 dren fluttered here and there in pretty 
 party dresses, Gene winning every heart 
 with her sweet, upturned face, round 
 and rosy, reaching out eager little hands 
 to everybody, once more in a world 
 of love and light, while the doctor 
 strutted about, his genial radiance in full 
 sway and acting as chief dignitary of the 
 occasion. 
 
 Gene sat by Miss Martha at last, every 
 body breathlessly waiting the entrance of 
 the bride and groom. She drew the dear 
 auntie's face down and whispered ecstat 
 ically, " I have always so wanted a wed 
 ding at my own dear home, and now I 
 have one," and Miss Martha smiled back 
 into the little face with a tenderness that 
 made the neighbors and friends exchange
 
 190 The Blossom Shop 
 
 glances with a mist in their eyes. Home 
 had expanded at last for the small her 
 mit heart, linking North and South indis- 
 solubly. 
 
 At a signal from the doctor, Mrs. 
 Grey began playing a wedding march 
 upon the old piano which had not been 
 opened for many, many years, the min 
 ister stood in place and there was a hush 
 as the unique bridal couple appeared. 
 Mammy Sue in all her bridal finery, her 
 portly ebony shoulders and arms showing 
 prominently through the white Swiss, 
 hung upon Uncle Sam's proud arm, 
 while he struggled to make his rheumatic 
 gait firm and gallant, his black face with 
 its snowy fringe shining with happi 
 ness. 
 
 The simple ceremony was solemnly 
 said, a prayer followed, and then the 
 happy couple bowed right and left
 
 An Arch Schemer 191 
 
 as everybody offered congratulations. 
 Mammy Sue said to Sam later, in the 
 privacy of the bridal chamber out in the 
 barn, after she had put " her chillun " 
 to bed as usual, " Ever' thing was done 
 jes' like southern quality would er done 
 it. I know now dat Miss Marthy is qual 
 ity, but I'm 'bleeged to say I done had 
 my doubts wid me er sleepin' in dat good 
 bedroom." 
 
 The doctor's congratulations had been 
 most hearty and his white forelock never 
 flopped more merrily than when he 
 slipped into the bride's hand a ten dollar 
 gold piece for a wedding present before 
 hurrying off to answer some call. He 
 patted Gene upon the head a moment at 
 leaving, and said with gay bluster in her 
 ear: 
 
 " I tell you, that Blossom Shop of 
 Eugene Grey & Co. is doing a thriving
 
 192 The Blossom Shop 
 
 business scattering the bloom of happi 
 ness! " 
 
 The little girl laughed back merrily; 
 she always delighted in his references to 
 their " Blossom Shop," and though she 
 did not fully comprehend, greatly en 
 joyed his figurative applications. 
 
 " Nothing like getting things started," 
 he chuckled to himself as he went down 
 the steps. " There's another wedding 
 which ought to take place, if I'm any 
 judge of symptoms, and, on my soul, 
 if Miss Martha keeps on growing young 
 and pretty and tractable as she has the 
 past week, there'll be two! Blamed if 
 I ain't getting over my awe of that old 
 house." 
 
 Seated with Mr. Carter that night after 
 the wedding, before the comfortable log 
 fire of his living-room, it being a cool 
 June day, he turned suddenly and said:
 
 An Arch Schemer 193 
 
 " That's the way of happiness, Mr. 
 Carter!" 
 
 A quiet smile was Mr. Carter's only 
 reply, and the doctor then burst out with : 
 
 " Don't you know faint heart never 
 won fair lady? Go in and win, you 
 need her and your children need her." 
 
 John Carter sat silent a moment and 
 then he replied: 
 
 " That is true, but you have not seen 
 her struggle with poverty as I have, and 
 do you think I would rob her now? She 
 no longer needs me," he added firmly. 
 
 " Money, money! " exclaimed the doc 
 tor vehemently, " I've seen its futility as 
 far as happiness is concerned, and if I 
 read that little woman aright, she would 
 rather have your love than millions. As 
 for the child, you would not rob her." 
 
 " You do not know all that I do," Mr. 
 Carter returned with quiet finality.
 
 194 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Then the doctor fumed good-naturedly; 
 he knew well he must not venture too far. 
 " Here I got up this wedding to show 
 you two the thing to do, and I believe, 
 on my soul, it is going to be wasted, unless 
 I can persuade Miss Martha- And 
 Mr. Carter laughed in turn, urging him 
 on. 
 
 The next day, when the doctor was at 
 the house, he found opportunity to say 
 slyly to Mrs. Grey, with the stern look in 
 full evidence, but wrinkles threatening 
 capture of the keen eyes as he glanced sig 
 nificantly over at Mr. Carter, " As I un 
 derstand it, the business of Eugene Grey 
 & Co. is to market the products of sun 
 shine, joy and happiness, be careful 
 that you do not go out of your line. It 
 never pays to deal in stock alien to your 
 main business." 
 
 Again he found a chance to approach
 
 An Arch Schemer 195 
 
 her when alone from a different an 
 gle. 
 
 " Mrs. Grey, I am persuaded that the 
 Blossom Shop is neglecting a great op 
 portunity to enlarge its business of dis 
 pensing happiness, and of putting it on a 
 permanent basis. Two motherless chil 
 dren and a lonely man, how can you 
 ignore their need? " 
 
 She looked up, startled at the real ear 
 nestness of his usually jolly voice, as she 
 knew it, and her eyes fell at the keenness 
 of his gaze. He seemed to arraign her 
 and she suddenly felt herself without de 
 fense. But he turned away instantly, and 
 she did not need to make reply. 
 
 There were a few days more of gaiety 
 in the old house, and then the Carters, 
 with the bride and groom, the parrot and 
 puppies, went back to Alabama and 
 things were more quiet. But the gloom
 
 196 The Blossom Shop 
 
 did not return to the old place for Gene. 
 She had learned every nook and corner 
 with the happy guiding hands of Hannie 
 and May and no depression came upon 
 her as they left. Business matters had 
 moved on satisfactorily, but everything 
 was not in final shape, and Gene being in 
 perfect physical condition, Mrs. Grey 
 decided, with Dr. Murton's entire ap 
 proval, to take the little girl at once to 
 New York for examination, and if all 
 seemed well, to plan at least for an 
 operation. 
 
 So it came about that they were soon 
 before the great oculist to whom they 
 had long dreamed of going.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 UNFOLDINGS 
 
 a careful examination of the 
 little one's eyes the famous oculist cried 
 buoyantly: 
 
 " I can almost say I know I can give 
 sight to this child." 
 
 And then they trod on air as they 
 walked down Broadway with an appoint 
 ment for the operation two days distant. 
 Their shining faces made more than one 
 passer-by turn back for a second look. 
 
 " Oh, Gene," cried Mrs. Grey, sud 
 denly stopping before a florist's beauti 
 ful show-window, and looking at the 
 firm's name upon the sign. 
 
 "'Shaw & Co.' Why, that is the 
 
 197
 
 198 The Blossom Shop 
 
 name of the firm who were so good to us, 
 told us how to pack our cape jessamines 
 and how to manage our smilax, and, yes, 
 this is the old address! " 
 
 Gene clasped her hands in joy. 
 
 " Oh, mother, let's go in and see 
 him!" 
 
 They did, and taking from her purse 
 one of her business cards with Eugene 
 Grey & Co. and her home address upon 
 it, Mrs. Grey led the child into the store 
 and sent the card back to Mr. Shaw, who 
 was in the office, the clerk informed her. 
 
 The clerk returned a moment later, 
 looking a little bewildered, but said Mr. 
 Shaw would be glad to see Eugene Grey 
 & Co. at once. 
 
 With a happy smile, Mrs. Grey went 
 back with Gene and enjoyed the amaze 
 ment of a kindly gray-haired man when 
 the little girl with pretty outreaching
 
 Unfoldings 199 
 
 hands was introduced to him as Eugene 
 Grey of Eugene Grey & Co. 
 
 Mr. Shaw put his arms about the child 
 while sudden tears filled his eyes, and the 
 eyes of the mother as well. 
 
 " Please tell me all about it," he said. 
 
 " There is little to tell you," she re 
 turned, " except that it was necessary for 
 us to do something, and the flowers 
 opened a way. My little Gene was 
 named for her father, and we thought her 
 name would sound more business-like to 
 strange, far-away dealers." 
 
 " Do you know," exclaimed Mr. Shaw 
 suddenly, looking down upon the little 
 head at his knee, " that Eugene Qrey & 
 Co. discovered the smilax as a marketable 
 product, and opened up a wonderful in 
 dustry for the Southern States? " 
 
 " I know," Mrs. Grey returned, 
 smiling, " that some people kindly give
 
 200 The Blossom Shop 
 
 us credit for it, but several others, I hear, 
 began shipping it about the time we did, 
 and it is an open question as to who was 
 the real discoverer." 
 
 " I shall vote for Eugene Grey & Co.," 
 he said warmly. 
 
 The city florist was all friendly interest 
 in the well-remembered firm which had 
 revealed so unique and charming a per 
 sonality, and regretted and rejoiced to 
 learn that they had gone out of business. 
 He also heard with joy of the happy pros 
 pect in store two days later. He seemed 
 so like an old friend, and they were so 
 happy Mrs. Grey could not forbear tell 
 ing him something of all their good for 
 tune. 
 
 And so it came to pass that when the 
 bandage was about to be removed from 
 the child's eyes after a most satisfactory 
 operation, a large box of beautiful cape
 
 "'OH, OH, CAPE JESSAMINE!' CRIED THE CHILD, AS 
 HER GAZE FELL UPON THE FLOWER."
 
 Un foldings 201 
 
 jessamines with Mr. Shaw's card at 
 tached was waiting for her at the doctor's 
 office, and when the wonderful moment 
 came, a starry, white southern blossom 
 lay in the child's lap. 
 
 The bandage was lifted in breathless 
 silence. 
 
 "Oh, oh, cape jessamine!" cried the 
 child, as her gaze fell upon the flower, 
 its peculiar fragrance and her ready 
 ringers identifying its beauty. Then, 
 " Mother, mother," she breathed, as Mrs. 
 Grey knelt before her. 
 
 No need for little ringers to identify 
 there. No other face could hold that 
 rapture. 
 
 Such a simple thing it was at last to 
 have meant so much: all the years of 
 longing and struggle, all the hoping and 
 despairing, all the sacrifice, all the plead 
 ing with God.
 
 202 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Such happiness as came to Alice Grey 
 with the sight of her child is only known 
 to those to whom has first come the terri 
 ble truth, "My baby is blind!" With 
 this background it was not a happiness in 
 the moment of fulfillment for gay exu 
 berance, the rather for ready tears, it 
 seemed to Gene's mother. The little girl 
 saw them often in her mother's eyes with 
 that wonderful new process of vision, 
 and felt them on her cheek as the caress 
 ing fingers still loved to make discov 
 ery in the old dear way, while they 
 lingered in New York for a time, wait 
 ing the great surgeon's permission to 
 leave. 
 
 Finally the tears troubled the child, 
 who came to know intuitively that some 
 special sorrow as well as joy was creep 
 ing into the mother-heart. She would 
 wipe them away with her bit of a
 
 Unfold ings 203 
 
 handkerchief and ask over and over, 
 " Mother, what makes you cry? " 
 
 And again and again, the answer 
 came, "Why, darling, I do not know; I 
 am very, very happy, but I guess I am 
 very tired." 
 
 They had a small suite of rooms at a 
 great hotel, with a sunny sitting-room, 
 bedroom and bath, that Gene might have 
 the best of conditions in which to recu 
 perate from the operation, but it was a 
 very lonely spot with the tumult of a 
 great city surrounding it, and only un 
 heeding strangers when they stepped be 
 yond it. All was so different from the 
 little old Alabama town. And then the 
 thought followed overwhelmingly that 
 there was no longer any home in the 
 South waiting for them. The old house 
 had long stood for near kindred with her, 
 and it was gone! She knew that pressure
 
 204 The Blossom Shop 
 
 would be brought to keep her in the 
 North for Gene's education, and she 
 wanted the child's training to be na 
 tional, not narrow or sectional; part of 
 it must come from the fine old girls' col 
 lege of her home town, but what had 
 she to go back to in the South? Only the 
 graves and the ashes of her home. Then 
 she next recognized that there was al 
 ways inner protest when she thought of 
 taking any money from the Grey estate, 
 much as she had learned to love Aunt 
 Martha. She was glad for Gene to have 
 what was hers by right of birth, but no 
 blood of the Greys ran in her veins, - 
 and somehow she would rather not take 
 it. Perhaps because she had forfeited 
 her right to it by bitterness of heart. Oh, 
 if John had only asked her after she 
 knew of Gene's inheritance, but he 
 hadn't, and she knew he wouldn't. Per-
 
 Unfoldings 205 
 
 haps he did not care any longer for her, 
 she had repulsed him so often. And 
 her spirit sank low at the thought. A 
 sense of unprotected loneliness engulfed 
 her. 
 
 So the moment of relaxation from in 
 tense excitement had brought an endless 
 round of thought that wore heavily upon 
 Alice Grey. She had full opportunity 
 for reflection, as Gene was so delighted 
 with seeing that she would stand at the 
 window looking out as long as her not 
 yet strong eyes allowed, finger delight 
 edly bits of ribbon of varied colors, or 
 interest herself in examining numberless 
 things which held new fascination for 
 her within. 
 
 There came strange reproach and re 
 gret, too, into that endless round of 
 thought for Alice Grey. It almost 
 seemed that the new sense of sight which
 
 206 The Blossom Shop 
 
 had come to the child had penetrated the 
 recesses of the mother's heart, and laid 
 bare its unworthiness. She had felt be 
 fore that it was sufficient to turn the sun 
 lit side always to the child, but now for 
 this keen new vision there must be no 
 shadow of unworthiness. 
 
 She grew timorous and dejected as she 
 brooded, finally concluding that she had 
 failed fundamentally in faith and trust. 
 The new joy was not complete because 
 she had never trusted God fully; she had 
 worn herself out with single-handed ef 
 fort when He had given her John Carter 
 who would gladly have shared her strug 
 gle, and now would be sharing her joy. 
 But she had refused his help in stubborn 
 pride and God had punished her by 
 sweeping all her resources away with 
 ruthless flame, performing the blessed 
 miracle Himself, it was true, but leaving
 
 Unfolding* 207 
 
 them alone at last without sweet home 
 ties and dear home-sharers of joy, which 
 had once been theirs to accept. 
 
 She had been self-righteous and bitten, 
 too, when she had thought herself only 
 self-respecting. Had her heart been sweet 
 and pure, she would have opened the 
 trunk which came long years before and 
 lovingly have taken out the things which 
 she knew Mother Grey would have been 
 glad for her to use in her need, and the 
 fateful paper with its message of joy and 
 relief would have come to light and 
 spared her little girl years of darkness, 
 and herself years of fruitless struggle. 
 But she had been too proud, too bitter to 
 touch the things which held release. It 
 was true she had not planted bitterness 
 in the heart of her child, but she had 
 cherished the ugly thing in her own 
 breast, only to find at last that even
 
 208 The Blossom Shop 
 
 Aunt Martha was upright and generous, 
 and loving too, when the test came. 
 
 How could she ever trust herself to 
 train a child of wealth in high, unselfish 
 living? Just two of them with all the 
 money they could spend, and the old ob 
 jectives gone; was she capable of hand 
 ling the new assets of the firm wisely? 
 She had learned how to steer through the 
 perils of poverty, but the treacherous pos 
 sibilities of wealth she knew not of, and 
 she lost faith in the financial ability of 
 the senior member completely, with sin 
 cere doubts as to her moral integrity as 
 well. Indeed, she wholly lost her bear 
 ings, and life for the time held no goal. 
 It seemed an empty prospect. 
 
 Then there was John, lonely, needing 
 her; Hannie and May lacking a guiding 
 woman's hand so sorely, she could see 
 it all clearly now as she looked back to
 
 Un foldings 209 
 
 the days she had spent in the motherless 
 home, and that was what Dr. Murton 
 meant the day after Uncle Sam's wed 
 ding when he looked at her so keenly. 
 The children already drifted more or less 
 aimlessly, and ere long would repudiate 
 Mammy Sue's authority of ignorance, 
 while her own Gene needed greatly the 
 daily interchange of kindly offices, gentle 
 forbearance and generous sharing, 
 which two sisters would give her. And 
 nowhere in the world, she felt sure, was 
 the other half of that choicest thing in 
 the universe, a home, real, complete, 
 waiting for them. 
 
 No, there was no one but John Carter 
 to whom she could link her life, and 
 he had gone out of it forever. Every 
 thing would tend to separate them more 
 and more, and she was certain that, 
 having scorned his help in her needy
 
 210 The Blossom Shop 
 
 struggle for money, he would never come 
 to her, a rich woman, and propose to rob 
 her of her wealth. 
 
 In her agitation she did not realize 
 that there was ample cause for chaotic 
 emotion in the reaction from months and 
 years of heavy strain, as well as from the 
 recent excitement; she merely felt her 
 self dropping into a state of collapse that 
 frightened her. It was only of a few 
 days' duration, this tumult of mind, but 
 it proved to be of tremendous import in 
 the future of her child and herself, for, 
 in a way life has of unfolding a soul, it 
 was through this brief upheaval that the 
 old constraints were broken, the old nar 
 rowed interest which centered in her 
 child and herself began to broaden and 
 they were ushered into fuller, richer ex 
 perience. 
 
 A little incident brought the crisis.
 
 Unfolding* 211 
 
 Gene hung over her mother one eve 
 ning when the strain told plainly in the 
 loved face. 
 
 " Oh, mother," said the child at last, 
 smiling in sudden merriment with a 
 happy flash of thought, " send for Mr. 
 Carter and Hannie and May and Uncle 
 Sam and Mammy Sue and the parrot 
 and the puppies! They will make you 
 all right as they did me." 
 
 And Alice Grey's heart halted in its 
 beating. Should she, indeed, send for 
 John Carter, creep into his arms and beg 
 him to take care of her and Gene? That 
 was the only way, she knew, he would 
 ever come, and O, what a relief it 
 would be to turn over all the business, all 
 the responsibility to him, and just rest in 
 his love and care! Yet, how could she 
 violate all her womanly instincts? 
 
 But desperation was upon her that eve-
 
 212 The Blossom Shop 
 
 ning: she was withholding the sunlight 
 from her child for the first time in her 
 life, and just when the little one was 
 ready to take in every glinting ray of 
 prismatic color! 
 
 She laughed almost hysterically over 
 Gene's suggestion after that rapid mental 
 recapitulation, and then with the glee 
 upon her, she said: 
 
 " I will, darling, this moment, that 
 is, I will send for John Mr. Carter, 
 make him come and get us and take us 
 back just as soon as possible to Hannie 
 and May and all the rest." 
 
 And speedily another telegram went 
 southward to the little Alabama town.
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 LOVE BLOSSOMS 
 
 JOHN CARTER sat alone in the 
 library when the message was handed 
 him. The children had gone up-stairs 
 to bed. He, too, was unusually de 
 pressed, for he had been trying that eve 
 ning to compass the impossible for him, 
 to fill their mother's place. He had told 
 them of little faults that needed correct 
 ing. Gently, tenderly he had done it, but 
 had only succeeded in depressing them 
 and himself. As they went dejectedly 
 out at last, he sat staring dully into space. 
 Then the message was suddenly laid 
 before him. 
 
 213
 
 214 The Blossom Shop 
 
 " We are well, but need you. Please 
 come at once. 
 
 " Signed, ALICE GREY." 
 
 He was startled, alarmed. Had some 
 new trouble befallen them? " Both are 
 well," he reassured himself. Then it 
 must be some trouble about the transfer 
 of the estate. His heart leaped at the 
 thought perhaps there was some fail 
 ure and Alice had turned to him. 
 Then he sternly rebuked himself and 
 braced his shoulders, declaring vehe 
 mently: " If there is any technicality that 
 the law can get around, I will ferret it 
 out!" 
 
 Of course he went on the morning's 
 out-going train, kissing his little girls 
 with infinite tenderness in atonement for 
 the night's rebuke. 
 
 Impatiently he sped along till the jour-
 
 Love Blossoms 215 
 
 ney's end was reached, and a cab ride 
 across the city carried him to the little 
 suite of rooms in the great hotel where 
 Alice Grey was waiting in alternate 
 modest uncertainty and unrestrained 
 
 joy- 
 Gene was asleep; her mother had 
 
 not told her of the telephone mes 
 sage which announced Mr. Carter's ar 
 rival, and the child had gone to sleep 
 as usual. 
 
 The rap upon the sitting-room door 
 came at last, and she opened it for John 
 Carter with a trembling hand. 
 
 He stepped within, eyes alight, but 
 holding himself in perfect composure. 
 
 A moment she stood poised before him 
 as they gazed into one another's eyes, for 
 getting the formalities of greeting. 
 Then her face grew tremulous, child 
 like, and putting out her hands, she ran
 
 216 The Blossom Shop 
 
 to him and hid it on his breast. Tender 
 arms were about her instantly, while he 
 murmured: 
 
 " What is it? Tell me." 
 
 She could only sob a moment, and then 
 came a little struggling laugh. 
 
 "John, it is nothing but I want you 
 - take us, please." 
 
 He held her close a moment more in 
 the pent-up tenderness of years, then re 
 straining himself with sudden remem 
 brance, he led her to a seat and firmly 
 said: 
 
 " But we must talk things over first, 
 Alice. I must make you see that this is 
 folly." 
 
 And this he tried to do, but vainly. 
 Instead she made him see that she wanted 
 no money for herself, she would far 
 rather add to the possessions of the heart 
 by gathering into it Hannie and May
 
 Love Blossoms 217 
 
 and himself, and being only, after all, 
 of common, human clay, he could not 
 resist the sweetness of her plea. 
 
 Next morning the hills untied their 
 bonnets most merrily, and the bobolinks 
 began in full-throated joyousness. 
 
 Then the secret was unfolded. There 
 was to be a wedding, and mother was 
 to be the bride! And they and Mr. Car 
 ter and Hannie and May were to belong 
 to each other. Gene was in ecstasy. 
 When was the wedding their own 
 beautiful wedding to be? 
 
 Well, perhaps that night! 
 
 "Oh! Oh!" And the little girl was 
 overcome with wonder. 
 
 " I do wish Hannie and May could 
 come," said the child. 
 
 "Yes, I do too," replied Mrs. Grey 
 earnestly, " but that hardly seems possi-
 
 218 The Blossom Shop 
 
 ble, darling; Mr. Carter and I talked it 
 all over." 
 
 Gene thought a moment and then ex 
 claimed: "But, can't we have Aunt 
 Martha, dear Aunt Martha?" 
 
 Mrs. Grey was disconcerted at first. 
 Then she said quietly, " I will see, - 
 perhaps we can." And the result was 
 that the wedding was postponed two days 
 and two letters went to the New England 
 town, one inviting Miss Martha and tell 
 ing the story of love and waiting and re 
 nunciation, the other from Mr. Carter 
 to Dr. Murton, begging him to be best 
 man at the wedding. 
 
 When Miss Martha received hers she 
 was shocked, indignant, resentful, and 
 stubbornly decided she would not go. 
 But a visit from Dr. Murton with strenu 
 ous effort brought a change of mind and 
 the two went together for the sacred
 
 Love Blossoms 219 
 
 ceremony in the small hotel sitting- 
 room. 
 
 When it was over at high noon, and 
 refreshments had been served for the lit 
 tle group, Miss Martha drew Gene to 
 her and said sadly, for she had been 
 greatly disappointed that Alice would 
 not share in the Grey estate: 
 
 " Little girl, do you know how much 
 money is going to be yours? " 
 
 "No," returned the child wonder- 
 ingly. 
 
 Miss Martha named a large sum. 
 
 " Oh," said Gene slowly, not compre 
 hending, but realizing it was a great deal. 
 "All that for one little blind girl who 
 can see? " 
 
 A tearful stillness fell upon them all. 
 Then suddenly the child ran up to Dr. 
 Murton and her face was a marvel of 
 radiance. Laying her little hand upon
 
 220 The Blossom Shop 
 
 his cheek (a trick of her blindness which 
 she had not yet dropped), she said: 
 
 " Doctor, are there many little blind 
 children in the world? " 
 
 " Yes," answered the doctor sadly, " I 
 am afraid there are." 
 
 " And some that could be made to see 
 as I have been if their mothers had the 
 money to take them to the great doc 
 tor? " 
 
 " I think so, little Johnny-jump-up," 
 replied the doctor, looking tenderly 
 down into the small earnest face. 
 
 Then she turned quickly to her 
 mother: 
 
 " Oh, mother, dearest, mayn't I give 
 some of it to help those blind children to 
 see?" 
 
 There was silence again for a moment 
 and at last her mother turned to Mr. 
 Carter and said quietly:
 
 Love Blossoms 221 
 
 " Could it be managed legally? " 
 
 " I think so, through Miss Martha 
 it can be handled within the demands of 
 law, if she is willing," he replied 
 slowly. 
 
 And at that moment Miss Martha, not 
 noticing what he had said, but with eyes 
 full of tears, cried tremulously: 
 
 " Child, let your old aunty share with 
 you in this, I will build a sanatorium 
 to which the children shall come." 
 
 And before the talk was over it was 
 arranged that Dr. Murton should give 
 his time largely to looking up the chil 
 dren in Alabama and Massachusetts, 
 for this philanthropic plan was to link 
 North and South in its beneficence. 
 
 Dr. Murton rubbed his hands in glee 
 at last. " I have wanted to belong to this 
 blossom firm of Eugene Grey & Co. ever 
 since I first heard of it. Nothing could
 
 222 The Blossom Shop 
 
 please me better, and - looking 
 around upon the joy about him, he laid 
 a hand that trembled upon Miss 
 Martha's arm, but pulling the restless 
 forelock vigorously with the other, he 
 went on boldly: " if it keeps on pushing 
 business at the rate it has been doing for 
 the past few weeks, well, there is 
 no telling what Miss Martha and I may 
 do!" 
 
 And Miss Martha blushed like a girl 
 of sixteen! The doctor saw it, too, with 
 a light in his eye. 
 
 Ten days later, with business matters 
 all arranged, the evening train from the 
 North was bearing Mr. and Mrs. Carter 
 and Gene Grey into the little old Ala 
 bama town once more. 
 
 Gene sat by a car window watching 
 the changing sunset and repeating softly:
 
 Love Blossoms 223 
 
 " How he sets, I know not. 
 There seemed a purple stile 
 Which little yellow boys and girls 
 Were climbing all the while." 
 
 Then the train rolled into the little 
 station at the end of the long straggling 
 street, and there were Hannie and May 
 waiting for them, rapturously happy 
 with the thought of father, mother and 
 the dearest little sister, who could see 
 with them all the beautiful things of the 
 world. 
 
 They sat on old Queen's back ready 
 to take Gene up between them, while 
 Mammy Sue and Uncle Sam beamed in 
 the background. 
 
 And so, 
 
 " A dominie in gray 
 Put gently up the evening bars 
 And led the flock away." 
 
 THE END
 
 POLLYANNA 
 
 *Tg Sy Eleanor H. Porte, 3B 1 
 
 Author of " Miss Billy," " Miss Billy's Decision." etc. 
 
 t 
 
 12 mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, net $1.25; postpaid $1.40 
 
 " ENTER Pollyanna! She islthe daintiest, dearest, most 
 irresistible maid you have met in all your journeyings through 
 Bookland. And you forget she is a story girl, for Pollyanna 
 is so real that after your first introduction you will feel the 
 inner circle of your friends has admitted a new member. A 
 brave, winsome, modern American girl, Pollyanna walks into 
 print to take her place in the hearts of all members of the 
 family." 
 
 Of " Miss Billy " the critics have written as follows: 
 
 " To say of any story that it makes the reader's heart feel warm and 
 happy is to pay it praise of sorts, undoubtedly. Well, that's the very praise 
 one gives ' Miss Billy.' " Edwin L. Shuman in the Chicago Record-Herald. 
 
 " The story is delightful and as for Billy herself she's all right! " 
 Philadelphia Press. 
 
 " There is a fine humor in the book, some good revelation of character 
 and plenty of romance of the most unusual order." The Philadelphia 
 Inquirer. 
 
 " There is something altogether fascinating about ' Miss Billy,' some 
 inexplicable feminine characteristic that seems to demand the individual 
 attention of the reader from the moment we open the book until we reluc 
 tantly turn the last page." Boston Transcript. 
 
 " The book is a wholesome story, as fresh in tone as it is graceful in ex 
 pression, and one may predict for it a wide audience." Philadelphia Pub 
 lic Ledger. 
 
 " Miss Billy is so carefree, so original and charming, that she lives in the 
 reader's memory long after the book has been laid aside." Boston Globe. 
 
 " You cannot help but love dear ' Billy; ' she is winsome and attractive 
 and you will be only too glad to introduce her to your friends." Brooklyn 
 Eagle.
 
 THE CAREER OF DR. WEAVER 
 
 Mrs. Henry W. Backus 3^ 
 
 * 
 I2mo. cloth decorative, illustrated, net $1.25; postpaid $1.40 
 
 A BIG and purposeful story interwoven about the respon 
 sibilities and problems in the medical profession of the pres 
 ent day. Dr. Weaver, a noted specialist, and head of a private 
 hospital, had allowed himself to drift away from the stand 
 ards of his youth in his desire for wealth and social and scien 
 tific prestige. When an expose of the methods employed by 
 him in furthering his schemes for the glorifying of the name 
 of " Weaver " in the medical world is threatened, it is frus 
 trated through the efforts of the famous doctor's younger 
 brother, Dr. Jim. The story is powerful and compelling, 
 even if it uncovers the problems and temptations of a physi 
 cian's career. Perhaps the most important character, not 
 even excepting Dr. Weaver and Dr. Jim, is " The Girl," who 
 plays such an important part in the lives of both men. 
 
 "The story becomes one of those absorbing tales of to-day which the 
 reader literally devours in an evening, unwilling to leave the book until the 
 last page is reached, and constantly alert, through the skill of the author, in 
 following the characters through the twisted ways of their career." Boston 
 Journal. 
 
 " The story is well-written, unique, quite out of the usual order, and is most 
 captivating." Christian Intelligencer. Cf 
 
 J 
 
 V&BSXQ^^
 
 THE HILL OF VENUS 
 
 ^g y Nathan Qallizicr ^ 
 
 Author of "Cartel del Monte." " The Sorceress of Rome." "The 
 Court of Lucifer,", etc. 
 
 I2mo, cloth decorative, with four illustrations in color, net $1.35; 
 postpaid $1,50 
 
 THIS is a vivid and powerful romance of the thirteenth 
 century in the times of the great Ghibelline wars, and deals 
 with the fortunes of Francesco Villani, a monk, who has been 
 coerced by his dying father to bind himself to the Church 
 through a mistaken sense of duty, but who loves Ilaria, one 
 of the famous beauties of the Court at Avellino. The excite 
 ment, splendor and stir of those days of activity in Rome are 
 told with a vividness and daring, which give a singular fas 
 cination to the story. 
 
 * 
 
 The Press has commented as follows on the author's previous 
 books: 
 
 " The author displays many of the talents that made Scott famous." 
 The Index. 
 
 " The book is breathless reading, as much for the adventures, the pag 
 eants, the midnight excursions of the minor characters, as for the love story 
 of the prince and Donna Lucrezia." Boston Transcript. 
 
 " Mr. Gallizier daringly and vividly paints in glowing word and phrases, 
 in sparkling dialogue and colorful narrative, the splendor, glamor and stir 
 in those days of excitement, intrigue, tragedy, suspicion and intellectual 
 activity in Rome." Philadelphia Press. 
 
 " A splendid bit of old Roman mosaic, or a gorgeous piece of tapestry. 
 Otto is a striking and pathetic figure. Description of the city, the gorgeous 
 ceremonials of the court and the revels are a series of wonderful pictures." 
 Cincinnati Enquirer. 
 
 " The martial spirit of these stirring times, weird beliefs in magic and 
 religion are most admirably presented by the author, who knows his sub 
 ject thoroughly. It belongs to the class of Bulwer-Lytton's romances; care 
 fully studied, well wrought, and full of exciting incident." Cleveland En 
 quirer. 
 
 " Romance at its best." Boston Herald.
 
 THE WHAT-SHALL-I-DO GIRL 
 
 Or, The Career of Joy Kent 
 (By Isold Woodman Waill 
 
 1 2 mo, cloth decorative, illustrated by Jessie Gillespie. 
 Net$l. 25 ; postpaid $1.40 
 
 WHEN Joy Kent finds herself alone in the world, thrown 
 on her own resources, after the death of her father, she looks 
 about her, as do so many young girls, fresh from the public 
 schools, wondering how she can support herself and earn a 
 place in the great business world about her. Still wondering, 
 she sends a letter to a number of girls she had known in school 
 days, asking that each one tell her just how she had equipped 
 herself for a salary-earning career, and once equipped, how 
 she had found it possible to start on that career. In reply 
 come letters from the milliner, the stenographer, the librarian, 
 the salesgirl, the newspaper woman, the teacher, the nurse, 
 and from girls who had adopted all sorts of vocations as a 
 means of livelihood. Real riendly girl letters they are, too, 
 not of the type that preach, but of the kind which give sound 
 and helpful advice in a bright and interesting manner. Of 
 course there is a splendid young man who also gives advice. 
 Any " What-shall-I-do " young girl can read of the careers 
 suggested for Joy Kent with profit and pleasure, and, perhaps, 
 with surprise! 
 
 C8383KSSD8KK80K8KKK8SK
 
 THE HARBOR MASTER 
 
 *fc <By Theodore Goodridge Roberts Jp* 
 
 Author of " Comrades of the Trail*," "Ray ton : A Backwoods 
 Mystery," etc. 
 
 1 2 me, cloth decorative, with a frontispiece in full color by John 
 Cots. 3\et$l.25; postpaid $1 .40 
 
 THE scene of the story is Newfoundland. The story deals 
 with the love of Black Dennis Nolan, a young giant and self- 
 appointed skipper of the little fishing hamlet of Chance Along, 
 for Flora Lockhart, a beautiful professional singer, who is 
 rescued by Dennis from a wreck on the treacherous coast of 
 Newfoundland, when on her way from England to the United 
 States. The story is a strong one all through, with a mystery 
 that grips, plenty of excitement and action, and the author 
 presents life in the open in all its strength and vigor. Mr. 
 Roberts is one of the younger writers whom the critics have 
 been watching with interest. In " The Harbor Master " he 
 has surely arrived. 
 
 * 
 
 Of Mr. Roberts' previous books the critics have written as fol 
 lows: 
 
 " The action is always swift and romantic and the love is of the kind that 
 thrills the reader. The characters are admirably drawn and the reader fol 
 lows with deep interest the adventures of the two young people." Balti 
 more Sun. 
 
 " Mr. Roberts' pen has lost none of its cunning, while his style is easier 
 and breezier than ever." Bufalo Express. 
 
 " It is a romance of clean, warm-hearted devotion to friends and duty. 
 The characters are admirable each in his own or her own way, and the author 
 has made each fit the case in excellent fashion." Salt Lake City Tribune. 
 
 " In this book Mr. Roberts has well maintained his reputation for the 
 vivid coloring of his descriptive pictures, which are full of stirring action, 
 and in which love and fighting hold chief place." Boston Times. 
 
 " Its ease of style, its rapidity, its interest from page to page, are admi 
 rable; and it shows that inimitable power the story-teller's gift of veri 
 similitude. Its sureness and clearness are excellent, and its portraiture clear 
 and pleasing." The Reader.
 
 THE BLOSSOM SHOP 
 
 ^g A Story of the North and South TC 
 
 E. Y. Jttullins 
 
 Cloth decoratioe, illustrated by John Coss. Net $1.00; 
 postpaid $1.10 
 
 ONE of those exquisitely simple and appealing stories of 
 mother love and sacrifice for a little blind daughter, written 
 in a delightful vein, combining humor and pathos. The 
 reader will love little blind Eugene (the child had received 
 the name of her dead father) and will rejoice with the brave 
 young mother, the heroine of the story, when the child's 
 sight is restored. There is a time for rejoicing, too, when 
 a lost will is found, bringing wealth and release from all 
 worries, and the young mother is free to accept the love and 
 protection that in her sorrow she denied herself. 
 
 Southern types are amusingly contrasted with those of the 
 North ; and the simple language and fine sentiment of the 
 story will charm readers of all ages.
 
 Reduced Frontispiece 
 
 from 
 THE CAREER OF <DR. WEAVER 
 
 " This graphic portrayal of the many problems and 
 temptations of the medical profession makes a story thai 
 is strong and convincing." The Reader.
 
 J&SSSSSKSS&8H LIBRARY FACI 

 
 ///u^ra/e, ne.; postpaid $1 .40 
 
 specialist, and head of a prim " th in 
 
 Lselfto drift ay J^m ***^ * 
 
 Ms desire for wealth and *** ^ . 
 
 botfc men. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 L. C. 
 53 Beacon Street Boston, J 
 
 ORDER FORM 
 
 Dear Sir :- Enclosed please find $1-40 for which 
 icindly send to the undersigned address, a copy of TB 
 CAREER OF DR. WEAVER. 
 
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