Show ally ly Short 4 r Fiction Story r t JOANS JOAN'S I oAN'S GARDEN J Sj Bp DOROTHY DOUGLAS 1914 1911 b by the tho McClure Ne Newsy News s- s K paper Syndicate KU ww down own In one one of ot the fine street that j n West Rest Twenty third to have taken a room 1 bed had t d como come In from the country to column olumn In a city dally daily called called to the Working Girl t and her hert nt t to the city was as lt with both ud d homesickness the lie first place ploce It was spring and to Joan had always alwaY meant K gar gar- r- r Sho Sho- r loved to put In little rows eds eeds and watch them breaking jh h the tho earth and anil growing up Into erful blooms one ot of that In to tho city db she looked out at the paved street treet with endless string of ot cars Her glance glance Ed about and at last rested upon the tho h snaked naked looking strip of ot garden arden that Kiat lat of at the man many old houses In her d dl I i possessed Not ot one ono of or them them seemed seemed iba a 1 In n process of or planting And so soch ch ell could be made of or them thorn thought In b no and her arms ached to dig with withe ide de e and put t growing things Into Ito the 12 n TI minutes later she sho was down talk talk- to her landlady i would would love to put In a garden In garden In it io t sho sh suggested with one of or Sier r palin aln smiles SmUts and I am pining pIning- g for Toi 01 would have a hard time time time-In In that aid eald raid the landlady the the ground It t t been worked for a good good ten years ears you Ou are welcome to try n went Joyfully Jo fully about her task The Tho Thee Thela la S e she purchased and the tho slips and M she ahe c mo home with would have havee e six lz gardens ruden riot with colored multi om ems lie te ie ground as sa Mrs I irs Tate Tata had su eug- eug g- g ed tad ted certain certainly was waa hard The late snap seemed to have left leCt It frozen Joan a cheeks were scarlet and tier aera ler i a tired with her effort to soften a 8 ach ach ch for tor her sweet peas up for a moments moment's rest she ht bt sight of or a R. man working In the thead nd ad garden carden but one from her own shad had made a splendid trench and was waa wasn n n then putting In a row of or seeds jan n went swiftly out of ot her Sier er own gate approached tho the manAre man Are ire you a day gardener or a private T r she ene asked human he IB man looked up and the smiled un tin bl light mustache was an amused said uld promptly can I help lay y h he out He had taken his hili pipe from By mouth Douth and his cap from his head man man- wilts mall lle dog doS leaped Joyfully about f feet Tes said mid Joan I 1 want a trench trench- h has as the one you ou have 1 hate hae made finIshed finished made m my garden Could you jou do It soon It did not ant occur to Joan that the tho man mania manis manis is ia other ether than a gardener Man Many garnets garners garnets gar gar- nets ners were of most gentlemanly appear appear- Lee She waited wafted eagerly 3 erly for tor his an- an er ImmediatelY said the man and Joi fol- Joined wed ned her to the other garden The do dog D Into tie tic affair Joan almost her purpose while fondling tho the c. c She had one of or her own In the them theme theme m me village J I would like a deep trench Just trench Just along it fence tence for sweet peas f she he told the tha then theIn In ml n the ground Is frightfully hard 1 the She sat on the stone step the I man and plaYing placing with nth his dog He was Scotch Not only his accent but his well knit muscular frame suggested that Joan found herself herselt admiring him She busied herself herselt with small JJ flower boxes Into which she put her slips Blips Would there t bo be anything further It was the tho man who had asked her Ho He was waif standing close to her and JO Joan n saw saw tho the twinkle In his eyes that she had failed to sew een before No No I I think that will do for tor the present pres pre ent she said mid How much do I owe you We will let that tha t for go for th the time bo bong bey be- you Ing-you ng you may want me again Wit With J that he whistled to the small dog dot and raised his cap A moment later he was waa busy In tho the other garden Joan was a trifle Irritated for tor an unknown unknown un un- known reason A As she put In her sweet pea seed eed she cast an occasional lancE glance at the man who worked and whistled so 80 joyfully a 0 few tew yards away However sh ahe felt more nearly y reconciled reconciled recon recon- oiled to city life and the spring seemed to o hate ha lent to tier her a trifle trine of or Its prom prom- Ise se She Sho could at least play at ga gardening ening In n tho the Interim between columns of or chats with working girls Days and weeks flew new Into a A. month The seeds were beginning beginning- to raise rabe little humps of or earth AS t if struggling to break breakthrough through Into tho world of or visible growIng growIng grow- grow Ing Ing- ng things thing Joan looked eagerly a 8 doz dozen n nImes times Imes a day at her trench The man who tad had d du dug It for her worked only oc occasionally oc- oc In that other garden Jarden and there thore wore were tong long Intervals als als when wen he ho did not come out at all alt Joan had come coma to the conclusion that he was a resident gardener gardener garlener gar- gar dener lener and perhaps did other things indoors In- In doors The Tho sweet peas peal bad had lifted tiny Uny green heads above c the ground upon he 10 day that hat Joan made mado her great discovery discover Rh She s was as glancing through a current magazine when hen she came across a photograph photograph photo photo- hoto graph of or a man and a dog The dog doS It was wag that at first opened her eyes It was a white dog and It was as none nona other than ban the ono one she had h fondled while White at the watching the tho supposed gardener work ork sho she had offered him Joan looked quickly at the mans man's face Her face tace she fancied went pale even as does that of ot book heroines heroine Then she flushed an angrily Y The photograph was of one Robert MacLean clever young au author or who had recently been sent to S Scotland to gather bather thor material material for tor the series of Scotch stories one of at which would be bo found In iii the March number of or Romance And she Joan Lawler had taken him for tor a gardener and offered him wages wage With characteristic directness she Jumped up UD and looked out of the window Into the garden below Fortunately the theman theman theman man t his pipe and dog was waa there She went down like a a. small fury the open magazine In her hands and approached approached approached ap ap- MacLean I He looked up with quizzical light In his very cry blue eyes When he saw the open magazine In Joans Joan's hand he smiled broadly Tho The tweed cap was hanging limp In tn his hand Why did dIdou you iou let me take you OU for a aa gardener a r ener d demanded Joan with flashing eyes ees and gloriously colored cheeks Because I was was at the moment you ou came came came- for tor me secretly craving craving- that dis dis- It Is not every ono one who has the honor of ot digging diggIng- a a. sweet pea pen trench for Miss Joan Lawler The was undaunted In his eyes ees The little dog dOK had greeted Joan like a lost friend She Sho found herself trying vainly to bo be angry I I have ha a scrap book full tull of ot Chats hats With Working Girls went on MacLean a trifle trIne more seriously and your our picture Is at the he head d of ot every col col- col- col 1 I thought perhaps you jou ou would chat 1 with Ith me but me-but but YOU ou did not not He ended rather appealingly ly and Joan smiled frankly Into his eyes ejea My Iy sweet peas came up toda today she said and held out a slim sUm hand for tor MacLean MacLean MacLean Mac- Mac Lean to clasp I want to thank you for tor making snaking the the spring domelike for tor me mo I was I-was Was dreadful dreadfully homesick for the country country country coun coun- try and growing growing things when when hen henSo So was I Y said 1 MacLean I want ant antto to take a little place In tho the country country- whore where there Is a garden garden soon He looked long and Intently at Joan Her lashes swept hurriedly down and she burled a peculiarly happy smile In the small dogs dog's white fur tur That would be lovely she said Mid and for tor a fleeting moment her eyes looked Into MacLean s. s |