Show FICTION CORNER co L Gardenias From Mrs Gerrit Garrity ii By FRANK BROOK BROOKHOUSER HOUSER DARRELL ARRELL MILLER Ih the high high- 1 pottered scribbler and iId his bit frau Ih the lovely Iy Marianna Lane Lt of 01 Ih the flickers Picker art are readying a iI u separate rill mari mar marital marital mari mari- tal billing tureen toners dont don't mix mix IiI til said laid Mrs Garrity read the item from Hal Ilal Boyds Boyd's gossip column in the Blade for the fourth time staring at the paper which lay on the table in the supply room as she wrung out her mop She always read Hal Boyd Doyd His column kept her abreast of all the doings among the big people people she saw sometimes in the hotel When she had first read the item on the subway coming to work it had struck her with as much impact impact im im- im pact as if the two persons mentioned mentioned men men- had been her own daughter and son law and now she went about her work without spirit missing the warm delight with i with a dazed feeling unable to disguise her surprise at seeing the lovely lady n his room And then he had said Mom he he always called her mom mom I I want you to meet Mrs Miller Isn't she a lovely thing She is that Mr Miller I Marianne this is mom mom Mrs Garrity Carrity She's taken care of me for a long time Ah youre you're always kidding Mr Miller I just clean his rooms for him Mrs Miller And never touches any papers that shouldn't be touched he had said And always puts the slippers I in the proper spot under the bed I suppose now you'll be needing 1 I Ia a regular woman She was I I I strangely frightened at the thought I We will not he had said And then Mrs Miller such a 1 sweet kind girl had said Of I I r I P 1 1 r J I want seven dollars' dollars worth of gardenias Mrs Irs Garrity told the I florist lie He stared at her bewildered Yes seven she repeated ed which she always contemplated cleaning their rooms Such nice young people they were and after all she had known them since that first morning Mr Miller even longer And they had always been so happy together It didn't seem right She lifted the bucket tiredly and started walking walking walk walk- ing to the rooms which had been Mr Millers Miller's even before they mar mar- ried Everything in the bedroom was I the same and the picture mingled with the implications of the item brought a sharp tug to her heart His coat was lying over the chair He must have worn the camels camel's hair this morning she thought Well she supposed it was warm enough although the wind was sharp biting The coat had been there like that the first morning And she had put the bucket down yes right here in the bathroom course not mom If It you need extra time you take it and well we'll be happy to pay you for the extra work Joy and good feeling and bright ht spirit had filled the room that morning And gardenias dozens of gardenias in the pitcher on the dresser in another pitcher on his little bookcase Mrs Miller had listened almost enchanted enchant d by the story it seemed as he explained the reasons for the gardenias They have a special significance significance significance sig sig- sig- sig he had said It U seems that I was going into a flower shop and she was coming comIng coming com com- ing out and I was going to buy gardenias and she had already bought them And we bumped and I knocked them out of her ber arms And we had bad lunch And we got married And theres there's a gardenia for every day of the two months we were courting Mrs Garrity They had always been happy toI to to- I gether You could tell that by the I way their faces brightened when i they looked at each other Mrs i Garrity thought Mrs Miller had hac 1 I just been starting out then but butI I now she was a big star and Mrs i Garrity went to the neighborhood i theater both nights when she was playing in a picture and told Mr Garrity and her children how well wel II she knew her and got autographs for them And she's as sweet and kind a ayou as s I you could find Mrs Garrity al ways said Scrubbing the bathroom floor Mrs Garrity remembered all the dresses she had given her the rich perfumes books for the children and never forgetting to ask about Mr Garrity's health Of course they couldn't have ahouse a ahouse ahouse house not with her in Hollywood so se much But they had made the hotel rooms cozy and home And when she was in the city they had such good times It had never occurred to Mrs Garrity to doubt the item in the column and she was not unduly surprised when she saw the suitcases suitcases suitcases suit suit- cases in the bedroom That was why Mrs Miller had come back this time then to take the things of hers that were in the room I There was a short note on the dresser I Please take the black dresses in the closet Mrs Garrity it said Now wasn't that just like her Mrs Garrity thought remembering remember remember- ing ling me even with all her sad sad- ness And her heart must be so heavy today No it wasn't right Even if they were apart a lot It probably had been some foolish argument they would both get over in time Hadn't she argued with Mr Garrity Yes many times when they were younger And it was nicer than ever when you made up The idea of gardenias came suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly to Mrs Garrity in the maze of memories that were flashing through her mind There wasn't much time Mrs Miller was probably probably ably only out for lunch and would be back any minute Mrs Garrity reached into her pocket pulled out a small wad of ills bills She counted them carefully I There were seven Well the grocer I would just have to wait walt She went down the service elevator and I hurried to the flower shop on the I corner I I want seven dollars' dollars worth of gardenias she told the florist He lie stared at her bewildered Seven dollars worth she repeated repeat repeat- ed looking at him sternly He shrugged his shoulders and started to work She walked rapidly back to the hotel with the large box In the rooms again she hurried to the typewriter and fingered the keys idly her rough gnarled hands looking strange In this po po- Now what should she say It was very important what she said It had to erase a lot of things it had to say a lot of things She started to type with great care and deliberation BECAUSE THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL LIKE YOU Yes that was all right Maybe he would be able to put it better him being a writer but that is what he would mean 4 AND TO WISH YOU HAPPINESS HAPPINESS HAPPINESS HAP HAP- WHEREVER YOU GO Yes that was all right She felt almost romantic reading it to herself again WITH ALL MYLOVE MY MYLOVE MYLOVE LOVE She smiled as she typed his name Hurriedly she filled IDled two vases with water put the gardenias in them placing the note auspiciously beside one and then she began to clean the rooms working spirItedly spiritedly spiritedly spir spir- feeling much better now She managed to finish her work before Mrs Miller returned Reading Hal Boyds Boyd's column on the subway the next morning she felt her heart quivering with intense Intense intense in In- tense happiness felt a lilt there that she could believe was possible for a woman of her age Her eyes glazed with tears as she read the item for the fourth time Darrell Miller Mill and d hi his bit missus MIIa Lane say lay it 1 isn't to so that they Ihy are through and ad they Ihy have hav a message for lor Mrs Mn Garrity Ih the message IF IP YOU THINK ITS IT'S THAT IMPORT IMPORTANT ANT SO DO IrE WE Mrs Garrity got off oft the subway her eyes dreamy walked proudly into the basement of ot the hotel |