ck West my memory of Eden Village will be perfumed with lilac.

"That's very pretty," said Eve. "Coup-ling lilacs with the West reminds
me of something that happened once when I was out there with papa."

Wade's glance wavered and shifted to the couple at the card table. She
knew, after all, or suspected!

"It was quite a few years ago. Papa was interested in some mines in
Nevada, and he took me out with him one spring on a business trip.
Coming back we stopped one morning at a little town. I don't remember
whether it was in Nevada or Colorado, and I've forgotten the funny,
outlandish name it had. There were just a few houses and stores there.
Papa and I got out of the Pullman and walked up and down the station
platform. Just across the road was a little frame house and in front of
it was a lilac bush just full of blooms. It seemed so strange to find
such a thing out there, and the blossoms were so lovely that I called
papa's attention to it. 'I do wish I could have some!' I said. There
were some men standing about the station, great big rough-looking men,
miners or ranchers, I suppose. One of them heard me and whipped off his
hat. 'Do the flowers please you, ma'am?' he asked. He looked so kind of
wild and ferocious that I was too startled to answer him at first,
'Cause if they do,' he went on, 'I'll get all you want.' 'Indeed they
do,' I said, 'but they're not yours, are they?' 'No, ma'am, they're
yourn,' he said. He pulled out a big knife, strode across to the bush
and began cutting the poor thing all to pieces. 'Oh, please don't!' I
cried. 'That's more than enough!' 'Just as you say, ma'am,' and he came
back with a dozen great branches of them. I took them and thanked him. I
told him it was dear of him to give them to me and I did hope he hadn't
spoiled his bush. He--he--well, he emptied his mouth of a great deal of
tobacco juice, wiped his big hand across it and said: 'It ain't my bush,
ma'am, but you're just as welcome to them lilocks as if it was. There
ain't nothin' in this town a pretty girl can't have for the askin'!'
Thank goodness, the conductor cried 'All aboard' just then and I ran up
the steps. There wasn't any reply I could have made to that, was there?
As the train went off we could see the other men on the platform
laughing and hitting my friend on the back, and enjoying it all greatly.
But wasn't it dear of him?"

"Yes," answered Wade, warmly. "They're like that out there, though rough
and unculture