234 FLOWERS OF THE SUN 



terfly Weed, the queen of Milkweeds, in perfect 

 bloom, an oasis in a desert of wiry grasses and 

 Mulleins. Close to the Milkweed was a bed of 

 Toad Flax, or Butter-and-Eggs, as we call it locally, 

 the jolly yellow - spurred flowers with orange lips 

 seeming to crowd and jostle one another on the 

 spike. 



No one would have thought of grouping these 

 two flowers together, but the Magician sanctioned 

 it, and the result was a barbaric color effect, with 

 the bluish gray heat haze for a background. 



"Let us get back into the shade and rest," said 

 Flower Hat, covering her eyes. "I 'm fairly ex- 

 hausted with color." 



So we found our way to a partly shaded cart- 

 track, that crossed the fields and led toward the 

 road where Nell waited under the Maples. Milk- 

 weeds of various kinds were scattered along the 

 open side of the track, and swarms of brick -red 

 butterflies, called Milkweed Monarchs, hovered over 

 them, while the color scheme was still further 

 carried out in tint and form by the star -shaped 

 flowers of common St. John's-wort, of fragrant 

 foliage, being the Herb John of old gardens, the 

 golden Partridge Pea with sensitive leaves, and by 

 the paler -hued Yellow Loosestrife. 



