GREEN PANSIES 49 



the young man, as soon as he could be heard ; and, 

 stooping carelessly, he plucked another, which 

 proved even more of a surprise than the first, so 

 vividly intense was its color. 



The first specimen was a dark pansy. The two 

 usually deep purple upper petals now appeared of 

 a deep velvety peacock blue. The remaining 

 three petals were pale emerald - green, bordered 

 with deeper green. In the second blossom the 

 upper pair of petals were now transfigured in vivid 

 emerald-green, the rest of the flower being of paler 

 but almost equally dazzling brilliancy. 



The demoralization was more and more com- 

 plete as another and another of the remarkable 

 blossoms was rescued from its obscurity, always 

 by the accommodating young man, and added to 

 the growing bouquet. Neighbors on right and 

 left were quickly acquainted with the remarkable 

 discovery, and a gathering of excited natives soon 

 assembled in the parlor to view the new floral 

 sensation. The pansy-beds were soon the scene 

 of busy commotion, but in the eager search for 

 the rare blooms fortune seemed still to favor the 

 young man, to the exasperation of several of the 

 bright-eyed young ladies, who, of course, did not 

 happen to know of the young man's occasional 

 sly recourse to a certain tumbler concealed near 



But the secret soon leaked out, and the victim 



