Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 130, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1912 — The Color of the Rose. [ARTICLE]

The Color of the Rose.

Agatfha rose from her chair with an astonished expression, as the but ler announced “Major Melville,” and a tall, square-shouldered man. with a deeply bronzed face, entered the drawing room. “W’hen did ybu ar rive from India?” she cried, as theli hands met. “The day before yester lay," he answered. "How nice ol on to come to see me so soon' Or,’ she continued, as a faint smik crossed his face, “perhaps yoL have n’t come to see me! Anyhow, Elinoi will be here in a few minutes Do pray sit down—it must be quite four years—” "Nearly five,” said Hugh, iaking a chair "The last time we met was on Judith’s wedding day. you know ’’ "By the bye,” returned Agatha "we all rather expected that Judith’s narriage might possibly be followed by by another.” “Yes,” murmured Hugh, with his eyes ou the carpet; “I was hopeful enough to share your anticipations (s Elinor all—all right?” he in qtiired. “Oh, dear, yes.” The — same as ever?” he persisted “Ot course, like the rest of us she is so much older/’ said Agatha with a laugh. “Although jo.i would scarcely think so to look at her. A little more sedate, perhaps, and ever so much sweeter. She has lived with us the last eighteen months, since tier mother’s death—l suppose ybi knew Now, why were our expectations disappointed, Hugh?” she asked. He sat gazing down at the carpet as If he were hesitating how to an swer,- but suddenly raised his eyes to Agatha’s face. "The fact is,” he explained a lit-, tie awkwardly, J‘l was younger and more ingenuous in those days. I—well, I didn’t see my way to begin a fresh chapter without saying something about that which had ended.” “Elinor was not Interested?” sug gested Agatha. "1 fancy it had a kind of Interest for her,” said Hugh. “Anyhow, it didn’t meet with her ipproval?” ~ ~~ . “That was scarcely possible," he answered “But I had counted on her magnanimity!" “Oh, dear!” cried Agatha, “how plainly you bring that day back to me! I can picture you all in this room again—everything Is just the same, isn’t it? Of course, you were Harold’s best man. I can see you in the church at his side. You wore a white rosebud in your buttonhole ” “Pink,” said Hugh. “But I am certain It was white,” she Insisted. "I assure you,” answered Hugh, with much solemnity, “that the rose was pink—” As he was speaking, an electric bell was heard to ring; and after a momentary hesitation, Agatha inter rupted him by rising from her chair Without a word of explanation she left the room before he could find time to reach the door. Running downstairs she met in the nail a girl a few years younger than herself, and as much like her as an. extremely beautiful cousin could be like a rather plain one. “Elinor!” whispered Agatha, resting a hand on her arm, “Hugh Melville is in the drawing room.” For a second Elinor, taken completely by surprise, stood stock stll, pressing a hand--to. her., reck, while all the color faded from her face. “He—he has been asking about you,” added Agatha, and Elinor threw back her head a little disdainfully. “Very kind of him,” she answered having recovered all her self-con-trol. “Shall we go upstairs?” she was sweeping into the room in Aga tha’.s wake, her tall figure erect, offering Hugh her finger tips. “Oh, Major Melville,” she cried and during the next few moments conversation semed to lag Hugh appeared to be suffering from the most extreme depression, Elinor looked bored to death, and even Agatha* was tongue-tied, until she perceived the. urgerit hscessity of venturing a remark of some kind. “Elinor,” she exclaimed, “Hugh and 1 have been having a small dis pute.” “Already?" askedT Elinor. - ‘‘About the color of a flower!" Elinor turned her head languidly, fixing her eyes on the large shallow bowl of chrysanthemums in the middle of the table on her right hand. “Whlchone?” She asked. "The qne," answered Hugh, “that I wore at Judith’s wedding—the last time I was here .you know.” Elinor lifted her dark eyebrews. “Did you wear a flower?* she inquired. “A pink rosebud,” he returned. “I protest that it was white," said Agatha, congratulating herself on having succeeded in breaking the “You must both have really the most marvelous memories,” answered Elinor, in a tone which suggested contempt. “Obviously one of them must be detective,” said Wugh. “It isn’t mine,” cried Agatha. “Consequently,” Elinor insisted, with the shadow of a smile on her lips, “it must be yours. Major Melville.” "Surely you recollect—” said Agatha, when her cousin peremptorily Interrupted. “I really haven’t the slightest recollection about it," she exclaimed ‘Well,” continued Agatha, “at all events, I remember that Just as we

were rinsing our glasses to drink Ju dith's and Harold's healths. I no ticed that Hugh’s rosebud was miss Ing It bad broken off short at th* stalk He pretended to be in a sa» state of Intnd about it. and severs: o us tried to find it for him—l reco! lect as well as if it were yesterday. “My own mind is a perfect bLuk, said Elinor, and* then the bulk-, again opened the door “I at. affald,” Elinor explairfed, “that o. will have to excuke me I have at appointment with my dresstnakei She is going to alter something to to-night, and 1 dare not Ke.-*p utwaiting, is that Mme Pelisse. Ro, ers?” she asked. “Yes, miss.” “Good by. Major Melville ” slu said. "Oh,” he returned, “but but shall see you again!” “Some day. perhaps, but I c.iall b leaving London for a lew luuulir Good-by,” she cried, walking lowa,, the door ' “But, my dear child/' said Agaih; “1 am going to make Hugh slay an let me give him some tea Ma..‘ haste and dispatch Mine Peliss. You wih be back before he goes ' t>. returning after closing the u<>«» Hugh took up his position with lit back to the fireplace Agatha did no speak for a feu seconds, and the,. It breathed a profoundly depreasiti, sigh: ... / / “Of course,” said Agatha, “sucit a lapse of memory is a very bnd sign—” ’ —' ~ ."Well,” he answered. “1 fancy ii is. though for that inntter 1 teei hai disposed to envy her.” “Now, I wonder,” she murmured ‘whether you would thank me—” “Wbat for?” he inquired perfum torily. “If 1 convinced you that you have made a great uptake Because truly the rose was white! Yon look,” she added, with a laugh, “as if you were not inclined to bless th<poor flower." “I—l imagined you were talkiiij. about something else,” he muttered “But still, I am convinced —m tact. ’ would give any odds —” “Will you mind excusing me a minute?” she cried, and once mon she left Hugh alone. While he stone waiting in front of the fire Agatha re-entered with a small book in oiu band, substantially bound in black morocco. —■— . “Are vou going to convince me by testifying on oath?” demanded Hugh, with manifest astonishment -“I am going,” said Agatha, “to perform an extremely shabby trie a I can only hope that the end may be thought to justify the means ” Opening the book in ti.e middle she held it toward Hugh with h rather theatrical gesture, so that he could see a pressed, withered rose bud which had been broken off at the stalk. / “You see,” she cried, “that it is w’hite! ” It appeared to be a volume of se lections of a devotional character printed on India paper, and it seemed to Hugh that there was something Intimate and secret about it, as if there were a kind of sacri lege in showing it by the light of day A wave of emotion passed over him as he took the pressed Bud between his thumb and forefinger: “Whose is the book?” he inquired “Elinor’s.” “W’hat is Elinor’s, pray?” Turning guiltily, they beheld hei on the threshold, and then they saw all the courage go out of hei “Oh —Agatha!” she cried re proachfully, darting forward and re gaining possession of her book, al though Hugh continued to hold I he crushed rosebud. But Agatha lost no moment in quitting the room "Elinor stood with the book pressed against her bosom, breath ing quickly as she tried to look into Hugh’s face without wavering “Is your memory re-awakening?’ he asked. “Very—very faintly,” she fa) tered. "Because you must have helped to look for the flower after all!” “Perhaps—perhaps, 1 may have done,” she said. “And you found It," he suggest ed, holding it between bis finger and thumb, as he drew nearer. "You thought it worth keeping.” “It made,” she cried, “a—convenient book marker." “Do you read the book often?" he disked. “Every night of my life.” “And —every night of your life—during the last five years," he con tinned, “you looked at the flower and your thoughts have turned to—" “Oh, please, Hugh!” she pleaded “Every night your thoughts have turned to the East!” “Anyhow,” she murmured, “surely one’s thoughts ought to be held sacred.” “Not,” he said, with a smile, “un less they were hallowed by charity Elinor," he added, .taking one of her hands, “what was the cause of your forgetfulness?" “You see,” she returned, “the rose has—has lost all its fragrance.” “Do you mean,” he asked, “that you did not know whether my love had faded too?” “Agatha was quite right,” Elinor exclaimed, with an abrupt chu ge of manner. “The bud was always white." “Anyhow,” he urged, “she was right in returning it to ma?" “Oh, well, of course, it—it is yours,” said Elinor. “And so are you,” he whispered, with an impulsive action which seemed to signify her corrplete apr propriation.—-Black and White. Lord Byron had a pet goose which sometimes accompanied him on his traveU. -