The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-09
c. BARTHWAlTE, FLORIST
"You are determined 2"

/
! Hastings keeping, but follow the die
tates OF my highest reason as well as
my heart"
| "Then l have no more to say, Rhoda,
but remember, the day you become John
Hastings wife, you cease to be my sis
ter in everything but the name-and ia
blot that out il 1t were in my power"
| "Ralph, wish I could please you, but
as / have said, l must consult my own
happiness, and, even before that, must
remember the duty owe to the man who
loves me and who has waited for me so
long,"
said. This ia the last time shall speak to
you on the subject" and so saying
Ralph Rochester lett the room.
These two were brother and sister,
and since the death Of their parents, a
few years before our story opens, had
lived together on tho old homestead OF
which Ralph was the sole owner. Mr..
Rochester had committed the injustice
so common q generation or two ago, Of
leaving the bulk Of his property to his
son, and of giving him also almost a pa
rental authority over the small pittance
wiled to his daughter. Ralph WAS over
and when he discovered the attachment t
| that existed between his sister and Mr..
Hastings he psremptorially ordered her
| to cease receiving his attentions and
forbade him the house, his excuse being
Hastings poverty.
"You are master here" his sister re-
piled, sand of course, if you say so, I
Shall not see MI. Hastings under your
roof; but shall continue to treat him
as / have done when meet him in So
ciety."
John Hastings affection for Rhoda
Rochester was founded on a true appre-
citation of her worth, and door shut
against him had no effect whatever in
| changing his mind. They met con stantly
in society, and grew more warmly at
tached as months rolled by and ran into
years.
But John was poor and was struggling
| against adverse fortune, and he felt that
! he could not ask Rhoda to leave her lux
.urieus home to share such one as he
| could afford. The prospect of being able
l to offer her what he desired looked very
dubious; and sometimes he doubted
| whether he had been kind or wise in
| winning her love. But her never failing
| trust, hope and patience gave him cour.
age, and when the dark hour passed he
| feltthat If he served as long as Jacob for
Rachel he should be amply repaid.
No wonder Rhoda Rochester was hope
full and patient. She was woman OF q
| thousand, aud though she was young,
| when this trial of her faith began, she
| had the good sense to meet it in the right
way. She said to herself when first her
brother expressed his opinion and gave
his unkindly orders concerning Mr. Hast.
ings, s'If am to be the wife of poor
man l must prepare myself for it. My
| father did me greater injustice than
| that of leaving ME dependent on Ralph's
| whims or bounty;-and that was in not
giving me the opportunity Of learning
something by which l could make my
self self-sustaining. l am not yet quite
| twenty years old--when l am twenty
| three I will be all independent woman"
This soliloquy took place just three
! years previous TO the conversation with
| which our story opens. Rhoda was one
of those people with whom "wilP' means
apill inevitably; and no sooner had she
| determined on independence as result,
| than she set about discov vering the best
method of attaining it. "What can do
best?" was her query, "for Whatever l
undertake l Shall stick to, no matter
what obstacles present themselves
| Many plans that were discarded oc-
| CURED TO her mind; but finally her per-
! plexities cleared away and she saw her
| way plain before her. Attached to the
Rochester mansion were fine gardens
and conservatory. Ralph was fond of
Keeping up the'ol way, and his one eX-
travagance was a gardener, who was un-
| equaled by any one in the neighborhood
| for skill in his profession.
"John has cottage and four-acTe lot
at Heulab, only 1--WE miles from town, and
there though he does not dream Of it, we
shall live when l have learned my busi-
ness. l am going to turn gardener" said
Rhoda.
Miss Rhoda was great favorite with
old Donald, and he was only too happy
to tell her all she sought to know. Early
in the morning, long before Ralph
| thought of leaving his room, she was out
taking her lessons at the hot-beds, at the
forcing houses, in the greenhouse and
conservatory.
When Ralph observed her growing at.
tention to the garden he said: "Umph!
that is right; work more in the open air
and you'll be less given to sentiment"
Rhoda smiled and thought, "If you
only knew, sir, the sentiment that has
set me to workW but she said: "Ralph,
am getting so interested in this work,
can have part of the conservatory fol
myself, want to deyote it to tea-rosesP'
"You can raise all the tea-roses you
like, or anything else, but don't interfere
with old Donald" he said.
This was all Rhoda wished. Here was
permission to do what she liked, at least
SO she construed it. She took the good
old Scotch gardener into her confidence
Il Very soon there was q new fower-stand
opened in one Of the principal streets oi
Castleton; over the door was the sign
l"G. Barthwaite, Florist" and within
were Donald CarmichaePs niecs and a
Il lad always at work upon orders. Many
a laugh had Rhoda with old Donald
l"Who would ever suspect me-" she said
"of being G. Barthwaite? lwonder whai
co. stands forW
/ A driving, thriving business did SO
Barthwaite" do, and at the end of veal
i've hundred dollars were invested ii
the Castleton Savings Bank to the credit
Of Miss Rhoda Rochester. The mex
year a thousand dollars were added tt
the sum.
4 One day Ralph said 81 wonder who
that 'Barthwaite' is that has the flor
lists shop in Main street? / passed there
to-day, ana I think there was some o
finest camellias in the window / evel
saw. 1 asked the young woman in thu
shop who he was, and she said be wasn''
man, he was q lady and lived out OF
the Pike Road. don't know any Bavth
waites on this rost, do. your" !.
"a sNpy .epfWefsa Ehoaa, and shl
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