The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-10-27


Buitenhof struck eleven.
Cornelius understood her. ayes, yes,
let us make haste" he said, you are
right Rosa
Then, taking the paper with the three
suckers from his breast, where he had
again put it, since he had no longer any
fear of being searched, he said, MY dear
| girl, have been very fond of flowers.
That was at a time when | did not know
that there was anything else to he loved
Don't blush, Rosa, nor turn away; and
even if | were making you declaration
of love, alas poor dear, it would be of no
more consequence Down there in the
yard, there is an instrument of steel,
which in sixty minutes will put an end to
my holiness. Wei Rosa, love flowers
dearly, apd | have found, or at least |
believe so, the secret of the grand black
tulip, which it has been considered i'm
possible to grow, and for which, as you
know, or may not know, prize OF hun.
dred thousand guilders has been offered
by the Horticultural Society of HARLEM.
These hundred thousand guilders-and
heaven knows | do not regret them-these
hundred thousand guilders l have
| here in this paper; tor they are won
by the three bulbs wrapped up in it,
which you may take, Rosa, as l make
| you present Of them"
"Mynheer Cornelius !"
ayes, yes, Rosa, you may take them,
you are not wrongng any one, my child.
l am alone in this world; my parents are
dead; never had a sister or brother.
have never had thought of loving any
one with what is called love, and if any
one has loved me, have not known it.
However, you see well, Rosa, that l am
abandoned by everybody, as in this sad
hour you alone are with me in my prison,
consoling and assisting me-"
But, sir, hundred thousand guild
ers -
"Well, let us talk seriously, my dear
child: those hundred thousand guilders
will be a nice marriage portion, with your
pretty face; you shall have them, Rosa,
dear Rosa, and | ask nothing in return
but your promise that you marry fine
young man, whom you love, and who will
love you, as dearly as loved my flowers.
Don't interrupt me, Rosa, dear, have
only few minutes more"
The poor girl was nearly choking with
her sobs.
Cornelius took her by the hand.
Listen to me-" he continued: "Ill
teach you how TO manage it, Go to bort
and ask Butruysheim, my gardener, for
soil from my border number six, fill a
deep box with it, and plant in it these
three bulbs They will flower next May,
that is to say, in seven months; and,
when You see the flower forming on the
stem, be careful at night TO protec; them
from the wind, and by day to screen them
from the sun. They will flower black;
/ am quite sure of it. You are then to
apprise the President of the HARLEM So
cietv. lie will cause the color of the
flower to be proved before the committee,
and those hundred thousand guilders will
be paid to you"
Rosa heaved deep sigh.
"And now" continued Cornelius, wip>
ing away a tear which was glistening in
his eve, and which was shed much more
for that marvellous black tulip which he
was not to see, than for the life he was
about to lose,-'I have no wish left, ex-
cept that the tulip should be called Rosa
B0rleeHsis, that is to say, that its name
should combine yours and mine; and as,
of course, you do not understand Latin,
and might therefore forget this name, try
to get for me pencil and paper, that
may write it down for you"
Rosa subbed a(resh, and handed to him
a book, bound in shagreen, which bore
the initial c. w.
"What is this?' asked the prisoner.
"Alas" replied Rosa, sit is the Bible
of your poor godfather Cornelius De
White. From it he derived strength to
endure the torture, and TO bear his sem
tence without flinching. | found it in this
cell, after the death OF the martyr, and
have preserved it as a relic. To-day
brought it to you, for it seemed to me that
this book must possess in itself power
which is quite heavenly. Write in i
what you have to write, Mynheer Cor
nelius; and though, unfortunately, | an
not able to read, will take care tha
what you write shall be accomplished"
Cornelius took the Bible, and kissed i
reverentIy.
"With what shall l write" aske,
Cornelius.
There is a pencil in the Bible" saiC
Rosa.
This was the pencil which John DE-
White had lent to his brother, and which
he had forgotten to take away with him
Cornelius took it, and, on the last fly
leaf (for it will be remembered that the
first was torn O&t), drawing near his ent