Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-09-07

lived the widow Loring, with her only
child, q boy few years older than the
little Rose: The lives of the two chill
dren coming thus in contact at an early
age kept on in parallel grooves for
many years. Not far from the Widow
Loring's was an old homestead, occupied
during the summer by Judge Leland, a
wealthy city lawyer. II did not take
long for the Judge and his wife to be-
come greatly interested in the two chill
dren, and from year to year this inter-
est grew deeper and warmer. The boy
had early given unmistakable evidence
of rare artistic genius; and for the past
two years the Judge had given him all
the advantages which New York could
afford. But the summer always found
the young man at his home, filling his
portfolio with sketches of the pictur-
esque scenery to be found in the quiet
little mountain village. Roses unex-
pected good fortune found her teaching
the only school in the neighborhood.
Very naturally, she chose the Judge as
her guardian and after due consulta-
ton with Uncle Hiram and Aunt Esther,
she decided to accompany the Lelands
on their European trip. The party was
to consist of the Judge and his wife,
Rose, and aniece and nephew of the l,e-
lands. Ralph had been included in the
list, until his peremptory refusal had
made his accompanying them out OF
the question.
May, with its alternate sunshine and
rain, its tender foliage and delicate
blossoms, had passed, and June, with its
luxuriant growth, and long, cloudless
days, had possession of the earth. The
meadows were dotted with buttercups
and daises; and from the porch and
windows of the old farm house hung
the dark-red roses. Upon the porch
stood Rose, and at the foot of the steps
stood Ralph Loring. They had taken
a walk down by the brook, and talked
over the old times, and exchanged
promises of friendship and faithful cor
respondence. After the last good-by
had been spoken, he turned at hereall.
She was reaching up for rose; and
the young man, with his artistic sense
of beauty, was taking in every detail of
the exquisite scene before him. The
graceful poise of the pretty, girlish
sleeve falling back and showing the
lovely contour of the rounded arm; the
dainty head, with its ripping masses of
hair, whose golden tints We're brought
out by the sunlight: all these fingered
long in Ralph's memory.
'AIy parting gift, since you will take
no other" she exclaimed. "What is it?"
she added, as he stepped suddenly for
ward, his hands outstretched, and a
strange yearning in his face. "What
do you want?"
ssI want another rose," he murmured.
The intensity of his gaze brought
the color to her cheek. She motioned
toward the vine. s'Get it then.'' $50
He shook his head and answered,
sadly:
"It is beyond my REACH
Returned quickly, and passed through
the gate out into the road.
Letters came often to Ralph and the
other home friends. Rose, in her frank,
artless way, described the sights they
were seeing, and the hosts of pleasant
people they were meeting. She had
fresh, naive way of writing all this that
made the letters seem like bits of real
with her. She laughed
over her blunders, and her utter igno-
rance of the ways of the world.
"Will anything ever spoil her?'
thought Raj phi as
At the end of six months came a letter
from the Judge in which he said:
81 wish, Ralph, you were with US.
You do not know what you have missed
by your obstinacy. We are having
surfeit of delights. My wife. Maria,
and l, take it slowly, and leave about
half the sights unseen. Fred and Rose
are well mated. They rush right
through, and see everything. BY the
way, shonld not be surprised if-well
you can imagine. Fred'sFa fine fellow,
It he is my nephew.; and Rose. could
not make better choice" ~ -
A week or two after this, Ralph,s
mother died; and he wrote to Rose:
''Dear mother died last month. 1t
seems, now, as if the last tie were
broken; and want to get away from
The old scenes. I have sold the little
place, and have enough to take me to |
California. l may find success there. |
Do not write until send my address"
This was all they heard from him.
All efforts to find where he was were
their letters meeting with
10 response. Ths Judge complained
bitterly of his young friends neglect;
hrs. Leland was grieved at his ingrati-
ude and Rose grew daily thinner and
'aler, until her anxiety eliminated in
evere illness. On her recovery, the
loctor ordered her to Italy for the
winter. Once, at brilliant reception
n Florence, Rose suddenly withdrew
Ter hand from the Judges arm, and
arted into another room. In
moment she returned, pale and sad,
With this explanation:
81 thought caught glimpse of a
gure, strangely like-you know who I
but could find no one.''
Four years passed, and the Lelands
Tere staying for few weeks in Paris,
revious to sailing for America. All
ne art journals were filled with the
lost enthusiastic praises of a picture
'hich had just been accepted at the Salon
nd all Paris was discussing the merits
this new genius. The artist, was q
Dung American, who had been studying
/ the atelier Of one of the famous French
CURE painters; and strange to say, he