Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-06
written for THE EVENING STAR
a THOUSAND POUNDS.
BY PHILIP BOURKE MARsToN.
Copyrighted 1851

ror a lady who is about to pass, as a holiday
with her lover, the twenty-fifth anniversary
OF her birthday, il cannot be said that Rose
Bellward looked the incarnation of earthly
happiness. She sat alone and expectant in
the drawing-room of Grove Dodge-a small
house In a new district OF London occupied
by Mrs. Bellward and her two daughters, Rose
and Clara. The Belwaris were not rich;
and the house had that speckless appearance
which is only observable when the services OF
the one professional domestic have been eked
out by the combined forces of all the feminine
Inmates
As L have said, Rose sat in the little draw.
fne-room with its well worn rep furniture, its
center-tabe, with a photograph album and a
few gift books, in which somebody's selection
from English Christian poetry conspicu-
Gus. On a side-table was stuffed bird under
glass case. In the window, between the
stiffiy-starched lace curtains, q live bird swung
triEmphantin a brighty-gilded cage, untouched
by any sympathetic instinct to tell him that
Just under him, in vault of glass, brother
with moveless wing and songless throat was
preserved perpetuaily in state. Likely enough
the dead bird had once upon a time made
merry in the cage where now the live bird
lived. just so had he shrilled out his song in
the spring sunshine; just had he
prodigal.y dashed afar rape seed and canary
In search of the dearly-loved and baneful
hemp! Just SO in the pauses of song had
he communed with himself in low notes
which could mean nothing else but serene
selflaudatiOn. "Yes, dear, you have done we'll
indeed" they seem to say. ''Will Beauty try it
AGAIN. which Beauty, after little demur
would proceed TO do So had he hoped from
perch to perch; so had he revealed in the swing
depending from the roof of his house, and
known-had he known-the terrible episode of
green, glaring eyes. as the cage swayed DIRE a d.
fl1li in no feh of elin <,la nd
futtered feathers flew this way and that. Had
he, too, heard the rush to the rescue and the
wall of the defeated enemy? he, too, by night.
with head tucked safely under his wing,
dreamt of those dreadful eyes of green flame,
and, dreaming, sounded a strange unbirdlfke
note, making any one who might be in the
room wonder what could be the matter with
Beauty.
AS 1t is with birds so is 1t with men! We
chirrup and we sing, we swell our feathers with
pride or futter them with fear; then we pass,
and others succeed 10 our positions, and as
after death we are not available for stuffing and
putting under glass cases by way of reminder
we are very soon out of sight, and very soon out
of mind, to those VINO have loved us best some
thing in this strain ran Miss Belward's
thoughts as she listened to- the canary's song.
You see she could remember Beauty the First,
upon whose glass vault Beauty the Second was
now raining his seed and splashing his water.
sun she was not being sentimental over dead
OF what is she thinking, then, this 25th of
May, while men pass the window with their
Hower-laden barrowS, shouting as they go, with
that peculiar information only adopted by their
class: Zine flowers! All a BLOWN and a
growin'r' And Beauty's cage as il swings in
the light flashes with almost dazzling bril-
lance. Is she thinking of 25th of May six
years ago. when she had waited-not in this
room, but in a room overlooking the British
Chancellor some one to come, some one
whose step made her eyes shine and her heart
beat-some one on whose grave the grass had
now been growing greenly tor four years?
Fools are We who try to keep anniversaries
with the living! They are meant for the dead
alone,
i do not mean for a moment to imply that
Rose was giving her right hand to a living lover
while her left retained that OF dead one. Her
young romantic love had been genuine, and
genuine had been her grief when death fruS-
trated her hope, and a fever, brief but virulent,
stopped forever the gentle and chivalrOus heart
which had beat with such loyal love for her
But as the flowers grew on her lovers grave, SO,
though not perhaps with quite so quick a
growth, hope grew again in her heart, and
when, four years after ner lovers death, Regi-
maid Longhurst, struggling young artist, with
a manly figure, clear-cut, handsome face and
splendid dark, passionate eyes, laid his heart at
her feet she was nothing lOath TO take it into
her keeping. Still, when the anniversary of her
birthday came around, she could not help
thinking OF a certain grave within sight and
sound of the sea-. Yet her look then was not
ing: Yes, remember what you said that day.
what wore, what kind of a day it was-indeed,
about your faded lips would seem to say have
forgotten
BESIDE Miss BeIlward on the table lay a su-
Perb bouquet and a beautiful and costly fan.
Looking at these, her deep violet eyes grew
grave and earnest, with the look Of one prepar-
Ing to meet some crisis.
She was worth looking at, was Rose Bellward
with her rare, violet eyes, her pale, proud face,
her lips at once sensitive and resolute. The dress
she wore, though simple in texture, fitted so as
" show 10 advantage her beautifully nodded
figure Round her head, which inclined To be
massive, her abundant brown hair, with gold
lights glinting in it, was coiled fold on fold,
She was evidently deep In thought, regarding
the flowers and the fan with wistful eyes, when
quick, impetuous application of the knOcker
70 the street door made her start. Forestalling
the servant, she FASTENED into the hall and
opened the door herself The next moment
she was caught close in strong arms. the door
closed, and lips met lips.
May all good things be with you on this day,
my darling! said the man. His voice was
pleasant till heard under the influence of
a great excitement. when it became shrill.
Reginald l-onghurst would have been a per-
fectiy handsome man but for a painfully weak,
receding chin.
There they stood in the hall, she with her
hand in his, her head resting against his shout
der, while his lips caressed the SOFT shining
folds OF her hair. Then, 'Come, dear" he said.
and with something almost like a shadow OF
reluctance she let herself be drawn into the
parior. He placed in her hand 4 modest bou-
quet OF flowers, saying they We're not worthy
OF the occasion, but the best he could manage
She raised them 10 her lips, praising their
sweetness rs they entered the room the
scent OF other and rarerfowers penetrated their
senses.
Reginald stood arrested his eyes fixed on the
bouquet. An instant change passed over his
face which but "a moment ago, had looked
radiant. Now ii looked like a sea in nautical
language, 'in dirty weather."
a birthday gift:' he asked in a hard con-
strained voice.
''Ies, dear. OF course. Now, mind, you are to
be good today
Whose gift:" he demanded in the same hard
tone OF voice.
My cousin Wills"
Then you have no need of miner He took
Them iToln her hand, and with no considera-
ton iOf MIS-. Edwards faded but still much
respected brussels carpet, he set them beneath
his neei, Whiie ms brow really did contract and
his iace grew darker and darker
Il am sorry you should be so petuiant" she
said. drawing back, while a smile in which
scorn and pity We're blended grew round the
corners OF her mouth.
And the ian?" he asked, catching sight of
IL. and speaking with a rising infection OF tone:
us that also d gift from the same liberal
hand?"
lit is"
Then with sudden impulse she went to
his side, and putting her arms about his neck.
said:
.Dear don't be cross. How can Won mis-.
own cousin, who "a boy was my playmate
should pay me some attention on my birth
day.
But the demon of a naturally violent temper
aggravated by Insane jealousy, was reused in
the man, and he thrust her from him almost
the room: there was dangerous light in her
eyes, a dangerous red spot on either cheek In
the window the unregarding bird shrilled on
then ceased, and Reginald spoke:
w III you Hing those flowers out OF the win
dow, send that man back his gift, and swear to
see hun never more? Will you do thiss''
mo, Will not do it, and her voice vas q rn
y on Will not do that TO pIease meep