Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-06-23
ROSEBUD LEWIS.

hOSEbUD LEW lS.
"She's a good girl enough, Rosebud
isl hahn t no fault to find with Rose
bud Lewis,' said Mrs. Dana, screwing
up her lips. "But won't deny that
I'm leetle disappointed in her,
Richard Dana looked wistfully at
his aunt's hard-featured, sensible face.
"Disappointed?' he repeated. sin
Rosebudp''
"She's quite different from what she
used to be-" said Mrs. Dana. "She
was the quietest, best, most stay-at-
home person in the world. But now
! "Wcll, Aunt Thyrza, -now?'
1--WE met her ever so many times
times alone on the road of an evening
when I've been coming home from
your cousin Bigbee's,' declared Mrs.
Dana. ''And she's always looked
ashamed of herself, and tried to hide
out my sight in the shadow of the
| trees.
"Wcll, but, Aunt Thyrza, whore is
the harm of that? Isn't the high. road
free to a]l?"
Mrs. Dana compressed her lips
"Oh, of COURSE said she, "when you
come to that. It's free enough. But
a pretty young girl like Rosebud Lewis
hasn't any business running about
after dark. I'm afraid she goes tc
those dances at Willow Farm -
"Why shouldn't she?' said Richard
endeavoring to veil his annoyance with
assumed Indifference. ''There's nc
harm in the Willow Farm festivities
that ever I heard off,
NO." assented Mrs. Dana. IF the
Willow family like it, I'm sure have
no objections. Clara Willow is silly,
feather-headed flirt, and George vii.
low is one of the kind who gets enga'
ged to two or three girls at once, and
considers it good joke. But. if Rose
bud fancies that sort of society,"
Just here, however, her stream Of
conversation was cut short Dy sum
mons from her husband,-and Rich
ard Dana was left alone on the porch
with the fragrant honey -suckle bios
SONS and the murmuring of tho umbra
geous maple-boughs overhead.
He was certainly stung to tho quick
by his aunt's words. There was nc
denying it. She had made no definite
accusations against Rosebud Lewis,
but she had somehow managed to leave
him with the impression that Rosebud
was not the same sweet, shy. impul'
sive lassic of the olden time.
| Now, for the first time. he realized
how much he had been thinking and
dreaming of Rosebud, all these years
of how Rosebud's love had been the
ultimatum of all his castles in tho air
He was able, now, to create home fol
her, such as she deserved. He haC
fought his way upward in the world
until he stood just where he mos
longed to stand; apd, coming back te
the old home, full of eager hopes anc
plans, Aunt Thyrza's wo Ids had fallen
on his heart like so many frozen drops
of ice.
Could it be possible that Rosebud hac
ceased to bo the sweet, pure little bios
som of ten years ago? OF course h.
knew as he had said, that there was NJ
harm in the Willow Farm dances, moth
ing disgraceful 10 a young girls being
alone in these quiet country lanes aftel
nightfall; but then, the very mention
of these things in connection with Rose
bud, brought with it an indetinabl'
something that was inconsistent will
his ideal of her.
In the meantime, Rosebud Lewis
in the old tumbledown Manor House
was thinking, with beating heart, O
Richard Dana's return.
l "Will he come to see me?' she asked
herself. ..Does he still remember me-
But of course he can't know that pap'
lost his money, and how poor we are
Nobody knows that. Papa has made
me promise not to tell. He Thinks
poor papa.-that when he finishes tina
learned book of his, and sells it to tn
publishers, we shall be rich again. Blu
i Butt sometimes think he is wrong-i
don't seem possible"-with a wear!
sigh-''that people can care so much
to read q poem about Ancient Garth
age!'
! Poor Rosebud! All of sudden a
lit were, her happy, laughing girlhoot
had been eclipsed in q cloud of grind
ing care. Old Major Lewis, absorbed
in his cantos and blank. verse, never
troubled himself about ;the ways ant
means Of everyday life-and ever!
responsibility game on Rosebnd's girl
fish Shoulders Il was she who bat
tiled courageously with the butcher
tho baker and eandlestick-maker, -
~:,,,---.c .,it;f..l denrcca
ting little notes to the city gentlemen
who held tho mortgage on the ole
Manor House, and who got so impa
, tent over the interest that was not forth
coming. It was she who went into tn
kitchen and cooked the little daintie
which alone could tempt her father
falling appetite.-she who gatheref
the bunch of lilies. or irises, for tn
china vase on his table. and mendet
the frayed spots in the linen which hse
now so slender chance OF renewal
And through it all. she sung like
household 1innet-for she thought 6
Richard Dana s :, I
But he had been Of home a'week now
and he had not been 20 see her: Rose
bud could not understand it at all.
| T. vos q br;oht mOOnv windy nl0h