The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-03

the snow.
"Hump! Isuppose so. You would not
think now that it had spoiled a wedding.
But it did; just fifteen years ago this
day.
Lottie looked in alarm at the white
teacherous thing.
"You would not think, either, that a
gruff old fellow like me could ever have
got woman to say she would have himw
"Oh, yes, would" said Lottie: 81 think
you are the incest man in the world
excep."
Except whomf"
81 was going to say Harry"
Exceedingly fine compliment you are
paying me. You expect some of my
choicest flowers for that tid-bit of fat.
terry"
| Lottie did not reply, but looked in
| such CONSERVATION from the rose bush to
| himself that the doctor could not but
| smile.
"You would like to hear the storyY
Well, it never came from my lips before
little miss, but will give it to you. You
| see, had been medical student under
old DR.. West, and when he died got my
diploma and stuck my shingle out here.
Soon after that got acquainted with as
trim built girl as You often see, and
after a while, somehow or other, we be-
came engaged. l was young and my way
to make, and we resolved to wait two
years before setting down. Over back of
the hill, yonder, lived a girl named Nancy
Brown, pretty, pale creature, who seemed
just ready to go of to the angels. l was
called to attend her, and I wanted to do
my beet. I knew they could never pay
| Nd rho- fhof
went little oftener than I was justified.
Nancy had one precious thing, her rose
bush; small then, but giving promise of
great things. 1t did seem as if everybody
begrudged it to her, for half the town, in
one way or another, sought to make it
worth her while to give it up.
"Perhaps tho motives were good. But
though Nancy was in comparative power
ty, no gold was yellow enough to buy her
one treasure. Well, her fragllity proved
not to be incipient consumption, after all,
and time went on until within twenty four
hours of my wedding day, and that morn
ing was in my office here on the watch
for my sweetheart, who soon all smiles
and bushes, with the consciousness that
IL was the last time rs maiden. came
| tripping down the street. | went out to
meet her. This brsn, not half as large as
it is now. stood mere in the window.
"'Oh,' said my bride that was to be,
in pretty rapture, Nancy has sold you
her rose! Did you cross it root and
branch with silver coins"
".Not I. Nancy gave it to me of her
own sweet will
"a jealous flush came over my girls
proud face.
81 thought" she said, "that your visits
there were more frequent than her illness
called for. You love her, and If you are
fair to her, you are false to me-"
al made sharp reply. She had
charged me with double dealing. We
we're both terribly sngry. The next
moi ming We were to have been married.
That was fifteen years ago and We have
never spoken since. Nancy was going
away to fulfill q promise made in child-
hood, and she gave me her rose because
l had saved her life for her lover. Per
haps | had; but she had unknowingly
ruined mine. kept the bush, and it has
blossomed everv month with all it's
might. More than one young mother
has begged of me some dainty buds to
clasp in her dead baby's hand, and many
a bride has pleaded with sweet lips, for
isst few blossoms to gem her hair.
one of the flowers until it withered from
the stem. 1t was not for Sanoy's sake,
either, but somehow for the life that was
to have blessed mine"
"But you do not love your sweetheart
much" ventured Lottie, winking off the
salt drops that had collected on her long
lashes.
Not love her!" roared the doctor.
"Zoonds, can a chit like you undertake to
guage the depths of mans soulS"
aft you had you would have acted
differently bravely asserted this small
coun,il of one, sitting in Judgment with
her head resting on her hands. "Acted
differently" Numbered the doctor, "pray
Miss Wisdom, how should l have acted y
"You would have said to your sweet
heart, L do not love Nancy, but | do love
her rose. She is going away and gave il
to me in gratitude. But l give the rose
and myself and all that have to you be-
cause love you better than all the world.
Then, don't you see that everything would
have been smooth, and you would have
been ali these years full of joyW
"Zounds! SO I should" exclaimed the
excited doctor, rising to his feet John
come in here" he called. "Help me to wrap
up this rose tree. There, pnt it ON this
hand sled and draw it home for this
young lady and set it in the house And
you, you, little miss, present 1T. with my
compliments and best wishes, to Miss
Henrietta Henshaw. Good heavens, what
a foolm said the doctor, striking his bald
head with vigorous thump, when lef
alone.
Lottis did as she was bidden, giving
; Aunt hetta such a galvanic shook as to
.paralyze her; but the good lady came ts
enough to glance furtIvely down th,
street to see really that the "inpertinent
white thing" was no longer staring at heI
from the doctors bay window. She had
! a bay window, too, looking southwark, and
into it contrivsd to roll the great box
with it's wealth of white blossoms.
The doctor, looking steathily out from
his dismantled corner, drew his own CON
illusions.
"sAhemr said Mics Hetta. "How long
would it take to work that nonsenoe yor
were talking aboutW
~ could get it done by night" gasped