Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-08-25

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woman to say she would have him!"
@Oh, yes, would" said Lottie; 81
think you are the incest man in the world
except
Except whom?"
IL was going to say Harrys
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 rosebush to himself
that the doctor could not but smile.
"You would like to hear the story? Vel,
it never came from my lips before, little
miss, but will give it to you. You soc, ]
had been a medical student under old DR..
West, and when he died got my diploma
and stuck my shingie out here. Soon after
that got acquainted with as trim built
girl as you often see, and after a while,
somehow or other, we became engaged.
was young and Lad my way to make, and
We resolved to want tw o Years before settling
down. Over back of the hill yonder lived
girl named Nancy Brown, pretty, pale
creature, who seemed Just ready to go off to
the angels. l was called to attend her, and
l wanted to do my best. knew they could
never pay me cent, and perhaps for that
reason went little oftener than needed.
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 il
worth her while to give it up.
Perhaps the motives were good. But,
though Nancy was in comparative poverty,
no gold was yellow enough to buy her one
treasure. Well, her fragility proved not to
be incipient consumption, after all, and
time went on until within twenty four hours
of my Wedding day, and that morning !
was in my Office here on the watch for my
sweetheart, who soon, all smiles and
bushes, with the consciousness that it was
the last time as a maiden, came tripping
down the street. went out to meet her.
This bush, not half as large as it is now,
stood here in the window.
oh, said my bride that was to be, in a
pretty rapture, Nancy has sold you her
rose! Did you cross it root and branch
with silver coin?"
Not I. Nancy gave it to ne of her own
sweet will
"A jealous flush came over my girls
proud face.
az 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-,
Il made asharp reply. She had charged
me with double dealing. We were both
terrible angry. The next morning we were
to have been married. That was fifteen
years ago and we have never spoken since.
Nancy was going away to fulfill promise
made In childhood, and she gave me her
hooonco had Sco,o1 hor 1ifo 20 hop
lover Perhaps l had; but she had un-
knowingly ruined mine. kept the bush,
and it has blossomed every 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 bride
has pleaded with sweet lips for just a few
blossoms to gem her hair. 1 have denied
them all, and have never cut one of tho
flowers until it withered from the stem. It
was not for Nancy's sake, either, but some-
how for the life that was to have blessed
mine"
@But you did not love your sweetheart
much" ventured Lottie, winking off the
salt drops that had collected on her long
ashes.
"Not love herr" roared the doctor.
POUNDS! can chit like you undertake to
gauge the depths of mans soul?"
IF you had you would have scted differ
entity" bravely asserted this small council
Of one, sitting in Judgment, with her chin
resting on her hand.
Acted differently" Numbered the irate
doctor. "Pray. Miss Wisdom, how should
have acted?"
"You would have said 10 your sweetheart,
I do not love Nancy, but do love her
rose. She is going away and gave it to me
in gratitude. But 1 give the rose and my
self and all that have to you, because I
don't you see that everything would have
been smooth, and you would have been all
these years full of joy?"
BOUNDS! SO I should" exclaimed the
s1cited doctor. rising to his feet. "John,
come in here" he called. Help me to
wrap up this rose tree. There, put it on
your hand-sled and draw it home for this
ye1ng lady and set it in the house. And
yoa, little miss, present it, with my COM
plinsnts and best wishes, to Miss Hen.
rietta Henshaw. Good heavens, what q
fool" said the doctor, striking his bald
head vigorous thump, when left alone.
Lottie did as she was hidden, giving Aunt
Hetta such galvanic shock as to paralyze
her; but the good lady came to enough to
glance furtively down the street to see
really that the "impertinent white thing"
was no longer staring at her fl ON the doc
tors bay window. She had bay window,
too, looking southwark, and into it she
contrved to roll the great box, with its
wealth of white blossoms.
The doctor. looking stealthily out from
his dismantled corner, drew his own con.
,lusions.
"Ahem!" said Miss Hetta. @How long
would 1t take to work that nonsense you
we're talking about?"
Il could get it done by night gaspod
Lottie, all of delicious tremble.
well, child, did not mean to be cross.
Take this. and do as you please with it."
Lottis's hand closed quickly over the
yold coin; she did not need tenth of it,
md she worked the whole afternoon, to the
letriment of her blue eyes and the loss of
her supper, till on garnet ribbon broad
latin stitch of gold, ornamented with tiny
orget-me- nots, lettered out the II. B. NJ.
which stood not for Her Britannia Majesty,
nut some one every bit as regal-Henry B.
Manners. otherwise Harry.
She ran down to the hall, which was
looded with light, and greeted Harry, and
II