St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-12-07
A YELLOW ROSE.
Bx MAReARETTAs "a. MORLEY.

F# E8 SSS
eHave you seen the mountain yet?",
asked an old resident of bevy Of pretty
girls as they stood on the piazza6of the
Hotel Tacoma.
Each pretty girl answered with q
groan. No, indeedi exclaimed one Of
them. eve have been imprisoned ii \
Tacoma nine days, too, yetnot an inch
Iof the mountain have we seen. There
seems to be some fatality aboutit, for
no sooner does a Raymond and Whit
comb party strike the town than old
lTackhsmmer, as q Puyallupy editor has
dubbed it sees fit to hide its head.n
tstI h2se begun to question whether
there really is any mountainthere," OBJ
served tall, fair girl with .wistful blue
eyes, ''and whether you imaginative
people have not mistaken cloud for
mountain at some early, period and
lived IN the deiusive glory OF it ever
since2 At Seattle, they say, there is a
Mount Rainier, but no Tacoma; while
ut Tacoma they never heard of Mount
RaSaier. What is oneIfsrthink? Now
we have been stalled here almost two
weeks by the floods and disabled rail-
roads, as the girls have just said and, al
though the sun has shone often during
this time, that gray curtain in the south
has never lifted. 1t is very odd!" All
eyes were fixed on the distant cloud
bank and the girl with the wistful eyes
continued, dreamily: ''It resembles
our ambitions, our dearest hopes; sue
cess is there-always thereyet the in
teryening clouds are SO dense that at
times" She stopped abruptly, con-
fused by the earnestness of her own
voice.
eWho is that girl2 demanded the old
resident, turning, with some. curiosity,
TO watch the slender figure. "I did not
catch the name as we were introduced.
Is she one Of your party?''
eyes, she is a Raymond. She and her
father went through the Yosemite val
ley, and also to Alaska with our excur-
sion; SO, you see, we are well acquaint-
cd" replied one of the pretty girls.
"Her name is Rose Rose Monroe, and
she is ever so nice" 5
You have pleasant party"
ooh, yes, indeed, perfectly lovelyi
And we don't mind being delayed here
one bit, for Raymond and Whitcomb
pay all our expenses during the deten-
tion and we have noend of fun. Only,
of course, it would be more exciting If
there were some young men.
tt0f course" agreed the old resident,
with O smile. .But there is rather
nice-looldng man now--sitting by the
window. Is he not Of your party?"
'.Where? Oh, yes, I see whom you
meani'' enthusiastically. 'sThat is Mr..
Emerson Dwight; he is from Boston,
and he is perfectly dear! Did you ever
see such a handsome profile? Look at
his hands-ar they not dreams Of sym
metry? And such hair = that soft,
brown wave in 1t is absolutely perfeetl"
The old inhabitant was heartily
amused.
81 am glad you like your travelling
companion so well,' he remarked; and
was then puzzled by dissenting shake
OF the head from the very girl who had
been sounding the young mans praises.
sLilke him? We don't like him. she
explained. eve don't know him-he's
from Bostonl"
'sOhln
sYes, he is awfulIy exclusive no, not
that exactly, but - well - Indifferent.
His manners are perfect, SO he is always
scrupulously polite to US, only he
doesn't care a pin about us. see3 The
only girl he has anything to do with is
Rose Monroe. In his cold and formal
fashion, he is very nice to herr
DO you know, [ think he Is very
much taken with her." volunteered the
youngest of the group, who at once be.
came the target Of many scornfu
glances. 81 do, indeed He talked
with her for hours at time going VI
to Alaska, and triumphantly, "he il
now holding the rosebud to his lip
which she put in his buttonhole this
afternoon"
The unconscious subject of their re
marks was sitting at a small table undel
the window, absently twirling by it
long, slender stem d beautiful yellog
rose, From time to time he inhaled it
delicate perfume, or, as the romanti
maid interpreted the action, presses
the flower To his lips. Presently h
commanded q bell-boy to bring him
glass of water He drank of it, an,
then, to the horror of his little audience
laid the dropping rosebud across tn
piece Of crystal ice that almost file
the glass, and, lighting cigar, pre
pared himself to read.
.eThere is sentiment on Ice for yo1
warranted not to rneltt' cried the pre-
fy girls, moclSingly, and the little rt
mancer felt utterly crushed.
Night crept in over the sound, Th
pray-curtained cloud which conceale
the mountain turned to black, and on
BY one the tourists disappeared.
Rose Monroe was the last to leave th
piazza Her companions had passe
her unnoticed, MS she stood IN th
shadow of the house, and she made 7
effort to detain them, for her heart WI
heavy and she longed TO be alone
alone with that black curtain thats
arated her from success. Was it there
strolling to the window, to see II h
father was still in the Office, she stun
bled against table standing near, an
the musical clink of ice against glas
attracted her attention. She sInils
bitterly as she perceived the fragile ye
low rosebud on its frozen bed, and the
throwing herself in the chair EIaerse
Dwight had occupied a short time b
fore. strolsed the yellow petals with