Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1895-11-15
A BUNCH OF ROSES.

cept those raised in hothouses; that she
did not consider art superior to nature and
should never forget the alar roses that
grew in the country, in the garden of their
old home. They were filed with tender
associations.
! Therefore Lawrence Hunter was full Of
9 happy Importance as he presented her
with, the roses he had plucked himself from
the bushes In a friends garden that same
day.
"You will find them delightfully."- fra
grant, y he said as she took the great bunch
Of bloom in her fine, slim hands and look
ed at them with such loving appreciation
that the young mans pulse went up to
fever heat.
She was dressed as became rose queen
lin snowy white-and her golden hair
was bound with flllet of blue, which COL
or enhanced the fairness of her complex
ion, as she probably meant it should, in
the artlessness of art. And as she held her
lovely face, with Its delicate rose color,
above the roses the young man strength
ened his resolve to propose that
But there is an old adage about man pro-
posing. The queenly Alma knew that she
could not continue to hold the roses with
out weariness. Even flowers become bur-
densome under certain conditions and she
placed them tenderly in china vase, and
when they were arranged to suit her fas-
tidious taste fingered to drink in their
subtle beauty.
"They bring up the sweetest associa-
tions Of happy past" she said romantic
ally. "Petals Of pink and hearts Of gold,
how love you reyel in your adorable
sweetness
And she buried her face in the mass of
roses, the better to inhale their odor, and
then Lawrence, who felt the insanity Of
jealousy stealing over him, noticed that
her slender form was shaken with sobs,
and he sprung to her assistance But she
gave wild shrek and escaped from the
room, leaving the astonished lover gazing
into space.
He heard cries and exclamations, the
hurry Of flying feet, doors slamming and
silence. He waited, but no one came,
and he went home with profound convic-
tion that he had just escaped making a
fool of himself; that Alma Bentley was a
woman with past; that he would call on
her or cultivate her society no longer.
And he laid awake all night thanking his
stars that he was not her accepted husband.
The next day he watched anxiously for
some word-a note, any explanation-bu
none came. He wandered that way in the
evening, and finding the house dark and
closed was SO piqued and furious that he
rung the bell and inquired If the young
woman was at home.
EYES," the domestic said, "but not able
to see any one-quite ill, under the doc
tors care"
"The plot thickens," said the young
man to himself as he turned away, more
in love than ever and determined to
probe the mystery to its depths. Suppose
she had past. So had he, and he laugh
ed grimly as he thought of some pages of
his life that he would have been glad to
tear out and burn. Poor little girl! Some
foolish romance of her early teens that had
roses in it-and lover! What then2 How
many love affairs Of his own had left mem
ories and associations? Only he was a
man and could forget. Well, he would
teach her to forget if she would give him
her confldence-and love-
He waited meekly but expectantly a
week, two weeks, and when third had
nearly passed met Alma face to face Both
were riding, but she threw him sweet
smile and bow as they passed, and he
thought he had never seen her looking SO
we'll, not excepting that fatal evening Of
the roses.
After decorous time he called and was
as nervous as a woman as he waited to
hear the rustic Of her silken skirts and
learn from her lips the mystery of the Incl
dent of the roses
There was no hint of illness or pallor,
but Just sli~ht shade of anxiety on her
face as she cordially welcomed the young
man.
"You must have thought me out of my
senses, she said as soon as they were seat
ed, "when rushed out of the room that
night, but could not help 1t. lost all
my self control and cried like child.
Mamma said was very silly"
"Were you SO much overcomep" asked
Lawrence kindly.
"Overcomep was blind, frantic with
pain.
II have heard" said the young man,
"of people to whom the odor of certain
flowers was painful on account of men,
ories. If I had only known that my un-
fortunate roses had the power to rouse
slumbering recollections of happier days,
rather than revive such memories would
have left them to wither on their STEMS"
''Memoriesp" repeated Alma vaguely.
"What had they to do with mef l don't
understand you, Mr.. Hunter.
''Was 1t not an overpowering rush Of as
sociatiOns connected with the roses that
brought on your attack of illness?'
Alma stared moment, then laughed
merrily.
.sNo, indeed. It was the overpowering
rush Of a bee concealed in one Of the roses,
and it stung my poor lip so that was
fright for weeks and suffered from the poi
son too'
'sAnd It wasn't memory2' Lawrence's
tone was jubilant.
'sNo, but 1t Is now, and a very disagree.
able one. am pledged hereafter to arti.
fetal roses.
Let me have the lifelong position Of
poison faster to my queen" suggested
Lawrence gallantly, and his queen, being
In the mood, accepted him for the position.
Detroit Free Press
Discouraged.
tWho Is that sour looking man who Is
always sitting on that box doing nothingf''
asked the drummer.
Hes the man that knows all about how
to settle every trouble thet the country
gifts into, replied the native, with an ad.
miring glance.
y "But why doesn't he get up and hustle,