Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-02
"A BUNCH OF ROSES.
icopyright, 1895.

"Mafy; you rg1Iiember my telling you about the girl who WAS brought to the hospital just before went awayP
 Mrs. Barrows looked up questioningly.
 "Oh, you know, went on the doctor, 'tthe quiet, mysterious one who was al. ways afraid of making trouble never had ahy one come to see her, said she was newspaper writer; nervous prustrat1on, congestion of the brain and all that sort of thing"
 "Oh, yes, remember now. asked you if she was pretty, and you said you believed SO; you were not sure, but she in- terested you greatly"
 "That's the one. We'll, when I came back, I expected to hear she had been dis charged cured. Instead there she was, and very much worse. To tell the truth, I was alarmed and asked her if there wasn't some relative she would like to send for
 "She looked up in that same quiet way and said:
 "'No; I haven't a relative who would care whether lived or died.'
 "I suppose looked rather shocked, for she added quickly, You mustn't think, doctor, have ever done anything to dis grace them beyond being poor
 No, no,' broke in, I didn't think that
 "'I don't want you to. You've seemed so much like a friend. No, they never appeared to have anything against me. They just didn't seem to think about me, that was all.
 My father died when was a baby, and my poor mother made the best fight E against poverty that she could, keeping boarders to support us. Fathers family were we'll off, but as long as mother could wiggle along somehow they never asked if we needed help. They didn't like to be bothered, suppose.
 "'As soon as was able to do anything began to teach school. Oh, how hated it! I always wanted to write you know. But I never thought myself a genius How could when the stories wrote came back so promptly from the publishers?
 Then the crash came. Mother died, and broko down at the teaching and had to stop. I tried to get something to do on tho newspapers, but there were only three in the place, and their staffs were filled. used to get magazine article accepted once in awhile, but couldn't rely on that to keep mo alive.
 '' I knew there were so many big news papers here in New York, and I heard they employed women, so came hero to get work. Iwrote on space, submit ting story-we call everything "story' on the papers-here, there and everywhere, and after awhile, when was just on the verge of starvation, got regular reporting on q paper
 You need rest, broke in.
 "'Ycs, but you see can't afford that. must keep moving on like poor Joe. But oh, the thought of that crowd at the bridge, the great trucks driving in upon it, the jostling, the noise, the horror of being crushed dream about it--it is always before mo- It would be so good to crawl away from it-and die.
 "'I'm going to make bold, desperate break and afford that anyway. My rela- tivcs can't object because it won't cost them anything, and tho city has a fund.- 1 believe, for that purpose. "She was so quiet and calm and matter of fact, broke ill here Icouldn' stand it, and said: 'Oh, no, no, you mustn't talk that way. Surely you have made friends here in this year
 "'Yes, what they call friends, she an- swcrcd in her grim, quiet tone, friends so long as you don't trouble them in any way. But. you sec, they arc all so busy, they never have time to come to sec me. They wouldn't want to trouble about me anyway. Folks don't like to be troubled.
 "'l'm just slipping away without both ering any one, and that is the pleasantest prospect I think I've ever had in all my luc-SllpplnS away to rest, because, you sec, I'm so tired of it all "She did seem to be slipping away, no mistake. She laid thero so white and wasted. Where there's no desire to live, what's the use of medicine? 1T was debating what to do when a man came suddenly to the bedside. He was q tall, manly young fellow-what you wom. en would call handsome. Tho shocked, paincd look that swept over his face at | sight of her she could not see, for her eyes were closed.
 "'Miss Barnard he cried, 'oh, why didn't you let mo know you were i'll? | just found it out "She looked up and gave him her hand | and seemed pleased. "'M MT. Wakcly,' she said, IT didn't send to you-I knew you were so busy | Never too busy to come to you, he answered impetuously. "'You have been very good to me. I'm afraid I've troubled you a good dcal.' | No, no. Didn't you see how I liked to do it? Now, you're going to be out ot here in no time. I'm going right off tc bring you something nice. What shall | get you?'
 "'If it wouldn't be too much to ask, should like a big bunch of rcd roses. never had a lot of them in my life 1 "He went out quickly and was soor back completely loaded down with fruit | jellies, wines and magnificent bouque of great, rich jack roses. l "She caught tho flowers with littl, glad cry, pressing the velvety petals against her cheek, burying her face il them and hugging them tightly to hc l b:caSt.
 "Still pressing them very closely, he head fell back a little, and her eyes closed
 ''He caught at my hand. Look! h. said. Can't you do something? She ha tainted.
 II put my head down to her heart.
 1t is all over, said. 'No no, he cried out hoarsely. ( my God! I loved her so'
 "'You should have told her before. I would have kept her alive, think
 She was so proud, never dared. VI worked on the same paper, and-O m, God! My God'
 "He sank down beside her, burying h.; face among the flowers above her breast. could not say any more. I had been crue enough in those last words, so cam away, leaving him there.
 "Thero was a very peaceful look upol the dead face, as though she was glad sh had slipped away without troubling an, one. In that moment I was quite sur that she could not feel the agony an, heartbreak of the man who had come to late" ALICE E. IVES.
 Experienced Reasoning.
 Millicent--Here comes that horrid Mis- Smith! I am sure she will stop and tall to us.
 Lillian-Oh, don't think she will, m dear.