Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-04-30
THE CRUMPLED ROSE LEAF.
By ELEANOR BYERs.


ID down on the white sails of yacht
lying mile or two out, making the
brasswork glitter and the pretty little
breakfast table, set under the awning,
look most cool and inviting. 1t was
charmingly arranged q deux, and every
thing, from the delicate eggshell china
to the little rat-tailed spoons, was OF the
daintiest description. Everything
around looked so calm and quiet; it
seemed almost as though spell lay
over it all, and the ship were about
to sail into an enchanted city-the bril-
liant blue of the Mediterranean, and the
cloudless southern sky, with the white
roofs and orange groves of Algiers in
the distance, making up q picture
worthy of fairystory! At least, SO
thought the man and woman who were
leaning against the rail watching a
tiny boat which was slowly making
its way out to them. The woman held
q big scarlet sunshade over her, to shell
ter her fair curly head and sweet mo-
bile face from the sun. ....
Fancy, Harry" she was laughing,
"'just q month to-day since we were
married! What a charming remem-
brance and what o lovely idea of yours
to have all those flowers brought over
to decorate the ship with for tonight"
The sun beat down on the little white
hands holding the parasol, and made
the brilliant rings upon them glitter
again. We'll begin at once, as soon
as he comes" she went on. II think
a festoon of big yellow flowers would
look splendid over the saloon door,"
ooh, no." answered her husband,
laughing; 1--WE won't begin at once,
we'll have breakfast first, and look at
the papers; in fact, don't you think it
will be too hot for us to do anything.
little woman? meant to let Williams
do it all, and we could sit in our deck
chairs and direct him, you know!"
"You lazy old thing!" she cried. II
do believe you get worse and worse
every day, and the idea of wanting to
look at papers when you're on your
honeymoon! 1 never heard of such q
thing"
well, I'm sure you were as eager as
was for the letters this morning." he
laughed; sit would serve you right if
there were none, keeping me waiting
all this time for my breakfast, too"
and he cast longing and smiling look
towards the little table under the avn
ing.
Don't go yet. Harry" she said; hes
just coming now" and even as she
spoke the boat drew up at the yachts
side. 1t was, indeed, goodly cargo
that she carried, baskets of oranges,
bananas and purple grapes, whilst the
other end of the boat was mass of
brilliant blossoms, and on the seat be-
side the tall swarthy African lay a
precious little packet of letters and
newspapers.
"Oh," gasped Molly, who was an art
list in a small way; 'oh, what q glorious
mass of color, what lovely fowers!"
Meanwhile the men carried the bas-
kets on board, and Mr.. Ashley, with his
letters, walked over to the table and
sat down in low deck-chair.
'Now, sweetheart" he said, you'll
give me cup of tea, won't you? Here
are two letters for you, do come and sit
down."
I But Molly was kneeling beside the
flowers, burying her face first in one
basket, then in another; and had to be
coaxed away and comfortably installed
IN her Chinois wicker chair by Harry
himself before she would settle down
to breakfast and her letters. Such
pretty picture as she made! her white
dress and scarlet parasol standing out
against the deep blue of the sea, and be-
hind Ler the large baskets of flowers
and fruits.
They were both engrossed in their
posts; she, reading her first letters
from home since her trip, he, looking
over the latest town news and reading
eagerly all that had happened in his
beloved London during the three weeks
he had been away. Sometimes he
looked up with q smile, and read her out
q bit of news, and asked how her moth
er was, and the boys, and at last, finish
ing off his tea with n sigh of satisfac-
ton, he handed her his cup 10 refill.
"How perfectly delightful it is here!"
he said, looking round on the beautiful
scene, and then letting his eyes rest
lovingly on his wife; land think you
look charming pouring out tea," he
added, with laugh.
Fancy paying your wife compli-
ments after having been married a
month" she smiled; ''you are not keep
ing up your role of old married man."
81 can't do that at the expense of
truth" he answered; land you know
I always had 10 say out what thought.
But you have tiny frown, sweetheart;
what's the matter? no bad news, 1
hope?" he said. quickly.
"Oh, no." she returned. "This is a
letter from Olga, and she always r,los
me up the wrong way, somehow. She
says: I presume you are having a per-
feet time; now tell me what is the
crumpled roseleaf in all this happi-
ness ?-for one there must be!' And /
thought for a moment, if ever one
should come, if it could go on like this
always without changing. 1t seems
too good to be true" she added, in a low
tone; but there is absolutely not even