Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-08-10
IN THE SOUL
OF A Rose.
BY OLIVE HARPER.


There were thoughtful shades in
the soft brown eyes of Alice Dorrence
as she walked slowly along the path
leading from the rivers edge to the
lawn. Her white dress and pale pink
ribbons futtered in the afternoon
breeze, and made sharp contrast
with the vivid green around and under
her feet
just now she was trying to solve
problem such as has been presented to
most women in their time. Two men
loved her, each for different qualities.
John Strong had been her friend and
protector ever since she could remem-
ber and she knew his loyalty and
goodness-but he was plain, unas-
suming person, caring little for society
or appearance. His leisure hours were
given to the study of mechanics. He
worked in a machine shop as though
proud to wear the overalls and apron.
1t is true that he looked like one Of
the sculptured gods as he stood car
essing some part of a great intricate
machine, but -
The other was a rich mans son, and
his long, slender hands were never
stained with toll.
Alice thought of both these men,
contrasting them, weighing them and
sometimes almost deciding in favor of
one or the other. One was educated,
but workman. The other was poll
shed, but an idler AS often as she
thought she had decided some new
question would force her to begin all
over again. She had neither father
nor mother, and livel with her aunt,
who had just married widowed
clergyman with such an array of noisy
children that Alice felt that she really
could not bear to remain, and she
could think of no better way out of
the difficulty than to marry.
If she married John she would go
to live in the house near the big works
where his father had lived She would
always have enough of everything,
but unless John Invented something
valuable he would never be rich. If
she married Charles Sturgess she
would go to New York to see life as it
is in the best society. Her imagina
lion pictured this as an existence of
tairylike beauty with no seamy side.
Still she walked and thought, but
came to no decision. She turned to-
ward the lawn leading to the beautiful
Hudson and had gone but few spaces
along the path when she came in sight
of Charles Sturs ess standing beside a
rose bush, whose buds were just un-
folding He stood moment looking
at the bush then chose the most per-
fect and loveliest bud Of all and broke
It off short without stem.
Alice stepped forward just then, and
as he bowed and spoke he tore the bud
apart and pressed it 10 his nostrils.
He held it thus for Il brief space in
haling the fragrance, then cast it
upon the gravelei path and ground it
down out of sight with his heel.
Alice felt chill pass over her. He
must have noticed, as he smiled and
said:
81 love roses so.
81 shouldn't think it.
"But do love to choose an un-
opened bud and tear it apart and in
udle ltS very SOUL.
"And throw il away after"
"Why keep it? But let us return
to the river. The sun will soon set
and we can see the glory from"
81 must so in. Excuse me-" Say
ing this Alice fairly few to the door,
and from there to her room. She had
had shock, and she needed solitude
to measure the hurt. The man smiled
gently, sauntered on to the river side
and looked at the sunset alone. He
could afford to wait. He was sure OF
her.
In the meantime things were not
going well at the machine works. The
engineer had always been reliable, and
with him in charge of the great engine
that drove tho ponderous machinery
all over the immense works no ono
gave a thought for his personal safety.
But this day, no ono knew how it hap
pened the engineer lay in II stupor on
The ground, and the pressure OF steam
was so great that the whole place
trembled as the wheels whlrled
around. Before the danger was dis
covered it was almost toe late. Hun
dreds Of lives were at stake, and there
was no one to save them. John sprung
to the engine to find that the safety