The Washington weekly post., 1900-01-02

ner. fToE1 being an easily led ana IL
many ways ar undecided person size was
now like the finest steel. Nothing would
move her-she might bend little under
intenEe persuasion. but she always sprans
hack again to the same position. What
she wished to do had to be done, and
she had her pretty bedroom exchanged
for a hideous apartment looking out on
to the courtyard. a damp. dark. ill-fayor-
ed room, With that mysterious red stain
On the floor. / myself rushed away when
saw the ugly stain and brought In a
rug 10 cover IL, but when I went back
again an hour later Josephine had moved
the rug. and the stain showed out dull
reddish brown on the white boards.
The stain which TO one could ever get
cut" | murmrred to myself.
Josephine hustled about putting the
room in order. and that night went 10
bed without trace of apparent nervous
ness in her manner. ! also went to bed
and nothing at all happened. but in the
morning the look on my sisters face was
terrible TO see. and each morning now as
| watched her her face changed for the
worse. until from being a young girl, deli
cate 1t Is true. but with all the fragile
beauty Of youth. now she began to age
and age, until from four and twenty she
got to four and thirty and even four and
forty, and even older yet did she look. and
her light soft hair became hicked with
gray, and her eyes grew larger and larger
in her thin, thin face. When ! felt her
hand, too. II was very hot
bore this for month or two, and then
l could bear 1t no longer. In spite OF her
self I was determined to take her out Of
that room.
One evening late she went up there for
few minutes. / followed her-to my re-
lief she had neglected to lock the door.
burst 1t open and went In.
you must come away" I said, 'you
must not sleep here another night"
She laughed In quite a strong way.
"You would have to drag me-" she said,
with iron chains; shall not leave Of my
| own free will. / am discovering things"
~ nat?" / asked.
"The mystery of the Red Roses" she
replied.
Josephine and I were not rich, but at
the same time we had enough money for
our wants. We had been left our small
fortunes in a rather curious way. To each
Of Us had been given 5000 pounds, over the
| interest of which we had absolute control
! during our lives. but we could not leave
/ the money 20 anybody else al our deaths
! unless indeed we were married and had
children If either of us died unmarried
/ the money would go to a distant cousin
I whom we had never seen. / mention this
/ fact because IL has direct bearing UPON
| what is left of my story. i ought also TO
add that We had never seen our cousin.
I who lived, we supposed, in America, and
was a man Of unscrupulous character. not
at all an acquaintance to be desired
During the days that Immediately fol-
! lowed my thoughts turned in a very queer
way 10 this cousin, for it came over me
| that he would soon receive Josephine's
! portion, for surely Josephine was not long
! for this world Day after day her spirit
shone more transparently through the thin
veil of lhe flesh. Day after day the soul
| IN her eyes came nearer to the surface,
until at last as l locked at her l almost
fancied I saw the wings growing and that
the ethereal presence would not be much
longer by my side.
Christmas came and went. the snow lay
| Eeavy on the ground, and the final tragedy
drew on apace.
One day our servant entered the draw
ing-room where Josephine and / were sit
ting. Josephine, as usual, was in the win
dow, where she could see the garden. The
girl brought in large white paper parcel.
"A boy brought it, she said, "and there
is no message 1t is for you, miss" She
handed the parcel 20 my sister
josephine opened it. As she did so there
tumbled out a lot of red, red roses, per-
fectly fresh and fragrant. They were not
done up in a bunch, but lay loose and
apart from one from the other. They fell
all over my sisters lap. and some tumbled
onto the floor Dy her side
Where did those roses come from? Not
from any one In Alyerstoke, there were no
red roses blooming even in Conservatives
at this time OF year.
What does this mean?' I said. "Who
| could have sent those lovely roses?" As
spoke looked at Josephine; her face was
white as death.
Don't touch them,'' she cried, as I
| went forward and prepared 10 fall on my
knees TO pick up several buds.
''Oh, do let me smell one" / answered.
I had not at first connected anything mys-
terious with the flowers, but when l looked
| at Josephine by heart stood still She was
so white l thought she was going to
| faint.
mo, / am quite WE'LL" she answered to
the expression on my face, but | want
| to 90 TO my room. l will take the roses
there" She gathered them all up in the
front of her skirt.
But why not leave them here?" ] said.
Can We not both enjoy them? They are
| beauties"
Enjoy them? Enjoy them, Patriciar'
was her strange remark There was a
| thrill of absolute fear in Ter words She
| left the room, taking all the roses with
| her.
She did not come down again to the
! draWing-rOom during the rest of the day,
| end when the dinner hour approached L
went TO seek her
! As usual / found her door locked.
''Oh. Josie, come down at once" cried.
Dinner is waiting"
Il an! not hungry, l could not eat"
she answered from within.
But you must eat and you must come
! down." l said. l began 10 tumble with
the lock- making a loud noise
| You must come down, / insist" I re-
| peated. When / said this / heard her
/ cross the room She unlocked the door
| and stood in the entrance. l pushed past
her and went in. She had laid the roses
on her lily-white bed, not in any connect
ed pattern, but one here and one there,
few encircled the pillow. a few again
lay at the foot Of the bed.
| "Oh, don't, Josephine" cried with a
gasp. Take those roses off The bed at
once. 1t looks just as if. as if
| LAS if What?'' she queried.
"As if a dead person We're lying there"
"How strange Of you 10 say that" re-
Piled Josephine. smiling. ''for there is a
oead person lying on the bed, don't you
see him?"
My dear sister, you are mad.'' was
my answer.
mo. not mad" she answered; "only II
is given to me TO see what is hidden
from You. These roses are for him, but
my red roses will come soon. very soon,
Patricia
She aid not cry, but tears rose slowly TO
her eyes There was nothing whatever
| TO 10 but 10 humor her. Beyond doubt
her mind was affected. The horror she
had lived through since she came 10 this
| terrible house had turned her brain.
II will fetch you some dinner II you