Middletown transcript., 1901-06-15
A Dream Of Red Roses !.
BY MARY. TRACY Earle.

- Lamarque rose vine covered
ON one entire end of the Old
~ Hollingsworth house, 50 that
m in blossoming season the
/c6\ chimney made its way
upward through wreath
after wreath of snow; but at the other
end Of the house James Sprunt spread
its branches and its blood-red flowers;
and between the two vines, each Autumn
and Spring, the old war OF white and req
was renewed. The vines belonged to
Louise Hollingsworth. She was great
gardener and had way OF making each
of her friends plant something Tor her,
inst as another girl would have asked
them to write verses in Eer album, or
give her bangle for her bracelet or
uniform button, perhaps. They had been
planted on the same day-the Lamarque
h4 John Maynard, young minister who
was taking his first charge IN Pontomoc,
and the James Sprunt by Joe cambridge,
a Pontomoc boy who had joined the
Navy and was home only at long inter
walls. Both the Lamarque and the Sprunt
grew phenominally. There seemed to be
a race between them as to which would
reach the caves of the house first, and,
thanks to the favor which the Pontomoc
climate shows to roses, each arrived on
the third anniversary of their planting;
there was not foot of growth to choose
between them, but the Sprunt had sew
eral buds just ready to open, while the
Lamarque lacked a week of blooming.
On that day the two young men called
on Louise. Bainbridge had been home
on leave for month and was daily ex-
pecting a summons to rejoin his ship,
which was undergoing repairs before
starting for the Philippines. He was the
first to come sauntering along the drive
way and around the corner of the house.
Louise, bedecked with sunbonnet and big
flannel gardening gloves, was cultivating
around the James Sprunt. When she
heard his step she Strengthened up, and
her bonnet, falling back on her shoulders
revealed flushed, moist face.
"My love is like the red, red rose, y
Bainbridge declared without a trace o.
sentiment in his voice. He was bis
and bonny and looked refreshingly cool
'Hello, sprunt will be in blossom to
morrow, won't he?'
'fSpruntp echoed Louise. 81 dom
see why you didn't plant me rose witt
pretty name Think of planting jane
Sprunt as souvenir" She sat down OIL
the door step and eyed the young man il
a somewhat hostile way while she Tanned
herself with her sunbonnet. He wa
carrying long string Of fish. "Ant
those2" she demanded pointing at them
'Don't you know that not a soul in thi
family eats fsh?'
He sat down beside her and held u
the string for admiration. "Nice fellows
aren't they? I didn't bring them to you
1 brought them to Sprunt. My siste
Connie plants all the extra fish that ar
brought to the house around her ros
vines, and you ought to see how they
bloom. knew poor Spiullt would neve
get any fish down here, so I stole thi
string for him. Shall I give him all o
them, or pull off one little fish for your
'sPull off half of them," said Louise
''and bury them around my Lamarque.
"John Maynard's white rose?-not
fish. 1t wouldn't bloom pure white an'
sanity any more if I did. These ar
stolen fish,"
"John Maynard has some sentiment,
Louise declared pensively. "He plantet
me rose with a self-respecting name
Lamarque and James Spruntl There's
contrast for you"
"a rose by any other name," Balm
bridge recalled, ''and th-th-th-thinl
what difficulty John would have in ex
pr-pr-pr-pressing his sentiment aloud
He's obliged to do it in some sly, still
manner. Now +" he looked at he
with mock-languishing eyes, with langh
ter ready to break through and shin
from them. Louise persistently looket
down. After a moment he took the ho
she had been using and deftly but de
liberately buried the fish in circl
around his rose. Then he went to tn
rusty pump at the driven well, an'
washed his hands. By this time Louis
was watching him with what appeared
to be very remote interest. He wipet
his hands on his handkerchief and stood
looking off between the trees at a blu
glimpse of the bay. 1t danced in th'
bright February sunshine, and two o
three sails showed upon it, flashing from
light to shadow and back TO light agail
as they tackled toward the drawbridge
A very serious, far-away expression cam'
into his eyes, and after little while h
returned to Louise She met his eyes a
| first and then looked down.
'You know love you, dear" lie said
She did not answer. Her hands, tn
heavy mittens which she had been wear
ing thrown aside, lay clasped i'll her LAP
He saw their clasp tighten little-tha
was all.
"And you love me-" be added me
ment later.
His voice was tender, but very calr
and certain. There was not note c
pleading in it. Louise was not quit
ready to admit any mans right to such
tone; but before she could resent it,
voice spoke for her around the corner c
| the house.
"Ah, really?" it said.
Louise flashed look at Bainbridg
that was equal to peals of laughter. ]
was John Maynard's voice. He was nc
speaking to her but to Dorothy, her maj