Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1902-10-03
A BUNCH OF ROSES.
by LEONARD LORRAINE.

"Well, supposing he doesn't come backy
What of it? l think | can manage to live
well without the companionship of Paul
Hartford. What is he to me, anyhow. Just
q friend. | may have been foolish enough
to imagine that / loved him-but it wasn't
love; it couldn't have been. just the most
trivial sort of impetuous infatuation, that
was all"
Katherine Westlake threw herself Ian
guidly down upon the cushion-weighted
couch with just the merest pretense of a
sigh. She nestled her head with considera-
BILE snugness in an artistic heap of feathers
and embroidered silk, and with a weary ges-
ture OF her hand closed her eyes. Paul Hart
ford had just left her. He had quit the
house in a rage because he had found kath-
crime caressing a magnificent bouquet of
roses-radiant American heauties-when ne
entered the parlor after having been unex-
pectedly admitted by a servant.
Hartford was a Jealous sort OF an indi-
vidual with eyes for but one girl-Katherine
Westlake. He was in love, SO much in love,
in fact, that he was as blind and as incapable
OF reasoning as a lover could possibly be.
When be walked in upon the beautiful, be-
witching, and marvelously clever girl whose
image had taken such a deep root in his heart
and found her eyes beaming and her soul
going out TO the pretty flowers that stood in
q vase on the parlor table, he was beside
himself with envy. With the manner of a
master directing the movements of his
slaves Hartford demanded to know from
whom the flowers came. His answer was an
aggravating smile, conveying the one idea
OF independence, and the unsatisfactory
| S+atanapt fro,, tho l;,.c % Eo+b.ripa Mast
lake: "A present; arent they BEAUTIFUL
This was too much for the overweight
temper OF Paul Hartford. Showing both
hands wrist deep into the side pockets of his
coat, he contemplated Katherine for an in
slant, while a cynical and threatening smile
played about his lips. The next minute the
storm broke, and it was a furious storm, in
deed. The result Of it was that Paul Hart
ford turned on his heel, and, with the eyes
OF katherine Westlake following him in a
somewhat amused fashion, flew out Of the
room i'll a jealous rage. AT the door he
paused, and, facing about, said, with a
threatening gesture:
when you are ready to tell me who sent
you those roses you can let me know. Until
then ! will not bother you"
In another second he was gone, and as the
door closed with a bang katherine West
lake looked again at the roses and smiled.
Ii Paul Hartford could have seen that smile
even he would have relented and pleaded on
his knees for forgiveness. But at that min
ute he was digging his heels into the stone
Sidewalk and saying TO himself that he was
q fool to allow any girl to rutfle his temper.
The complacent katherine. who had so
completely upset Paul Hartford, continued
her muse among the cushions on the couch.
MEN are such horribly unreasonable
creatures she thought. paul suppose
l should call him Mr.. Hartford now-is
dreadfully so. To think that he should hy
into such a rage over one little bouquet of
roses. Besides. they were given to me with
out solicitation by my own dear brother,
and ii a girl can't accept flowers from her
brother just because she may happen to
make some man jealous, then it i, about time
for Us to surrender all our rights. If he
hadn't been so unreasonable and had given
me time, would nave told him. But its too
late now. Imagine me sending Tor him after
what he SAID to me. lie was really horrld.
l might have cared tor HIM before TINS alter
noon, but now our little affair i at an end.
| guess | shan't mine 80 much, either. It's
trlghtiully troublesome to imagine you're
in love, anyway. I'm glad Paul Hartford Is
nothing to me any more. suppose ne Il ind
another glrl soon NO doubt he VIII. Men
usually do' Ihey get OUT OF the,e little love
affairs SO easily. we girls 90 all the worry
ing And 1t ism I1ght' either III net ne
takes up with that snlppy Drake gWl' Prob
ably he was looking Tor an excuse to quarrel
with me, anyway. never knew him to be
so unreasonable before
katherine Nestlake buried her face
among the pillows and the faintest sort OF a