Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-18
A. Dark Red Rose
By MADELINE BRIDGES

A LISTEN WARDE was suffering "A from a very recent heart wound at the hands of his beautiful betrothed, Katherine Eldridge, who had broken their engagement as ruthlessly as one breaks and throws aside a nut with worthless kerrel-not knowing she had least away a pearl worth all her tribe" Austen, being young, and proud, and very firm of will, had taken the blow with unflinching courage, and, immedi- htely thereafter, the train across the continent to San Francisco. There he put up at the Hotel Cavendish and wan dered lonely about the strange streets, looking at his future with unseeing eyes. With these same eyes he glanced at Marguerite Darlington when she first passed him, in the hotel corridor. The Gecond time they met. he saw that she was very pretty. Her brunette beauty, with its glowing color of cheeks and lips, reminded him of dark red rose. He called her so to himself, as she went by. The third time he discovered that she was modest and gracious. On this occasion her eyes had met his own, with a shy, momentary glance of exceeding
 
 of chapgeless blue had never given him a look so womanly in it's unconscious kindness. That night Austen whistled s he moved about his room-softly and pensively, 1t Is true-but he had not whistled since the day he came down the steps of certain stately residence with an engagement ring in his vest pocket.
 After this. 1t was easy to locate Miss Darlington in the dining-room, in a spe- cially quiet corner, where she sat with her married sister (there was no mis- taking the resemblance between the Ewo) and pretty boy of ten. Austen chose a table within range of their gaze. He was progressing to the point of feeling that he would like to know their names, when a most unlooked-for episode shocked him to standstill.
 As he came in from his street wan dering, one early twilight, he saw the slender figure that now so often fitted before his mental vision, moving light Ny, but with set purpose, down the long. wide hallway (never had he encountered the dark red rose in this part of the ho-
 
 passage way that led to his own apart ments. He hesitated, bewildered-then stood motionless, in amazement Look Ing down the passage way, he plainly saw her, standing at his door and tying a great red rose, with long, green-leafed stem on the handle of his bell! Having received this indelible impression on his inmost consciousness, he retreated with speed that suggested wild escape from threatening danger, and took refuge in a cloakroom near by, where he waited, breathless, to hear her pass. Then he sped to his room to find the rose. berathing fragrance at him, fas- tened to his door with knot of thin, white ribbon. He unfastened 1t, frown- ing perplexedly, and took it into his room-and there discovered that the ribbon was passed through small white card on which he read Miss Darling ton" in regulation script. In the corner was pencil scrtbble, Room 61." He sat down to face his thoughts.
 They were very disappointed thoughts, almost contemptuous. when the shock of the surprise was over, and he could contemplate the act in it's real lty. Why had she done this thing? How was it possible for woman whose whole bearing suggested gentle digity and maidenly, reserve to take up the brazen methods of a reckless, audacious Hirt? None but girl of coarse fiber and most deplorably deficient training bould be guilty of such a bold maneuver. He had noticed, as he watched from the bloakroom door, that she walked rapid ly, with half-mischievous smile on her charming face. "A dark red rose." Pshaw! A Haunting peony! 1 Were these the manners of western girls?-or was she, indeed, one for whom other women must blush and be sorry? And why should he feel this sense of personal aggrievement because stranger had fallen below his ideal standard! Dark hair, damask cheek, long, dark eyelashes, & friendly glance or two, was there anything more to prize or remem- Der? He had never even heard the sound of her voice! Why should he sit, 1 glaring angrily at the fresh, innocent go-between, in it's dewey blooming, gnawing his mustache, and longing to vent ms scorn III Stinglng words? At last he. spoke aloud, and the quotation relieved his mind, though his own ears Alone were listening. "What's Hecuba to him, or he to Recuba, | That he should weep for her?'
 He smiled determinedly. as one who makes an end of vexatious thought, and rang the bell that summoned the hall porter. Their conference concluded with reiteration of explicit directions. in this form:
 "Very well, be sure to leave it at the right door-tie 1t on the handle, mind and manage it so no one will see you Do you understand? And then come back to me. I am going away to-mor- row morning"
 He passed over the rose, with it's wisp of white ribbon and dangling card. to