The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-12-24
A Dark
Red Rose
BY MADELINE BRIDGES

Katherine Eldridge, who had broken
their engagement as ruthlessly as one
breaks and throws aside nut with
worthless kerneEnot 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-
ately thereafter, the train across the
continent to San Francisco. There he
put up at the Hotel Cayendish 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
second 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
shy, momentary glance Of exceeding
sweetness. Katherine's brilliant eyes
Of changeless blue had never given him
look so womanly in its unconscious
kindness. That night Austen whistled
s he moved about his room-softly and
pensively, it is true-but he had not
whtstled since the day he came down
the steps of certain stately residence
with an engagement ring in his vest
pocket
After thissikwas easy to locate Miss
Darlington iikfhc dining room, in spe-
cially quiet corneX where she sat with
her married sister There was no mis-
taking the resemblance between the
two) and a pretty boy of ten. Austen
chose table within range of their
gaze He was progressing to the point
of feeling that he would like to know
their names, when most unloOked-for
episode shocked him to a 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
ly, but with set purpose, down the long,
wide hallway (never had he encountered
the dark red rose in this part of the ho-
tel beforeD and turning into the little
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
q 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 a wild escape
from threatening danger, and took
refuge in 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 it, 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 a pencil scribble, 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
S he could contemplate the act in its real
ity. 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 reckless, audacious
flirt? None but girl OF coarse fiber and
most deplorably deficient training
could be guilty Of such bold maneuver.
He had noticed, as he watched from the
cloakroom door. that she walked rapid
ly, with half-mischievous smile on
her charming face. "A dark red
rose" Pshaw! A Haunting peony!
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, a
friendly glance or two, was
there anything more to prize, or remem-
ber? He had never even heard the
sound of her voice! Why should he sit,
garing angrily at the fresh, innocent
go-between, in its dewey blooming,
gnawing his mustache, and longing to
vent his scorn in stinging words? At
last he spoke aloud, and the quotation
relieved his mind. though his own ears
alone were listening.
whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for herr"
He smiled determ:nedly, 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 it on the handle, mind,
and manage it so no one will see you
Do you understand? And then come