The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-06-05
! The Gift Of Roses
By Copyright by
? ErnestHerbert W. R. Hearst

|
ference; the stories usually ended hap
PLY, whereas he knew that for himself
| 1t would be madness to hope for any
thing save disappointment.
! He was in love, desperately, madly
in love with Nella Renshaw, a clever
and popular actress, the admired Of all
| admirers.
| He enshrined her In his heart the
very first time he saw her, which was
| the day on which he commenced his en-
gagement as violinist in the orchestra
! OF the London theater at which she was
| playing leading part.
| He made no effort to check this hope
| less love which grew and grew as he
| watched her night after night.
| he could only see her when the action
of the piece brought her well forward
upon the stage; but he soon learned to
| know when these places came, and was
always ready for her so as not to lose
a single second Of the time that she
was in view.
Once her eyes met his upturned gaze.
That night he walked to his poor lodg-
ings with his head among the stars.
After that he found her look turned
toward him on several occasions. On
those nights he lay awake for hours
| asking himself whether the smile in
| those beautiful eyes could possibly have
been for him; but by morning he had
called himself a fool for imagining for
one instant that what was obviously
an accident in her acting, could have
any significance for him. Yet, for all
his wise reasonings, those glances made
him absurdly happy.
Then came blow that hurt him
! cruelty. Nella was to tour in America.
Even the pleasure Of looking at her was
now to be denied him. He would not
rha
! again.
A farewell performance was an
nounced, and, SAD at heart, Dickey took
his accustomed place. Before then he
| had always felt thrill of pleasure and
pride when came the thunders Of APP
plause in acknowled cement Of Nella's
superb art, but on this night it filled his
heart with sadness and a great lump
came to his throat. This was the last
time he would see the triumph Of the
woman he loved-the last time.
Then, as the curtain fell. he did a
thing that he had never dared before to
do. He quickly made his way to the
stage door and waited there to watch
her departure. AS she passed him the
| fragrance Of her dainty silks and laces
seemed to hold his whole soul In bond
| age, and when her rustling skirt
brushed him he nearly swooned.
She carried magnificent bouquet
! that had been presented to her, and
! when she was half way to her carriage
| a rose dropped from 1t onto the pave
ment. Dicky started forward and
| picked 1t up. Murmuring something he
knew not what, he stepped to the side
Of the carriage, and handed it to her.
| AS she took it she looked straight into
his eyes. Then, quickly drawing an
other blossom from among its lovely
| fellows, she smilingly thrust It with the
other back into his hands,
| Keep Them, and-and-thank you,"
| she said.
AS the carriage drove off Dicky was
| staring in wonder at the exquisite
flowers. Because of this he did not see
that which would have filled his heart
! with an even greater Joy. Her eyes
had filled with tears.
Every now and again, during the
year that followed, audacious thoughts
] filled Dicky's mind as he gazed on his
i most cherished possessions, two with
cred roses. Soon after, however, he
usually read In some newspaper one of
the numerous accounts Of Nella's trans
hopes collapsed dismally. Yet they were
always there, and though he did not
know 1t, grew stronger and stronger
until they became part Of his life.
AT last Nella came back. She was tc
open the autumn season at her ole
tlfcdteT dIAo Ouce more Lucky sCOuld see
her every night. He played first in
stead Of second violin now and his pc.
sition had been altered to one from
which he had a far better view Of the
stage.
It was not that thought, however
which set his heart pounding with ex.
element as he went toward the theate1
y that day-the day on which he was t.
behold her again after a year. In hi.
heat there was great hope that sht
Il would recognize him in some way Of
another. Surely she must. Then hi
. would wait at the stage door, and per
haps she would speak to him again.
Bitter and terrible was his disap
y pointment. Not even a glance came hi
n way. s} s
The next day he was not at his plac,
In he orchestra. Instead he sat a
home in his room before a table GOV
cred with manuscript songs. They wer,
those which he had written out of hi
great love. Mi
Slowly, almost mechanically he tool
!, them up and scanned every note.
\ Then, having seen that ell were a
! perfect as he could make them, h
!. gathered them togethes, in heap.
B He was going aWay-Where he di,
I not know or care. During the last yea
7 he had 30 lived on the almost uncon
scious hope born In him by the gift o
@ | roses, and the realization that 1t ha,
been founded on nothing had dazed hi
every faculty. It was as though h
Z had fallen from the clouds. ~
1 AT first. when the wish to leave TIL
d | place of his sorrow had come to him, h
I had determined to burn his songs; bu
they were his chill ren---the only chill
Il dren Of his love--and he could mo-
/ Then came q wild desire thas3 sh
+ should know his hearts longing, ant
8 after examining them all 10 make sur
i that they, at least, We're worthy of he
7 attention. he gathered them together 7
a send them to her. At
n He took the witiaered roses from hi
& breast. She should have them, too
y Pressing them passio e :; = his lip
i he laid them tenderly on the top OF tn
= pile.
d Then the stupor that had Quilted hi
Z understanding went. and In its plae
an awful despair seized him. He lai