Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-08-18
The want OF better starch producing
potato has been known for years. II
was no chance that | produced better

potatoes than were in the market.
was natural result, and one that al
the farmers in the state knew to b
possible. but did not wish the bother
4 for IL took too much time, and the pa
D day looked too far off. But ! appreci
ate all of fathers kindness in allowing
me the use of his quarter acre of land
Wilkie laughed al me for spending m.
( time that way. lie has spent half hi
fathers fortune. they say, since be fel
into bad ways and i have nearly mad
one OF my own
But. Ned. your mOthes Is interested
In your success and all your plans FOL
the future. Are you going TO live IN
that big house alone"
! hope not" said Ned There is
one whom | would like there with me
and home would not really be home
unless she is there"
Who is that. Ned?"
Nellie"
Have you spoken 10 her about IT,
Ned. The ideal home you have drawn
on paper must be very tempting TO any
young lady
No. mother. | have not spoken TO
her. would not tempt her by offer
love me for myself alone: | sometimes
fear that she would accept me. if she
accepted at all through gratitude, be-
cause | saved her life: but | have not
asked her yet But "A while ago | ask
ed her father II | might try 10 WOO her.
and If possible win her hand and heart
and he said yes. and even intimated
! that perhaps the heart was already
won; but mother, since then have
made very little progress. ! see Nellie
often. but she is different now than
what she used to be: once we had no
difficulty in conversing. but OF late
conversation lags, and like two Quak
erS W. hold our meetings in almost sill
ence ! can't account for the change
In Nellie. She must be getting weary
OF me-, and yet she always urges me TO
come again"
Ned said his mother. lin such
times as these. you will find that sill
cnce speaks often louder than words
| have been watching the growth OF
that rose bush by the window The
other night. when there was a thunder
show r. and the winds blew. and. Their,
was i general tumult without / no
tced no growth OF the bush but last
night when all was still. and even
nature herself was apparently asleep
that bush had a wonderful growth. !
So IL may be. Ned that the heart YOU
cherish. in the silence TINT looks so |
onlr Gus 10 YOU may be reaching ont (
more and more toward You. and its In /
hucn,e may be more and more tw.n.ng /
around your heart even as the ros |
branches twined around your neck i'm /
ne dreams that You told me about. in /
whi, p your Nellie proved the rose
mere is often more reality in dreams
tnan we think, and Mrs Jackson
smiled to herself as she thought of tha
scene in the sick room which Ned
still treasured in his mind as dream
The summer time came. and yet Nei
had not spoken. The roses were in
bloom again and they never looked
moro beautiful than now The ev n
ing WAS one OF the most charming OF
the summer months. and Ned was with !
Nellie and they stood among he rosos +
of her fathers garden 4,
"Ifr-
,-~r iQvolv these rnsr- are, ta1
Ncd. as he watched Ncllie p.eA "a bud
from moss ruse bush
Had any une seen Ned az Tho mo-
meut be Spobe They would have had
serious Doubts If he saw ANYTHING he
fore hlve. but thu handsome face Of !!
Nellie
Gtere Is tradition. said Nellie
IN one OF the heather nations TN; =
.he -rQEn Of thorns our saviour wore
az the" crucidction was made ~ th,
rose hrier and that tho drop- ~ blood /,
that started under it fcu rs the ground /,
and blOssumcd into roses
The rose from talllest tires has
been regard d ..s tho symbol OF all thai
is sweet and lovely" said Ned As
spoke he looked meaningly an nellie |
and she crimsoned 10 the neck.
And its thorn replied Nellie. has |
been : symbol 10 remind man that |
,vcr parth's fairegt objects has dark |
stic, and that there is nothing so
bright and beautiful as not 10 be with !
ont alloy"
But the rose. Nellie. has ever been |
the symbol of beauty the prize OF vir
tue, the image OF pleasure innoceuc.
and youth continued Ned
They stood beside each other now
and above them were the branches ~ |
monster rose bush which had beer
lwincd 10 a trellis
Just then the fun moon. that for
few moments had been hid behind "a
cloud began 10 show above il. and
tingod the edge with silver light
How beautiful" said Nellie and
Ned who turned his eyes from the
noonlit cloud 10 Nellie's face. said.
Yes. il is beautiful
Nellie caught his glance and motto
ing its intentness. FLUSHED redder than
the roses that hung over her head
Both now were silent: each az thai
moment would have given worlds IN
have known the others thoughts
Nellie toyed ncrvously al the over
hanging rose bush and suddenly a
branch escaped from its fastenings and
dropped down; it was "A forked one
and IS il fell Nellie and Ned wer,-
caught between the two and they founf
themselves bound together II was n
easy task 10 unlock all the It'll
thorns that held them together. and IN
heir laughing efforts 10 extricatc
themselves from the net. their hands
frequently touched. and when the last |