The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-08-03


Hol( down her work, and then
resumed her mending with a heavy
sigh. 1t was so terribly quiet outside
that it seemed as if the entire town
was wrapped in slumber from which
nothing would ever rouse it. But sud-
denly q flower seller commenced call
irg out. Real roses for sale, real roses
for sale" The BurSomaster's wife was
so pleased with this noise that she
leaned out of the window to have q
ascertain that, although he was good
distance down the street he seemed
TO be gradually working his way in
the direction of her home.
The BurgOmaSter Slouched into the
room; he was wearing large carpet
slippers that tried to fall off with every
step he took so he could not raise his
feet properly from the ground. He
had long pipe in his mouth at which
he slowly puffed, and he seemed to be
very stout and contented - as stout
and contented as a miller's cat, for
instance. He approached his wife and
patted her heavily on the shoulder.
Come, come, Martha" he said
gruffiy. You look sad again. What
is amiss now? Anything wrong with
the dinner:"
"Oh. William" sighed his wife,
'.have you forgotten that if we had
not lost our little ones they would
have been six years old to-day?"
Nay" said the Burgomaster, SOL
emnly scratching his head; Il remem-
ber well enough. The way they disap-
peared with their nurse that summers
afternoon has always puzzled me. Not
a sign. not a trace of them did we dis
cover after they started for that i'll
fated walk. But perhaps what hap
pened was all for the best"
''.All for the best. For shame, Will
Ham, cried Martha. Indignantly.
What mean you by thus speaking of
Il dread to think what their food,
let alone their schooling, would have
cost me-" he replied. "And then Gret-
chen, their nurse. too. What an ap-
petite she had! Her keep would have
ruined me entirely"
silence screamed his wife; "you
have always been close-fsted with
your money, but won't listen to your
grumbles any MORE" and she burst
into such an angry storm Of weeping
that her husbands mean heart was
touched.
do not cry so. my dear" he OBJ
jected, slowly. "See, to show you
! do not fear to spend my hard earned
gold, will buy you a pot of these
flowers the man in the street is sell
ing"
The Burgomaster's wife glanced out
of the window once more. and when |
she saw the rose bushes the man Of
fered for sale she longed to possess |
one: but her husband grumbled at the
exorbitant price when he heard it.
Il can't give that for a little rose
plant he protested; sit may die"
William" pleaded his wife, you |
promised to buy me one. l must have |
It."
"Nice little rose trees" urged the |
man, edging near the window. Pink |
and white buds in the same pot"
Then he lowered his voice and whis
pered to Martha:
''Lady, don't refuse them. These are
wonderful flowers, charged with magic. /
You could never guess what they rep
resent"
Aren't they roses?" she questioned !
in some surprise.
I'm truth they are now" he said. |
"But they will not always remain so. |
Lady, don't turn your back on your
future happiness. Take this one pot.
You will never regret it,
II will give you one s..ver piece for
them," said the Burgomaster, walking
away to fill his pipe. take my offer
or begone."
But the man still fingered TO dispute
the price, until he finally consented to
accept the silver piece the Burgomaster
offered him, augmented by pair Of
his wife's gold earrings as payment.
AS he handed the pot up to the win
dew he whispered to Martha. "These
are your children. You did well not to
refuse them. My master, who is
magician. charmed them away five
years ago, but now he wants money,
so they must be sold. l cannot tell
what strange shape he caused their
nurse to wear, but these pink and
white rcsebuds are your lost babes, /
can swear. Tend them carefully. good
mother, but do not divnlge the secret
1 have told you, otherwise my master
will whip me for not asking q greater
sum for them"
But the Burgomaster's wife held his
hand tightly as she took the pot from
him.
Tel ne what must do to remove
the spell over them" she entreated.
''See. here is another silver piece for
you
The magiclan's servant popped the
money in his wallet and then he shook
his head laughingly.
ASK the rain drops" he retorted as
he went away: task the rain drops"
For several days the BurgomaSter'S
wife tended her rosebuds with great
care. She was convinced they must be
her lost children laboring under
tprril,lo oncnantmnDt for averv MORN