The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-04-14

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8H.u H. had =1lcEeyi 5elg black
cigar Join DunEa slunseel into
tha reEt err sl5ur tise ls1ld5e u
tie aisle b. stepped ss,de-lE at q
. quick exchElEt6l
Why. MT. DEuiam
He lOsEei do-n ard say, with au-
parent surprise Rose Carroll blush
ing aui smiling, He reunTed h.s hzI
bat lie u 10 e70-z 70 take TIE seat
whicf. ale lad CLEARED f1E him beside
her.
Mss Carroll. 81 tlis Is y9ur train
-lg7r pleasant. Lovely day, isn't IN
Wont gga zi- lguEs she asked
q lftrla -lmllly. AID Le did and went
( Oh talking 20 care.e-.y and jet 80
masuluEsy, 70 UFig11ly and srll 50
seriously. that Il seemed TO her bug
a moment " two before be looked
. from tie window and stood ug. Draw
Ing a slender paErel from his pocket
be unwTapped Z single. l1lg sIemmed
pink rose
I must get Of here II order 70 get
bacE 10 al important case with your
father. only got OF 70 tell you
e01dby. Didn't want 70 interfere
. with SIayue At the srailin can't
! compete with this floral generosity.
and he laid the rose III hsE lap but
Z this Is 70 remind ygG that some day
. l shall JEiug ygu that reI rose He
was gone. without touching her hand
. in farewell She sat sLng-E.e4se,i-
( astDllshed, half angry, but completely
interested She looked st the pink
rose. Then she tossed TIE carnations
from the window and wondered how
. ia the world John Durham bad man
( aged TO obtain her promise 10 answer
{ his letters.
! Thereafter Durham wrote Ler-ugs
{ regularly, but when the fancy seemed
7 % seize hiu-EhiI1sicaI vigorous. Joy
I ful, masculine letters. whClesgmely
! free from all lJveLlaaiEg- She an
( swereI. and. sometimes when Le was
very busy he called her ~ On the
( long distance phone IL lieu Of q let
I ter. Meantime 5Iayue had sent bush
{ els Of flowers lad written ponderOuS-
I iy sentimental epistles and heayei
many ponler5us signs. Twice he lad
[ gone 70 see his divinity and On his
( last call her lack Of Interest in his
I elaborate mention Of Durham raised
[ suspicion in his slow but reieutlessly
logical mind On his return he saun-
tered into Dunham's Office.
Morning, old man"
Morning, Mayne. Enjoy your VS.
IT, How the deuce did Durham know
he'd been away: 8layue hazarded a
guess.
Yes, called on Miss Carroll Write
to her, don't your Taken on guard,
Durham admitted the soft lmpeach-
mcut and was instantly sorry. Wayne
laughed with unctuoGs amusement
Thought you were too astute for
that Bet she's got you going-has
NE. Strinsing you for all she's worth.
Practlced hand Great girl-nO end
popular Knows how 10 do it, Miss
. Carroll" Dunham's anger rose. but
be answered 'careIessly:
Look to yourself, Mayne. Guess
can take care Of Johnny" But after
Mayne went the tide Of his anger
surged toward Rose Carroll. When
be could stand it no longer be went
To the phone, closing the door Of the
inner Office, and called up st. Louis
and Miss Carroll After an hours de-
( lay he got her and went straight to
the point
That you, Miss CarrolIf Know who
this is: Yes. Lovely spring day! l
want to ask you something. Forgive
my bluntness, but l must know. Miss
/ Carroll. fl your letters and all have
you meant everything or have you
been playing with meT' a long pause,
while he listened intently.
mo, did not think sol simply ask
ed. have not the time nor the tenn
per to play You viii forgive me for
asking you? No can't tell you what
made NE think Of such a thing. Yes,
some day will. Certainly believe
you! What: May l? May l come
this week: OF course l want to, But
l can't reach you till Saturday even
ing and will have TO start back Sunday
morning. It's a long way, and connec-
tons are bad. All right-goOdby-till
Saturday.
At / In the afternoon Of June John
Durham stepped from his train at st.
Louis and went to a hotel to get rid
Of his travel stains and appease his
hunger.
About Z be emerged faultlessly at
tired, visited a florist and took a cab to
I Dean Carrol's stately old home.
Rose came to him in the dim candle
light Of the library, a vision in SHIN
mering gray. He had intended meet
ing her in his usual easy way, but the
clamor Of his heart and the wine Of a
certain proud yielding in the glance Of
her blue eyes swept him into speech
lessness. He stood long looking at her.
her hand still In his. Then he dropped
the small hand back at her side and
strobe out into the hall.
In a moment he came back and clasp
ed her warm little fingers about the
stem Of glowing red rose.
"The red rose" he said simply-"the
time for 1t is now, isn't it," he ques-
toned quietly, stepping back with his
arms straight at his side to look at her.
Isn't 1t time, dear?" he insisted
yes" she murmured. TT And as
she did not finish, with a sudden long
ing he held out both his hands to her.
Twill you come, RoseT With the
pride of small queen, Rose Carroll
laid her two hands in his.