The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-05-20
3 elect Stnrp.
THE MYSTERY OF THE ROSES.

I
Dorothy threw open the widow and
looked out la the night a fairy snow
storm had slipped its icy moorings and
drifted down into Southern spring The
long cotton rows, bare aud brown only
yesterday, were white this morning with
new and glistening harvest. Upon the
enonymus hedge that shut Miss Ianthe's
garden in lay wonderful tracery Of lace
work Little feathery wreaths and airy
festoons covered the dark green magnolias
and plumy cedars The green aud purple
| violet borders were fiecked with shining
white In their sheltered corner the
early jonquils shook defiant trumpets in the
wind that had come with the runaway
snowstorm The birds were singing and
the sun, peeping over the rim at purple
pines, shone brightly
Miss Ianthe sat shiyering before the
fire. She was fair, faded little woman,
dainty as a Dresden figure and softly pink
and white like a long treasured rose. Her
gown was gray and she suggested some
precious thing done up in lavender and
laid away from common everyday use.
The soft lace at her throat was held in
place BY delicate miniature, aud every
body who knew Miss Ianthe knew also the
history of the young lover who had died
after the wedding supper was ready. His
bright, boyish face in its frame of gold was
Miss Ianthe's dearest treasure.
1T looks like big, lacy valentine out
there, Dolly, Miss Ianthe said.
Dorothy laughed Valentines were not
ia her line She was busy, independent
bachelor maid who clicked off business let
tiers over in city Office Her youth
seemed very long way from Miss Ianthe' :.
The one had been full Of romance and sen
timent, the other was crowded with bust
meas and hSrd work
IT. certainly very beautiful, but won t
1t spoil the early strawberries and make
your rheumatism worse?
Miss ISnthe sighed She was not able
to understand Dolly. 'Tryphenie shouldn' t
have troubled you about the rheumatism.
You needn't have come out last night
Not but what am glad to have you an
extra day. Dolly, and this day in par;icu-
lar; always have kept 1t. Valentine rs
holiday, you know IL was to have
been my wedding day. lm glad 10 have
you out today
Dorothy turned fr,sn the window, laugh
ing at the sweet, troubled old face She
was bright and strong. with a hoe dark
face and wavy black hair With red and
brown dashes in it. Her bps were sweet
and red, and her eyes soft and blue under
long ruTlei lashes that east enhancing
shadows in them,
II M not very sure that you are glad,
auniy, but TTyphenie was right. for have
been negiectfnl. | haven't noticed that
you are not So well, hurrying cut As | 10
on Saturday aud running away 81 early
Monday mornings Yoa see 4 business
woman gets TO be ike business man,
very undergraduate - Dorothy's eoaiempt
foF mankind was no seere, among her
friends Again Miss lAnthe sighed.
There hash beeh anything 20 notice,
Dolly Yea mus, know that an grow
ing older. that Is all The little pain IS
nothing. You aust not listen 10 Tryphe-
ME
Al the back Of the pretty room Try
picnic Gathered the breakfast dl.hes sharp
| IL. Tryphenie vas frecklcd and ercss-
eyed her hair was nd aud her toes surued
IN. but she owned Miss Ianihe debt Of
gratitude, aud she paid il hourly with
wOrshipful hove and joyful service
1t wasn altogether the rheumatism,
Miss Dolly, rryphenle said, when, IN
answer to the postman whistle. Miss
Ianthe had hurried To the door. Dorothy
heard the click Of the tiny high heels in
the old hall
What was il thea, Tryphenie2'
Tryphenie shook her head grsvely ut
ism [ as It you hadn't an eve in your head,
Miss Dolly. She paler aud thinner an
I'm afraid she must be fadin away. or 1t
may be rheumatism
'.Auuty has been too much alone out
here all the winter The spring viii change
all that, and it comes 80 quickly, once 1t
begins There'll be the garden, and
friends driving out from town. The VII
lage viii wake with the spring, and We
must see that she gets cut more. Dor
othy vent back 10 the window. The
suns spelling snnty's valentine, she
laughed The snow was melting and lit
tie diseonsolate drops were falling from
,wig and leaf The wind had seurried
away. "Well, it's very Ike love story
this is the usual ending and look that
vas much too wise and old for the young
face settled down upon it with the air Of
being very much at home.
Tryphepie was folding the tableelOth
with elaborate care. She had been ON the
outer edge of Dolly's romance, and in Sc
cret and openly she had grieved over the
going of the only lover the girl had ever
consented to look upon with any degree OF
favor But Tryphenie was afraid of Dolly
when she wore the look Of age and wisdom
that came so readily, and so she was silent.
sTryphenie, what is it? You haven
said what you meant to. | heard aunty 5
door shut, she is not coming back. Tell
me why YOU sent for me last night. -
Tryphenie brushed speck of dust from
] tue SHINING tdoic. iiCt ASSNfON Nh0NNs
flushed and paled. Her hands were un-
steady. Il have been wonderin Miss
Dolly, there's never any aeeountin fol-
such things, never at all, an I've been
wonder Tiff Miss Ianthe mightn be
: in love-
Dolly laughed merily. "What an at
mosphere of romance you live in down
here! In lover Why ITyphenie, aunty
: would be much displeased if she knew that
you said that.
Tryphenie twisted the hem of her apron.
II don mean to be disrespecttul to her
, memories, Miss Dolly, nor impertinent to
r her. but it ism as if there wasn't signs.
"You are all wrong, Tryphenie, and
YOU must never think of that 1t is ride
ulous. besides being wicked You know
| that aunty had lover long ago, before
was born-before you came to Greenhelds
He died, and our women love only once.
, All other men have been as shadows to
, aunty. She wears his picture always.
You love her, Tryphenie, and that 5 why
YOU must think of all this and help me TO
b find out what is the matter