The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-05-25

metic. so that 1t was quite lengthy and
iaborious piece of work for her to&calcu-
late that II she saved IL cents each of those
fourteen weeks, she would have s1.6S.
She had just flushed counting it up a
was correct, when her %neighbor, Mrs.
Wilkes. from the next room below in the
big tenement house, came in for their
usual evening chat. She was a thin, ner-
Vors looking little woman of middle age.
Neither her faded crap hairEnor her dress
was tidy. She was q strong contrast to
Mrs. Pell, who was always neat and clean;
She was nue. older than Mrs. Wilkes,
too
Most of Mrs. Pe!!,s days we're spent III
Office cleaning, while Mrs. Wilkes time
was we'll filled with washing and iron
ing.
After they had exchanged their news
of the day, Mrs. Pell said: Would you
think that a body could get a nice lot
of flowers for one dollar and sixty-eight
cents?"
Sure and Id think that a lot OF
money to be spendin' in such a way"
answered Mrs. Wilkes, with a look Of
surprise on her weather-beaten face.
I'd like it to me more" eturned Mrs.
Pell, but not a cent more than y cents
a week can l spare"
I'm sure I'm not KNOWN what your
talkin' about" said Mrs, Wilkes, the sur
prise in her face increasing.
'.Ill be teIlin' you. It's for the graves
on Decoration day. I've just set my heart
on coverin' EN- with flowers this year.
I've been wantin' TO do it every year. but
somethin' always happened to prevent.
But this year, they're goin' to be there"
OH" calculated Mrs. Wilkes.
Yes" went on Mrs. Pell, I'm feelin'
sure there'll be nothin' to prevent this
year. And it's white roses 1 want. Teddy
was crazy after EN-
She rocked her chair, and hid her face
In her blue Bingham apron.
Mrs. Wilkes could not enter very deep
ly into her friends feelings. She had
never had any children, and her husband
had been lost at sea so many years before
that he was now but a dim memory be-
Sides, he had never in life given her any
reason to mourn his loss.
But she kept respectfully silent until
Then she said: whit roses is nice.
You ought to be gettin' a lot for 50
much money"
Mrs. Pei! shook her head. ct don't
know. Flowers is dear
Mrs. Pell carefully put aside - cents
each week from her meager earnings.
Every time that she passed a florists
WlHuO" on icI Way 70 WORK., she WOulu
S tp and look at the flowers displayed,
and try to decide which window contained
the most beautiful white roses. For 1
must get the finest to be had," she would
think.
The prospect of buying those flowers
often formed the subject OF her chats
with Mrs. Wilkes.
To the latter $1.6S seemed an enor-
nous sum to spend in any such "a way.
g. Re sire that Won pet the worth of
your money" she would say.
They've got to be fine Ones Mrs.
Pcll would answer.
Spring had been long in coming that
year, and it was late in May before
the garden roses began to show their
colors. Mrs. Pell had few opportunities
of seeing any of these, the tenement in
which she lived being in a district where
there was not enough earth room for a
blade of grass to grow. Mrs. Pell, like
many of her ~reighbors, had a few pots
Of geraniums on her window stills, but they
were not luxuriant in growth. The air,
close and sunless, was not conducive to
Horticulture. Mrs. Pell had once tried to
raise a white rose, but it had died an early
death.
Then her walks to and from her work
were not III thr resident part of the city.
But on Sundays, when she was not
too tired, she vent to church. Her way
thither led past many beautiful gardens.
One of them she particularly admired. 1t
was a large, old-fashioncd garden sur
rounding a beautiful old house. There
were roses and roses. Roses climbing over
! t~rellises, and clambering about the broad
veranda which ran along the side of the
house. .
They were just such roses as had grown
| about the little country home to which
she had gone as a bride. says the Chicago
"a -, J-tn e,,I, re yJ,n,, +nDly l,n,,
back 10 the days when she had been SO
happy.
Then had come the dark time when her
husband had returned from the war with
broken health. To mend their fortunes
they had come to the city. But things had
gotten worse. Her husband had soon died.
She and Teddy had struggled alone. She
had looked forward to the day when
Teddy would be taking care Of her, for he
was a good boy. But he had been laid be-
side his father eight years ago. How he
had loved those roses. He had often
said that he would have a garden full OF
them when he was man. He would he
a man now if he were living.
The Sunday before Decoration Mrs. Pell
went to church and returned by way of
her favorite garden. She stopped to look
at the white roses. There were such guam
titles of them. The air was filled with
their fragrance. How she wished that she
could have enough of them to cover her
gravesi Somehow, they seemed swecter
than the flowers at the florists.
The day before Decora ton day came.
Mrs. Pell had gone much sooner than US
ual to her work, and by, hurrying a great
deal, had been able to return home at
instead of 6, her usual hour.
1t was her plan to put on her best clothes
and then go TO the florists and Select and
order her flowers. She would call for
them early the next morning, and a
them to the cemetery. The day was to be
a holiday.
She had just unlocked her door. and
el.tered her room, when Mrs. Wilkes came
in. Her eyes were swollen from crying.
Sure, and what's the matter?" cried
Mrs. Pell.
Its Sail. She's sick, and going to die.
The woman that's been takin' care of her
wrote to tell me. And she wants to see me
once more"
Well, sure and you'll be agoin'," said
Mrs. Pell.
Mrs. Wilkes burst into tears. "Its that
I'm feelin' SO bad about. 1t costs So to
so, and me with nothin' but $1.5O to my
name. You see, 1 paid the rent two days
ago. And not one uf the neighbors with
a cent to lend me-
and it's too bad, it IS" calculated Mrs.
Pell. feelingly.