The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-07-07


~ol down her work, and then
resumed her mending with a heavy
sigh. IL was so terribly quiet outside
that ii seemed rs If the entire town
was wrapped in siumber from which
nothing would ever rouse it, But sud
denly flower seller commenced call
ing out. Real roses for sale, real roses
for sale" The Burgomaster's wife was
so pleased with this noise that she
leaned out OF the window 10 have n
look at the man, and she was glad "a
ascertain that although he was n good
distance down the street, he seemed
60 be gradually working his way In
,he direction OF her home.
The Burgomaster slouched into the
room; he was wearing large carpet
slippers that tried to fall of with every
step he took, so he could not raise his
feet properly from the ground. He
had long pipe in his mouth nj which
he slowly puffed, and he seemed TO be
very stout and contented - as stout
and contented as millcr's cat, for
instance. lie approached his wife and
patted her heavily on the shoulder.
"Come, come, Martha" he said
grufiiy. you look sad again. What
Is amss now? Anything wrong with
the dinner"
ooh, william" sighed his wife,
"have you forgotten that if we had
mot lost our little ones they would
have been six years old to-dayW
"Nay," said the Burgomaster, sol
cmnly scratching his head IL rcmcm-
Der well enough. The way they disap-
peared with their nurse that summers s
afternoon has always puzzled me. Not
n sign. not 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, vii
liamw cried Martha, Indignantly.
"What mean you by thus speaking Of
your own flesh and blood? For shame"
81 dread 10 think what their food,
let alone their schooling, would have
cost me-" he replied And then Grct-
chen, their nurse. too What an np-
petite she had Her keep would have
ruined me entirely"
"Silencer 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 oh
jected, slowly. see, 10 show you
I do not fear 10 spend my hard earned
gold, l will buy you 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
fcrcd for sale she longed to possess
one, but her husband grumbled at the
exorbtant price when he heard II.
81 can't give that for n little rose
plant" he protested; "it may die"
william" pleaded his wife, "you
promised to buy me one. must have
it,"
"Nice little rose trees" urged the
man, edging near the window. Pink
and white buds in the same pot" 4"
Then he lowered his voice and whs-
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 roscs?" she questioned
In some surprise.
"ln truth they are now" he said.
But they will not always remain so.
Lady, don't turn your back on your
future happiness Take :his one pot.
You will never regret it,"
Il will give you one s..vcr piece for
them" said the Burgomaster. walking
away to fill his pipe, Take my offer
or begonc."
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 10 the win
dow he whispered to Martha. "These
are your children. You did well not 10
refuse them. My master, who is n
magician. charmed them away five
years ago, but now he wants money.
so they must be sold. | cannot tell
what strange shape he caused their
nurse TO wear, but these pink and
white rosebuds are your lost babes. |
can swear. -4'cnd them carefully. good
mother, but do not divulge the secret
1 have told you, otherwise. my master
will whip me for not asking greater
sum for them"
But the Burgoma ster's wife held his
hand tightly as she took the pot from
him.
Tell me what | must do 10 remove
the spell over them" she entreated
See. here is another silver piece for
you"
The magician's servant popped the
money in his wallet and then hc SHOOK
his head laughingly.
ASK the rain drops" he retorted n.
he went away; "ask the rain drops"
For several days the Burgomaster'
wife tended her rosebuds with grea,
care. She was convinced they mus; b,
her lost children laborng under {
terrible enchantment. Cor every morn
ing and evening. when she waterp,
thcm. the two little rosebuds woul,
bend forward and bob their soft pe
tails against her cheek as though the,
wanted TO kiss her, and once she fel
sure she heard them sigh as she talLe,
"a them