Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-02-15
Felicity and the.
Rose Tree
By JEAN coUR'-zNAY
tcOpyright, 1905, by Joseph b Bowles.l

udhVullS Win WHICH SuS WAS uilluB luS
basket and sped quickly towards the
house.
"Coming, darlingl" she cried.
AS she reached the wide porch she
almost ran into the arms of a man
who laughingly barred the way.
''Please do not detain me, Nor
daunt," she exclaimed, impatiently.
Mother is calling me-"
you are an ideal daughter, Felici-
ty," he replied, stepping aside.
She flushed family, as IL reading an
implied reproach in his quiet words,
and said, almost dehantly:
But fail as a wife. Is that what
you meant, Mordaunt?"
"Your perfect fulfillment Of one
duty, dear, need surely cast no blame
upon the other" said her husband,
meeting her defiant look with steadfast
tenderness.
"Yet you are not satisfied with me?"
81 admire her daughter" he said,
with shade of bitterness, but 1 long
for my wife"
"She is my motherl" she interrupt
ed, haughtily, then almost in a whis-
per added: And you knew made
no pretense."
Again the invalid's voice was heard:
Felicity! Where are you?"
In an instant she was gone, and her
husband, with smothered sigh, went
into the garden.
God grant it was not a hopeless
mistake!" he murmured, as he stood
eying with dissatisfaction small rose
bush near the porch. II did it with
full knowledge Of her Indifference. I
knew, as she said Just now. She was
perfectly frank, as she always is. Her
mother was her one thought; her com.
fort the one object Of Felicity's exist
ence. And / tempted her with the
Injuries and alterations my wealth
would procure for that beloved parent
till she consented to marry me. rnat's
Just about how the matter stood a
year ago-and now? We are as much
strangers as we were then. She or.
ders my house and servants, plays an
enchanting hostess to my guests, is a
devoted nurse as well as daughter to
her mother (who is fading away not
withstanding all her care, and in spite
of her sacrifice) and neglects not one
iota of her duties, save that trouble.
some and superhuous being-her hus-
band"
He laughed half scornfully as he
carefUtlyremoved some green fly from
the sickly rose bush and examined its
leafless branches. Getting up from
his close inspection of the plant, he
brought a can of water and gave it to
the almost Understanding rosebush.
Never say die must be my motto, "
he unused.
'Wnat do you find so absorbing in
that dead rose tree, Mordaunt?"
His wife's politely frigid tones sud,
denly startled him from his soliloquiz
Ing. '..
ITS not dead yet, dear Then after
a moments pause: do you know
what rose it is?"
Not in the least. Tell me?"
IL planted it soon after we were
engaged" he said, slowly. 81 hoped II
would have taken root here and flour.
ished. 1 pictured it wealth of fra,
grant flowers showering their sweet
ness upon me in answer to my love
and care. Look at it! Leafiess, flower.
less; just alive and nothing more-re
fusing to be reconciled to its lot"
you are quite poetical over it,
laughed his wife. at doesn't look
worth troubling about to me. Why
don't you give it up?"
'I shall never do that as long as
live" replied her husband, almost for
getting in his earnestness the type OF
it's prototype. II shall never lose hope
while one spark of life remains in it
that one day it may yet bloom and bC
happy"
"And its name? You have not vel
enlightened my ignorance on thai
point"
"Its name is-'Fellcite Perpetuelle.'
She started, and her face grew het;
then, as quickly, the blood receded
leaving it whittier and colder than be
fore. tr
''You are, l. fear" she hesitated.
"Well? Won't you finish your sen
tence?"
Her husband stopped towards her
and for the first time she noticed tht
deep sadness of his face; the threads
of silver that had surely not beer
present in his dark hair year ago
And a wave Of pity surged up within
her for this man with his unfailinl
kindness, his urceasing devotion
towards her-who gave him nothing.
The feeling seemed to stihe her, and
slow tears gathered in her dark eyes
Her husband saw them, and they CAV,
him courage to draw her slim figure
within his arm as he bent his heat
still nearer to hers and whispered:
''Tell me- Felicity2p
II was only going to say zthat-ii
doesn't look hopeful, jI'm afraId.9
.Il,,t annaara neaa ara dacaiteif