Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-25
ROSE-ROYAL>.
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Malubone whistled as he laid down the
letter. then knit his brows thoughtfully Tor
the space of half minute. It was clerky
letter, indeed quite commercial In aspect
typewriter, without spot or biemisn, upon
decent plain, white paper, with date line'
but no address. Even the signature, Rose
Royal. was machine made. But that as
founded him far less than the contents OF
the sheets. He glanced at the envelope. II
matched the paper to q nicely. The ADDRESS
was typewriter, but the segregating PER
sonar' had been put on In bold DiacA
script, evidently by afterthought. The post
mark was so blurred he could make nothing
of It. but by the receiving stamp, which
was fairly legible, he made out that IT hao
come in ON an early morning train. Since 1t
had been written only the day before. the
writer must live reasonably close to the
city. ,.., IN.
Between the lines he caught subtiy. tne
Of afternoon tno n,scau t men
ton even Of when his own letter hao DeeN
received.
He had dispatched the letter in a sudden
exalted moment and thought OF u at.erm~ =
with sick qualms In between the quaims
there had been a quick and lively interest.
Would 1t be answered? Was there reaiiy
Rose-RoyaEa personality attuned TO the
verse whose cadences had seemed son sos tr,en
hard to keep himself out OF his note-to
make 1t frankly impersonal and Wnoiiy NJ
erary How i'll he had succeeded; this otner
letter bore witness: =.
said Evidently you believe in things SUI.
you must, to believe me poet In Enano
let me tell you. young sir. BELIEF Is horripiy
ble-which Elfiand refuses to know. More
over there ia another bar-you write OF your
'silvering temples'-which Is disingenuous.
all the epistle simply reeks with youth !
confess should be better pleased WIN u Il
It also reeked with youths fine enthusiasm
You try to be nicely critical-to render rea-
sons for the faith that Is in you, as II you
felt the faith needed apology and excuse.
mot so comes the true worshiper to the
shrine Confess, you wrote because you fan
cied that in the Elf-girl had painted my
own portrait. II only you had thought right.
But this is a world of contraries. On the
whole, though. l would not nave II otnel,
wise. The contraries are what give zest and
tang to living. Moreover. they redeem 80
much. Who of us would not accept the port
and semblance of cook along with the
true lyric touch? Mind-I am not saying l
am lowered with either. Imagination may
run riot as to my charms or my lacks. You
may even reason about me as it pleases you.
deducing from my pen-name. Dy neip o,
that wonderful rule OF contraries, that
am neither royal nor in the least a rose.
writer had genius for slipping lightly
from the general to the, individual. and
back again. But the dominant note was
a. calmly fiippant philosophy. wholly I'M
touched by sentiment, therefore wholly
apart from Rose-Royals verse. There was
further a suggestion of hnality. infinitely
calling.
name Of man had he been willing to let
the matter rest where it was. He would
write again-as before. through the maya
zine that was Rose-RoyaPs favorite me-
dunn of expression. But meantime he
would take counsel Of another women, the
gayest and simplest Of hearts among all
he knew.
He found her next day throned high in
a laden cherry tree. She pelted him furi-
of greeting. and showed no inclination to
come to his level.
You Gimp up-I can't climb down before
people," she said, rocking luxuriously on
her big. branchy bough. Besides: l really
are so bold and so saucy they snatch cher.
ries right from under my hand. Plaques!
They ought to be satisfied with those on
the far timber tips-the very best OF all.
the sweetest the npest-and clean out Of
my reach"
birds, like men, are lazy" Mallibone
said, scrambling awkwardly up the tree.
1.-The tip-cherries must be gathered flying
or not at all. 1t is lot easier to peck
from a comfortable perch. quite agree
with Master Red-Head." seating himself
as he spoke and beginning to devour the
blacklist fruit within reach.
The girl. Allison Muir. shook small,
stained fist at him, but her eyes twtnkied-
her mouth was full.
Aunt Jack was going to make me q
cherry cobbler," she said. trying to speak
mournfully. but now-there's no hope OF
cult and molasses. I tell you now. SO you
needn't stay to dinner-unless you want
to-"
II do want to stayI also want cherry
his straw hat Indeed, can't do with
out it," he went on, smiling. 1T is the one
possible refutation of your charge that !
am greedy pig. That absurd basket OF
to take Aunt Jack heaping hatful to help
1t out Hold tight. I'm after the -tip-top-
pers," scrambling higher as he spoke and
reaching far out to clutch boughs as yet
undespoiled.
they did not snap. Nov you pick the
cherries" he said, smiling down at Allison
The laden boughs waved invitingiy near
her head-in trice her basket was fuii yet
ripe fruit still cleaned thick on half the
You may have the rest" Allison said
sweetly. This basket won't hold another
cherry" a..
odd smile. He had been thinking how typi-
cal was his own action-nearly all his LIE
he had been asking Allison to pick meta
phorical cherries for him-the wonder was
that she had not rebelied earlier.
But he would not let her see that he
caught any other than a surface meaning
Holding fast to the bough with one hand, ne
balanced his inverted hat deftiy IN Dig
crotch and began to pile it with fruit. TO
Ali it entirely he had to reach for fresh
bough-a stubborn one that tugged against
him at the least ruff1e of wind In the Ell
fort to hold 1t steady he surged hard against
the main branch upon which he stood
The cherry tree had a trunk cleft IN three
at the bottom. Allison was perched upon
the stoutest Of the three main stems, MILL
bone on the weakest. But 1t would have
held him up safe but for the leverage and
the wind; together they broke it short on at
the cleft. With a slow sweeping swish y
went down. carrying Mallibone with 1t, and
slamming him against the earth so hard
that for an instant he lost his breath and
sense.
ho