The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-12-19
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A HOT-HOUSE ROSE
tcopyrigh.. Ford Pub. Cob

| THAT cared?r Her lovely eyes met
| his candidIy. And now you think I
was wantonIy cruel--that l enjoyed
tormenting him! All. don't you seer
Obviously he did not.
She went on slowly, regarding a
point in space somewhere among the
palm leaves. rs it impossible that
should have had game ofmy own to
play? Perhaps overlooked Carleton
Vennor in thinking of-some one else.
What else can girl do? Perhaps I
cared-was trying to piQue-some
other mani"
Her eyes had dropped, her breath
came quick, the color waved In her
cheek. You hold yourself very clean.
Mr.. Henning!"
She sent the words with bewilder-
ing glance instantly tangled In falling
lashes. The lost boy had rayed about
the language of her eyelids. They
breathed to Henning now an unlocked
for world of batteries. impossible, In
toxicating, exquisite. The air be-
tween them thickened with meanings,
through which the rose In her fingers
trembled voluptuously.
81 am admiring your beautiful diar
mond." observed Henning. crudely.
She started, shivered. passed grace
fully to the top OF another mood. She
lifted her hand. turning it slightly to
let the jewel fash.
"Oh. yes, naturally" she said. calm
ly. 'One runs the race that is set
before one; one tries to attain the
prize all the others are trying for:
and one enjoys ones triumph! Natur.
ally"
Naturally" Henning echoed. Gym
ically.
Miss vandeleur turned and faced
him. The movement gave her an
odd effect of thrusting aside the lures
of beauty and sex. There was pride
in her face and appeal and something
else.
Suppose you were girl. Mr.. Hen
from your cradle. Suppose you saw
that-the power of charming men-as
the one dazzling career open to you:
and were trained for it from your first
conscious breath. Grant that you
came to believe yourself rather well
endowed by nature for your manifest
destiny; and that the only wise thing
you ever learned was to keep your
own head while you turned others.
Well. would all this preclude you from
wanting sometimes, in some moods. to
be--different?
There was no answer; she did not
wait for one. but caught up her plea
again.
"Oh, it's all true! All the bad things
you would like to say about me. Mr.
Henning, ii You were not trying TO be
polite. I'm as artificial a creature as
this rose. Just as forced, as I'M
natural. created to adorn an insincere
and heartless society! Well, you have
had the property. Mr.. Henning. OF
making me wish-now and then--to
be-diferent,"
Henning stood silent. visibly dis
concerted.
Miss vandeleur drew a long breath.
shrugged her shoulders and returned
to her former attitude.
You were speaking of my engage
ment," she said. sweetly. Don't you
think Arthur-Lord StaEhope-de
Hghtful? am sure we shall be very
happy. AS happy as you win be with
Mary dillingham;"
4 Henning flushed angrily.
IF you have believed any gossip
about Miss Allingham and myself you
have done so without warrant" he
said, f1ercely.
He felt that his wrath was unrea,
sonable, but he felt 1t. How dared she
include Mary Allingham's name in her
insolent bracketings?
The dance is over" she exclaimed.
How fortunate. for we we're just be-
ginning to be dull, All, here Is Ar.
thur! Mr.. Henning. think some one
is looking for You over by the music
room door,"
Henning's glance searched the
crowd for a girl he knew. It found
her and frightened as he followed.
And she wore white rose in her hair.
garden rose. frank-petaled and m
grant and golden-hearted.
At the end of the evening, as Hen,
ming hurried across the emptyins
rooms, the white rose In his hand and
content in his heart, his foot stumbled
over some inconspicuous object on the
door. 1t was long-stemmed crimson
rose. fits backroliing petal edges, I'm
curve and color and texture, q dream
of the lips of love. He picked It up on
an impulse and stood regarding curl
ously its languorous, high-bred self.
consciousness. its delicate frailty al
ready touched with soil and bruise
Some deep fiber ct manhood stirred In
him. After all. dollhouse rose IL YET