The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-06-15
In the Rose
Garden.
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.
Copyrighted, 1903. by Associated
Literary Press.
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.


III Literary Press. II
1t was on the third night of the new
moon that Beverly Alden, musing on
his sermon in the darkness of his
study, beheld from the window some
thing white moving in his garden.
AS the Rev. BeveFly's garden was
vegetable garden, he thought fearfully
of something sinfully trampling on his
succulent salads, and he rose hastily.
Standing just behind the window shut
ter, he decided, however, that a horse
would be shorter, dog taller, and he
did not believe in ghosts.
He went into the hall, took his hat
from the rack and stepped softly over
the threshold.
As his footsteps sounded on the
gravel of the path the white object
moved from the middle of the garden
and fed. He heard the click of the
! gate and then silence.
"Humv' unused the Rev. Beverly
and bent over his lettuce bed. "a
thief" he said as he Strengthened up
The next morning a fuller investiga-
ton showed that there had been depre-
dations of onions and radishes. But
the minister said nothing to his house
keeper. Common thieves did not come
CARRIED in white, nor were they Of slen-
der outline and graceful.
The Rev Beverly had no unusual
powers Of penetration, but 1t bad not
taken him many moments to decide
that the spoiler of his garden was a
woman.
'sBut why"-he debated the next
night as he finished his sermon-"why
should a woman steal-a lady, am
sure, by the grace Of her carriage
why should she steal my little onions
and my lettuce?"
But all the wisdom OF the Scriptures
| did not answer his question. And after
his sermon was finished he again
| turned out his light and sat in the
darkness of his study.
And again, as he unused, he saw a
! patch of white at the end Of the gar
! den. Breathless he watched, and closer
and closer came the ghostly figure I'M
| til 1t stood just beneath his window.
Then a voice said, II have come to
pay you for the vegetables"
"Ohv' His usual readiness Of speech
had forsaken the clergyman. "Oh, I
beg your pardonr'
mo, you needn't beg It," the voice
said again. 81 picked some lettuce
and things last night, and here is the
money. 1t wasn't a very conventional
way to go to market, but we wanted
salad. and"-
The Rev. Beverly, peering over the
sill, caught the sparkle in her eyes as
she made her half apology.
'sYou needed your salad late" he
said dryly.
"Ah"-her little laugh rippled out
"think of my predicamentI Some peo-
pie came from the city hungry, and
there was nothing in the house but
eggs. You see, am such new house
keeper-we came only yesterday-and
Susanna, my maid, forgets to tell me
when things are out, and the shops
are so far away-so, while she made
an omelet l few into your garden
and-and flew back and no one was
the wiser"
Il saw you" the Rev. Beverly In
formed her, "and 1 thought you were
a thief"
"Ohr' There was a little gasp. ut
did look like it, didn't it? But, you
see, have brought the money" And
the silver glittered on the sill as she
spread it out before him.
NO" the Rev. Beverly protested;
"you are perfectly welcome to any
thing you care to take"
"Oh, but you must"-there was a
note Of alarm in her voice-"because
/ should feel as If l had stolen If am
not allowed to pay"
He was smiling down at her. "You
can pay me by giving me rose from
your garden he said.
"Why don't you have roses of your
own?' she demanded.
He sighed. II hardly dare allow
myself the luxury. 1t is cheaper to
raise ones vegetables than to buy
them, and a clergyman in small town
has to think Of expenses"
81 suppose" doubtfully, chat your
salary is not large"
mo, but there are donations" His
eyes twinkled.
"Such as roses?" She was laughing
up at him. The moonlight touched her
hair with gold The pulses Of the Rev.
Beverly began to beat.
MAY 1 come over some time and
walk with you in your rose garden y
he asked.
"Come now" was the quick re-
Spouse.
He went, and 1t was the beginning
of friendship.
"He is lovely" Constance confded to
her aunt, who had come up to her
niece's colonial mansion for the pur-
poses of chaperonage. And he's here
in this little town because he feels that
he is needed more than in city
charge where he could get much more
money"
Constance her aunt warned, don't
get romantic over country parson."
"He has the dearest little cottage, y
Constance unused, with a vegetable
garden. He sends over tomatoes and
parsley, and put roses in his button
hole. It's very interesting" she sighed
cit may be tragic for him."
"Why?"
'If you make him love you-what
them
"Well?' Constance's tone was defiant
"You can't marry any one but War
rem Olmstead."
"Constance's eyes flashed. II car
too! If l don't marry Warren, l mere
" lose my inheritance. 1 don't deny
that love this old house, Aunt Anne
But did 1t ever occur to you that
might prefer man to a fortuneT
"You would miss the fortune" wal
the quiet answer. "You were not
made for love in cottage. Con
stance"
But Constance was down the path
She bent over pink rose bush and
picked bud just as the Rev. Beverly
, Alden came in.
"'Roses red and violets blue, =" she
quoted. "Can you tell me the rest Of
itY
"Tf you love me as love you" He
hesitated. 'You mustn't make me say
such things"
oee