Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1909-07-16
MY LADY OF
THE ROSES
~ ~ ~.
By Richard King

"Bewitching" Yes. that was the
word which best expressed her. BE
Absolutely betwitching"
Waving masses of nut-brown hair
held together Grecian fashion in bands
of gold and arranged becomingly with
all that apparent carelessness which
bespoke a first-rate coiffeur; pretty,
piquant, somewhat indefinite, features
set in face whose contour was per-
feet oval; the dearest little rosebud
mouth, all pouts and infectious laugh
ter.
AS it SO happened. the table where
she and her companion were seated
stood in close proximity to our own,
though from where l was sitting !
had an absolutely uninterrupted view
of them both, while Shiela, who was
with me, was placed with her back
turned towards them-which, after
all, was just as 1t should be, seeing
women never can understand these
things.
So, you see, was wise in not tell
ing Shiela anything about the lovely
creature sitting opposite me. For one
thing, because she would not have
understood, and for another thing, the
fair stranger and myself had carried
on our language-of-the-eye love affair
SO we'll that in spite of the distance
between us, and a huge bowl of Grim
son and white roses placed upon her
table nearly hiding her from my sight,
when she raised her glass of cham
payne to her lips she looked at me
lovingly over the brim and deliberate
ly smiled
The note l scrubbed to my lovely
vis-a-vis was the absurdest thing in
the world Yet now, as l look back
upon the incident, it strikes me as
being wonderfully discreet for a man
whose friends imagine his whole life
to be made up of blunders.
In the dead of night" wrote, "the
world is full of ghosts-restless be-
ings seeking happiness and repose.
Should there be hope for one of these
tonight, take from the bowl of roses
in front of you crimson rose; If,
however, there is no hope, then take
white one"
saw the waiter slip the note into
her lap. / saw her unfold 1t under
shadow of the table, and l saw her
| read it and double it up, slipping II
quickly into the jeweled satchel at
her side; and then, all on the tiptoe Of
excitement, l waited impatiently for
her to act as / desired. Yet, for a
long time, she did absolutely nothing
at all but look about her, and | was
in despair lest some wording of my
letter should have given offense
Then, suddenly, in a supremely quiet
way, as if the most natural thing In
the world, she stretched out her HAND
towards the roses in front of her. She
must have known that my eyes were
upon her devouring her every move
ment; she must have heard, too, tbs
beating of my heart, for she tantal
izingly played, first with a white rost
and then with a red one, until | could
have almost cried out in the agon,
of suspense. At last, just as the ten
sion was becoming well-nigh unbear
able, she suddenly broke off the red
dest among the red roses and fast
ened 1t carelessly to the front of he
corsage over her heart.
Then, indeed, was happy. Then
indeed, | felt at last that life wa
worth living, and that If this worlt
was not exactly as happy as heaven
1t at least had moments that all tn
pleasures of paradise could not SUI
pass.
In the middle of my perplexity
saw my lady of the roses and he
companion rise from their seats.
observed, too, the covert looks c
admiration that she excited anon
:. the onlookers by all the graceful SUI
pleness of her superb figure.
AS she moved forward, gatherin
= her beautiful wraps around her. on
eyes for one brief delirious momeI
met in perfect understanding. | sa
the beautifully-molded arm and IL
3 pearl-tipped fingers that so Ionged
grasp, and l saw, to my utter asto
{, ishment and dismay, that, as sh
d passed my table, she unpinned Il
d rose fastened to her corsage ar
g crumpled it up, disdainfully. seattle
ing its crimson petals at my feet.
r had hardly recovered from n
l. modification when, on looking up wi
d the greatest effort at complete ind
o ference have ever striven after in 4
r life, l found to my dismay, that t
4 lovely lady of the roses and her COZ
n panion had suddenly disappeared.
The only thing that anyone was al
a. to tell me was that they had bo
r casually entered the hotel, taken d
0. ner in the restaurant, and disappear
Ie directly afterward. Beyond that,
Is was enveloped in inpenetrable m!
e, terry. In fact, never saw either
ID them again, though it is true that
few days afterward, learned she b
5. returned the next day, asked Sol
ID leading questions concerning mys
IN from the manager of the hotel, a
e. had gone away again immediate
lie The only definite information tn
h could give me was that she had dr.
to en- up in magnificent motor car !