Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-05-20
In the Rose
Garden.
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.
Copyrighted. 1909, by Associated
Literary Press.
By VIRGINIA BLAIR.


his sermon in the darkness Of his
study, beheld from the window some
thing white moving in his garden.
AS the Rev Beverlys garden was a
vegetable garden, he thought fearfully
Of something sinfully trampling on his
succuleDt salads, and he rose hastily.
Standing just behind the window shut
ter, he decided, however, that a horse
would be shorter, a 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.
Hum" 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 it had not
| taken him many moments to decide
| that the spOiler of his garden was
woman.
"But why"-he debated the next
night as he finished his sermon-"why
should a woman steal-a lady, l 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 q
patch Of white at the end Of the gar
| den. Breathless he watched, and closer
| and closer came the ghOstly figure I'M
til it stood just beneath his window.
! Then a voice said, 81 have come to
pay you for the vegetables"
"Ohr' His usual readiness of speech
had fOrsaken the clergyman. ooh, |
| beg your pardon!'
"NO, you needn't beg It," the voice
said again. Il picked some lettuce
and things last night, and here is the
money. 1t wasn't very conventional
way to go to market, but we wanted
q salad, and
The Rev. Beverly, peering over the
sill, caught the sparkle in her eyes as
| she made her half apology.
you needed your salad late" he
said dryly.
"Ah"-her little laugh rippled out
''think of my predicament! Some peo-
pie came from the city hungry, and
| there was nothing in the house but
eggs. You see, am such q 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 OmeIet l flew into your garden
and-and flew back and no one was
| the wiser"
Il saw YOU" the Rev. Beverly in
| formed her, land 1 thought you were
a thief"
OH There was a little gasp. at
! did look like it, didn't it? But, you
see 1 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"
ooh, but you must'-there was a
note of alarm in her voice-"because
l 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 a rose from
your garden" he said.
why don't you have roses of your
own?" she demanded.
He sighed. Il hardly dare allow
myself the luxury. 1t is cheaper to
raise ones vegetables than to buy
them, and a clergyman in a small town
has to think of expenses"
Il suppose" doubtfully, that 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 l come over some time and
walk with you in your rose garden"
he asked.
Come now" was the quick re-
spouse.
He went, and it was the beginning
of friendship.
He is lovely" Constance cOnfded to
her aunt, who had come up to her
nieces 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 q city
| charge where he could get much more
money"
| Constance" her aunt warned, don't
! get romantic over a country parson."
He has the dearest little cottage"
! Constance unused, with vegetable
garden. He sends over tomatoes and
parsley, and I put roses in his button
/ hole. It's very interesting" she sighed.
1T 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
reu Oimstead."
"Constance'S eyes flashed. 'I can
too! If don't marry Warren, I mere
Iy lose my inheritance. / don't deny
! that | love this old house, Aunt Anne.
/ r