The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-17
THE EVENING STORY
A Garden of Roses.
(By Martha Cobb sanford.)

Inc tea garden" had hourished
from the moment the idea of it had
entered Natalie's pretty blonde head
NO tourist visiting this sunny southern
spot would have thought of leaving it
without slipping his favorite brand at
least once out of the old-fashioned
| Sheldon china.
There were many who continued to
come day after day who were really
not tea-drinkers at all-only wicked
| pretenders. 1t is to be suspected that
they found their refreshment in
as she sat behind the tall antique Sill
yer service, under the rose-covered
pergola leading into the garden.
Among the pretenders, as any one
| in Bellair could have told you, were
| Dwight Ellsworth and the major.
| Dwight would never forget (and for
| that matter. neither would Natalie)
the day he and his father had brought
| their big dusty machine to a halt un-
der the quaint little sign of the "tea
| garden"
| Natalie herself all fresh, crushable
pinkness from the tip of her aristo-
| cratic little ears to the train of her
gown, had answered the tinkling bell.
| Could they be served to tea, perhaps ?
The men managed to stammer it
| simultaneously. Most certainly they
| could-and would they follow Natalie
| Delightedly, indeed, they would
indeed, the younger man registered in
his heart the VOW to follow her al
/ ways, anywhere, although 1T was his
| first sight of her.
So out under the rose-bower into
| the garden they trailed their dusty
motor coats in the wake of Natalie's
rose-rivaling daintiness; and while
waiting for the tea to be brewed, they
reveled in the picturesqueness of the
spot.
| Against the gray walls of the quaint
little stone house leaned the high
stalks of easter lilies, some already
bursting into bloom. F'lanking the
trim little garden walks were roses in
profusion, pink and yellow and red
and white. Away off in one corner
was a wide patch of dark green violet
leaves.
Think of vioIets outside of a hot
house!' exclaimed the younger man.
81 suppose the privilege of picking
them wouldn't come within the limit
of any ordinary mortaPs finances"
Natalie, approaching just then with
trim, colored maid behind her, over
heard and laughed delightfully."-.
They are free for the picking" she |
answered with charming hospitality
ito my guests
Dwight's gallantry rose instantly to
meet her graciousness.
could one encroach further he |
asked with polite humility land beg |
the lady of the garden to gather them
for the guests herself?"
Natalie, blushing, for she was very
young, tripped down the garden walk |
in a twinkling.
AS she knelt in the cool, rich depth of |
green, her slender white hands deftly |
gathering the long-stemmed violets,
the sunlight resting on the gold of her
hair, Dwight Ellsworth watched, and
utterly forgot to drink his tea, even in
make-believe.
Not so with Major Ellsworth His
attention was rivited on the silver
spoon which he held in his hand.
This must be very old piece" he
said, glancing up at Natalie as she
81 n in1n nfC nd
and jasmine, with the simple apology:
You might not happen to come again,
you see."
DO you know what the initials N.
s. stand for?" he added.
Natalie Sheldon she told him. MY
great aunt's name, which is mine"
Major Ellsworth started.
Natalie Sheldon" he repeated. "Is
your aunt still alive, Miss Sheldon?"
"Oh, no." Natalie answered. "She died
very soon after the war"
very strange-very interesting"
Then speaking directly to Natalie
again, You see 1 have a spoon exactly /
like this in my possession. 1t belonged
to my father, the real Major Ellsworth
q am major only by courtesy, and it
was given to him by Natalie Sheldon, s
with whom he fell in love at the time !
of the war. After the war he lost all ]
of her. I've often heard |
him tell
"Oh. you must meet mother inter
'upted Natalie excitedIy "She knows
Ill about Aunt Natalie's love affair. oh.
Sn't this just like a story bOOk?'' {
To the romantic tale of the days that
he mother and the father of these two 7
young people thereupon
oieced together out of their fragmentary {
Natalie and Dwight listened
With all their sympathetic young souls. ,
1t was the old story of a southern girl =
alHng in love with a young northern
'f1cer and of her fathers relentless op-
n FOL fn Il
ling the girl from ever writing to her r
over or of letting him know her where
bouts after the war. a
The girl had died of a broken heart. O
The man married, to be sure, but to his
on he bequeathed with loving remem- S
frances the little silver spoon marked t
N. s."
On the strength of this mutual bond U
f sentiment it was natural that the Ii
llsworths-both father and son-fell 8
n the habit of frequenting the little
ca garden. I.
Not always at the popular social hour, ::
o be sure; in fact. to Natalie's delight {.
hey pointedly avoided that gregarfous q
art of the day, sometimes deferring
heir visit till the sun had gone down, :,
nd on rarer occasions still, till the =
loon even had stolen its way into the !,
garden. c
i've brought you something tonight,
Tatalie," announced the major on one 4,
UGH occasion. unfolding from it's crum- q
led tissue wrappings a tiny silver -
poon. You see.'' he added; at really q
elongs to you, my dear young girl, and j y
thought that just now would be an q
ppropriate time to give it over into ~
our keeping-a sort of engagement
resent, you know"
t'An engagement PRESENT. gasped
Tatalie But I'm not engaged"
'fOh, welI,'' laughed the major teas
lgly, 81 may be little anticipating, a
Ut
s.NataIiel" called Dwight from the W
arden, aren't you ever coming? It's
eavenly out here tonight" -
Then. again, I may not" continued sc