The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-09
THE EVENING STORY
The Lady of the Rose Leaf.
(By Temple Bailey.)

Carson, leaning over the railing on
the drive, high above the pier,
watched the great battleships. There
were six of them in a row, all of
somber gray with the flaming red OF
the sunset behind them. Up their
sides the tackies swarmed in a pro-
cession, like a stream of white ants.
Tomorrow they would set sail and be
off for strange lands. Carson viewed
them enviously; he yearned for ad-
of his dull life. He longed to sail
tropic seas, to touch on foreign
shores, to live for time q life com
pletely divorced from his desk in the
big wholesale house where he was
bookkeeper.
And, even as he longed for ro-
nance, it came to him. The cold
wind, sweeping down from the north,
brought with it something besides the
dried leaves and dust from the road
way, for, fluttering like butterfly
above his head, and finally finding
resting place on the rough sleeve
of his coat, came a rose leaf, pink
and curling at the edges.
Carson glanced around him. Up
and down the gray stretches of the
drive automobiles and carriages came
and went. The sidewalks were crowd
ed with people who had come to view
the battleships. In front of him was
the river; back of him rows of sky
scraping apartment houses lowered
cliff-like. OF course, the rose leaf
might have come from any passing
motor. but Carson's eyes sought the
solution from the closed windows OF
the apartment house just behind
Far up there was little balcony
and on the balcony stood girl. she
was almost a child, and her fair hair
was tied with black ribbon. In her
hands she held a rose. AMI her nm
gers plucked at the petals.
Carson Rpaw that looking at 1t from
sober, practical point of view he
was simply plain bookkeeper watch
ing the battleships, and that the
rose leaf had floated to him by
sense made him feel that fate had
brought the pink petal for some deep
err purpose. Never in his cut and
dried life had he dared to do any
windy twilight. with the black ships
looming up against the background
of crimson, he felt an uplift of sp1r-
its, an urgent need to do something
that should make tomorrow dlrrerent
from other Mondays.
He nut the rose leaf carefully in
his pocketbook. then went into the
vestibule of the big apartment house.
The elevator boy lounged, brass but
toned and self-confident: in the door
brought out the fact that the name
of the young lady on the balcony was
Wynne-Miss Doris Wynne.
Carson went away with his pulses
beating. Doris Wynne ana rose
leaf, Surely that was a combination
that should make for romance.
That night he wrote this note:
Dear Lady of the Rose Leaf:
."This petal floated down to me as
stood Watching the battleships to-
night, beneath your balcony. I looked
up and saw your face. have no
right to ask you to admit me to your
friendship, but some day 1 nope TO
meet you and I am sending this SO
that when that happy time arrives
YOU may know my name.
He signed it Maurice Carson" and
After that, life seemed very differ
ent. Like some ardent Romeo, he
spent much time beneath the balcony.
Now and then he saw the girl, but
he made no sign. His alteration should
stoop to no common flirtaCon; put
such was his faith in fate that he be-
lieved the meeting would come some
dav. and that it would come in some
way that made it right. Yet he did
not dream that happiness was so near
until one rainy evening when ne
reached the wall that overlooked the
far away, a girl in black. A heavy
veil was thrown back from her face
and showed it white and thin. All the
10y, all the gladness had gone out
of it, and yet it was his lady OF the
rose leaf.
+ He dared not approach her. yet his
heart went out to her in sympathy.
only some great loss would have
clothed her in such mourning.
He wished he were woman so he
might approach, but knowing that
his wish was futile he sought some
other way. : He watched her until
she went back into the big house,
and then he found a florist, and
souandered half a weeks salary on
| a great bunch of pink roses which
matched the petal which had flut-
tered to him on that fateful sunday
night. He sent them to her with a
note which told her that he had learn
! ed of her sorrow. This time he gave
| his address, because If there was any
thing he could do he begged her to let
| him know it.
An answer came which begagn:
| Dear Maurice Carson:
ct do need friend very much. MY
| fathers death has left me alone and
helpless in a big city. Many weeks
ago I showed him your letter, and
| he said, IF you ever meet him be-
| lieve you can trust him. May I trust
| you Maurice Carson? If can, Will
you come to me tomorrow morning 2?
| Maurice went, and found that her
| friends were in the South. He tele-
graphed for faded cousin, who come
| on and helped him move Doris into
| a plain little fiat, which was within
| her reduced means. He helped the
| girl get the pupils which her musical
ability made possible; in fact, he aided