Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-11-10
The Story Of a Rose
BY MARY A. BOWERS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

played to the world they would fill
e museum. These Enclosures would b,
made up OF faded flowers. memoranda
bits Of lace and occasionally a letter
And among those letters there woulC
be found some that would wreck the
peace of families. A librarian once
told me that every book returned tC
the library was shaken and almost al
ways something would drop out How
| many Ofthese articles could tell love
story?
Here is one OF rose:
| amor was-a white rosebud.
When was born don't remember
any better than people remember when
they were born. was very young
when was plucked. and that is the
earliest event in my life that recall
1t was a June morning. June 10 Qll
tell later why | know thisl, and most
Of the dewdrops on me had been abb
sorbed by. the air. A young man came
into the garden. He was barely nine
teen and as handsome as q picture
He wore no hat. and the sunshine
poured in and out OF his tumbled hair.
He looked about among us flowers as
II searching for one he especially
wanted. Then his eyes lit on me.
was the only bud just opened He
| plucked me and took me into the
house. After breakfast he put me in
his buttOnhole and, calling his dog.
set out down the road. Presently he
| stopped before house. ON the piazza
of which stood girl. She. too, was
very young-only seventeen, fancy
and was dressed In pure white not a
bit of color about her. The. young man
turned in at the gate and Joined her.
Il have come to say goodby." be said.
II am going away this afternoon to
take the position that has been offered
to me-"
saw the girl change countenance. /
don't think he noticed it. but you
know man has not the delicate per-
ceptive faculties Of white rose. They |
sat down together on wicker chairs |
and chatted for long while. 1t seem
ed to me that he would have liked to |
tell her that he loved her, but some |
reason interposed. probably the fact |
that he was just starting in life and /
both were very young. At any rate, he
rose TO go without having done So |
But he did the next best thing He
offered me to her and told her that If
she would keep me till he came again
hn vx.rYnid h,v n 70 4ol
She tried to look Indifferent when he
called his dog and started back home.
But as soon as he was we'll down the
road she ran into the house. taking me
with her. and up to her room. where
she wept long while. Then she mo-
tlced ME on her bureau, where she had
placed me, and put me in water.
There l remained till she went to bed.
Just before doing SO she placed me in
a book OF poems.
In the morning as soon as she awoke
she opened the book and kissed me.
Then, lest should fall from between
the leaves. she pinned my stem to the
leaf. Under me she wrote June Is.
This book Of poems was to be my
permanent home. a very nt dwelling
place for a white rose. The girl read
the book very often and always caress-
ed me when she did so. A year pass
ed, and when the next summer had i
gone she wrote under me on the mar
gin Of the page:
"WIl he never comeY'
Years passed. don't know bow
many. perhaps ave or six-and he did
not come. Then the girl went away.
leaving me with her other favoriteS
More years passed. One day a man
came into the room where was and /
packed all the books. the one was In
Among the number. and they were
earted away. When the box contain
Ing me was opened q man took out my
book dwelling and placed 1t on a shelf {
Of q shop With other books.
l must have been by this time eight r
or ten years old. At any rate. my
leaves were yellow and brittle, though |.
my stem was still firm. One day q
man came into the bookshop and
asked II they had a certain book Of '
poems. was taken down and handed q
to him. He opened the cover. and
when he saw the name written on the J
hyleaf / felt his hand tremble. Then q
he turned over the leaves till he came
10 the page to which ! had been pin !,
ned. His fingers clutched the book In
| sort Of spasm.
How much?" be asked the shop
Keeper Q
"Oh. you. can have that for 10 cents" o
The purchaser tossed a bill on the 4
counter and. forgetting his change. il
hurried away. The shopman called n
lfter him, but he did not hear. s
/ didn't recognize the purchaser till >,
ie saw me in the shop and what was ,
written under me. Then knew him.
Iespite a full beard be wore. He took =
he book and me TO his room In bach =
.lor quarters. and there l remained C.
week. Then one day he wrapped US a
.arefully in paper and took US TO an f
,ther city on a train. We there entered s,
house. and in a few moments a lady D
ntered. The man looked at her and q
aid: 9
81 have come at last"
The lady looked at him and uttered
little cry. He handed the book to p
ier. open at the page to which was D
iinned, and my dear mistress and tt
,ol.od each ofhor IN tho faco oUafn ei