Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-06-10
When the
Rose
- BY -
VIRGINIA BLAIR
VIRGINIA BLAIR
Copyright. fsl1 by Assooiassd Ltsrary

his life he had lived among the
pines, far back in a sandy country.
This morning he had come to the
city and had sought the theater.
When the curtain rose he gave
little gasp Of rapture. The stage
was a bower Of beauty; there were
roses everywhere. And into this
bower Of beauty came the strclling
players. The man carried violin
They sang and played and danced,
and the audience applauded highly.
There was touch Of gypsy wildness
about the girl which caught the fan
cy of the people. John applauded
with the rest, but in the back Of his
mind was a question which took
away from the complete abandon Of
the moment. "Where have l seen
her before?"
|; The band played faster and the
music became wilder. Up and down
the stage went the little scarlet fig
ure. The man with the violin was in
the background. All at once the
bow crashed against the strings
harshiy, as without a sound the girl
threw up her hands and fell to the
floor.
The curtain went down, the lights
flared up, team Of jugglers took
the front Of the stage, and every
thing went on as before. But John
Austin saw nothing, for he was say
ing over and over to himself, ITS
Mary
\ They had been to school to gether,
he and Mary Morrison. She had
been a wonderful little thing, bind
ing him to her by her vivid admira-
ton of his strength, and her de-
pendence upon his pure affection.
and the woman ,tambourine.
. And now he had found her in fai-
ryland, and she was i'll, and there
was no one but that strange scarlet
violin player to take care of her. He
felt that he must see her and find
out what had happened.
John waited at the stage door and
presently hack drove up-a shabby
affair drawn by dilapidated horse.
Supported by two stage hands, Mary
came out, transformed by a large
coat and shabby hat into very diff
ferent creature from the one who,
with red cheeks and in scarlet satin,
had danced among the roses. With
her was somewhat stouter woman,
whose face seemed vaguely familiar.
In moment it came to John where
he had seen her. She was the violin
player of the team. Her masculine
garments had been a disguise, and
now when her short-haired wig was
off she showed gray locks.
Half afraid to approach them,
John at last summoned up his cour-
age. Mary" he said.
The pale little girl looked at him.
"You," she gasped, "why, John
Austinw
"Let me go home with you," he
begged. 81 saw you fall and l was
worried about you"
She introduced him to her COM
panion and explained, as they rode
away together, that Maggie Trevor
had befriended her through all the
days of struggle.
did you like our stunt?" she
asked John.
His eyes sparkled. at was fairy
land; have never seen anything
like it. / have never seen anything
but sand and pines"
"Oh," she threw out her arms
In a gesture OF longing, "how l
should love to see the sand and pines.
/ hate the city, John Austin"
Would you like to go back2"
"How could / goH There is moth
ing back there for me. 1 earn my
living by my dancing"
81 am going to sell my farm and
come here; it's great"
"You think 50" she told him, 'but
you don't know. Why, John Austin.
I'd rather scrub and wash dishes
back among the pines than to live
the life live"
The hack drove up TO the curb
as shs spoke. Before them was a
tall, rickety tenement. John and
hackman carried Mary up the dark