Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-06-14
The Pink Rosebush
BY JEAN DICKERSON
(copyright. 1911. by Associated Literary Press)

| taking ABOUT ESlSll6 DAoAOI
more; she and Estelle had been scnooi-
mates and dear friends but loyalty 10
the brother she loved had prompted
| Ellen to blame Estelle for the broken
engagement.
81 met Frank Lakon that day and
he had been buying pink rosebusn-
said he was buying it for girl he
knew. That same night Estelle showed
me the bush in her yard and told me
to guess who gave it to her. | named
Frank-you know he had been atten-
| tive to her-and she laughingly de-
MED it, but l insisted. l said things
| that were unforgiveable at that time
and Estelle ended everything between
us. Pride on both sides did the rest
OF course it's too late now-she has
forgotten me-"
He looked away with such regret
in his eyes that Ellen, frightened at
the memories she had disinterred,
| slipped away and went into the house
where she told her mother the story
of the pink rosebush, and what disas-
ter it had wrought in Ned's life.
NTS. was 0AAoAA' w.
woman, with snow-white hair and del
icate features that belied the strong
will that lay behind her apparent gen.
tIeness. She had bitterly blamed Es-
telle Bromley for her part in Ned's
unhappiness, and now that the other
side of the story had reached her she
was quite as eager to exonerate the
IL M 1I,a c,niI
lips pressed firmly together and her
needles flying in and out of the shawl
she was knitting she fell into an I'M
accustomed silence. Mother love was
planning and plotting.
The week went slowly by Every
morning, at daybreak, Mrs. Northrop
tiptoed across the wet grass to the
hedge and peered through to see if
the pink rose bush in Bromleys gar
den was abloom There were five
buds on the bush, and each day they
swelled and grew larger until the day
before Memorial Day they showed
ready to burst into bloom.
EstelIe had arrived the night before.
They had seen the station stage stop
at the door and Mrs. Northrop and
her daughters had watched Estelle's
tall graceful figure alight and run up
the path to meet her father and moth
| err Ned was reading in the sitting
| room and did not know of the arrival
The full moon was rising over the
eastern hills when Mrs. Northrop
called her son into the garden.
Ned" she said in a rather trembly
voice, will you do me favor, dear?"
Anything mother-you know that!"
he was quick to say.
Then will you go over to Bromley's
and ask Estelle for one of the pink
roses from the bush l gave her?
want it for your fathers grave. You
know we women folks have been I'M
kind to all the Bromleys." She laid
her hand on his arm and looked up
| at his face which was white in the
moons light.
For long time he stood thus, very
| silent, battling with his pride. He
| looked down and saw slow tears fall
ing down his mothers cheeks. He
thought they were falling for his faith
| er's memory-he did not know that
now she was thinking only of the sons
happiness.
"Tll go, mother" he said gently,
| laying a hand on her shoulder.
Suddenly he bent and kissed her
cheek and was gone.
Straight across the grass to the
old broken place in the hedge where
he had been wont to pass through in
other days. Once on the other side
he came upon Estelle bending above
the rosebush. She saw him and shrank
back with little frightened gesture
of both hands
"Oh!" she cried softly.
II have come to ask you for a rose
from this bush," he said gravely my
mother wishes one to place on fathers
grave. Will you give me one, Es-
teller"
Tomorrow you may have them ALL"
she said gently
Would you give me one as token
of forgiveness for the unhappiness 1
have caused-for my utter idiocy, Es-
teller"
She plucked half-opened bud and
gave it to him. For an instant he held
the rose and the hand that clasped it.
This III place on the grave of my
folly" he said bitterly.
Estelle looked in his face and read
the truth. Then she placed her other
hand in his. Keep it in mer1ory Of
! our reconciliation" she whispered