Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-10-12
TAE LAST Rg5E
By TEMPLE oAlLEY

Copyright. 1912 bv Associated literary
prees)
Miss Persis Monroe waked 10 her
garden.
winters coming, Peter" She sfll
to the big yellow cat who follows !
her.
Peter scurried down the path after
the rustling, romping leaves. He
jfhther liked the GOODNESS Of 'hr
northwest wind. II made him fnl
young again and frisky.
But the wind made Miss Pcrsis
shiter. In summer, with her ro@s
about her in her soft white dresses.
with a rare lace scarf picked mp hv
her father on one Of his vovavcs
draped about Der head, she fel-
young and looked young. But in
the winter her growing poverty com
PEELED her to buy serviceable gowns.
In the days of her girlhOOl Miss
Persis had never roughened her
hands by labor. A prosperous sea
captain can keep his family in. Al
certain luxury. But with the death
Of her father and mother the last
remnant Of the family fortunes dis
appeared. After that Miss Pcrsis
and an invalid sister supplemented
most meager income by the sum
mer sale of roses.
The guests from the summer no.
tel bought them. There was USUALLY
thriving trade-and even as she
spoke of the winters nearness Miss
Persis had a comfortable sense Of
the little nest egg in the bank which
would keep them from cold and hum
ger. e,
'But it's very small, Peter" said
Miss Persis, and l don't care to get
a new Dress"
Miss Persis had dreamed Of a new
dress. She had never spoken of her
ambition to her sister, for Lavinia
would have seen a certain unworthy
vanity in the desire for .prettiness.
but Miss Persis craved a gown Of
subdued gray--her ambition had
even compassed touch of pink at
the throat.
"Yet, Pm only forty, Peter" said
Miss Persis as she bent down 70
smell the last pink rose left in The
garden. "And I haven't had a be-
coming gown in winter since | was
a girl. wish I could have just
one"
Miss Persis did not believe in
fairies. brt as she thought of it aft-
erward she wondered if some goblin
GRANDMOTHER had not waved hyr
lwand at that moment to make her
wish core frue.
Bu there was no evidence Of
mage in NE personality of the mar
who spola TO Miss Persis from the
other si2r II the fierce.
81 understand, madam, that you
sell roses
Miss 'orsjs loohod up. An erect
and r.i..4iy-looking gentleman was
waltz for her answer.
Il &. i tle season." said Miss
Persis. eve had many roses, but now
that tie winter is coming we have
only onc-l'm sorry"
AS size stood there, tall and grace
! full, beside lie bush with its on,
faint pink blossom, the man outsid,
felt his heart singing, and the word
formed themselves, thus:
""Tis the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone"
4 should like to buy that one" h
said, there's child ill at the hotel
| want to take her flower"
''Then you shall not buy it." saic
Miss Persis eagerly. 'Iet me give i
to you-for the child"
He felt that to insist would be t,
hurt her
"In the winter what do you do
he asked, without your garden ?"
81 dread winter" said Miss Per
sis. 81 feel shut in-but | plan
flowers in the window boxes, and b
Christmas | have hyacinths, ant
after that violets, and they keep m
busy"
Sand you sell your aowers?"
"There isn't much sale. for them,
said Miss Persis. "The guests ar
1