The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-18
TIE EVENING STORY
The White Rose.

7 nate II, she WOulQ say TO HeISSlA'
| leaning far out of her window In the
| tall mansion, and gazing up toward
the sky. Some day 1 am going to
fly away and never come back.
/ But Cecile never said such things to
her grandmother who sat always in
state in her big, dim room, where the
| silk canopies of the four-poster bed
cleaned like furnished gold through
! the shadows, and where the feet of
the servants sank into carpets so soft
that they deadened all sound.
| In the dimness and stiffness Cecile
ate her meals with her grandmother,
sitting on the other side of a small
| table which was drawn up to the fire.
The fire was the only live thing in
| Cecile's life. The servants and her
grandmother seemed mere ghostly
presences- now and then the fire
1eaped and sparkled, though when it
grew too bright SO that it hurt her
grandmother's eyes, it was hidden by
a screen of peacock feathers framed
in mahogany.
Now and then Cecile had dinner in
| the big dining room with the lawyer
who transacted her grandmother's
business. He was an old man with
| a bald head, and he always asked,
| Are you happy, my child?" And
Cecile, slender and beautiful in her
plain black velvet, would answer, I
miss my school," and then the old
man would shake his head and say,
you'll learn to like it,
But one day there came in place of
the old lawyer his partner, who was
young and wore glasses, which hid
his twinkling eyes. He gazed at
CeciIe from the other side of the pink
rose centerpiece and asked the usual
question.
Are you happy?" he asked, and
when Cecile had answered in her
usual way, ct miss my school," the
I'd mr.
by jove, I should think you'd dfe!
CeciIe looked at him with some in
terest She saw that he was not
handsome, but that he was we'll built
and his well-brushed hair was thick
and fair. She saw also that he was
not as old as his glasses made him
look.
It shall not de-" she said, and she,
too, leaned forward and spoke with
eagerness, IT shall run away!"
"AIone? Where will you go?" he
asked.
Back to my school" she said.
dear teachers and her voice broke.
She heard the young man say un-
der his breath, lou poor little thing;
you poor little child"
1t seemed good to have sympathy,
and she told him a little of her life. |
81 wouldn't mind" she said, eff every |
thing wasn't so dim and dark. 1 am |
always painted by the sea, and my |
mother was a daughter of a sea cap
tain. And she used to go with her |
father first and afterward with my |
father on long journeys, and went |
with them untiF'-her voice sank
until they died" |
And then you came to your grand |
mother"
Yes
It's shame" said the young man.
n h.
time in the stately library and talked |
to CeciIe of her life at school and of |
his own adventures as a boy, and be- !
fore he went she played soft, sweet |
tunes on the great piano, and at last |
she sang a little song:
where shall find white rose
blowing?
Out in the garden where all sweets
be
But out in my garden the snow was
showing,
And never a white rose opened for
me-
The next morning there came to
Cecile a long box, and when she
opened it she found roses. white
roses, dozens of them. all delicate
fragrance and beauty, and on top was
a card in an envelope, Adrian
Drew
Cecile knew that the young lawyers
name was Drew. She wrote him a
little note. She said that she had not
shown the flowers to her grand
mother-that she had carried them
were overlooking all of her vases and
bowls and making her room bower
of beauty. ut is like garden" she
said, land, Oh, L thank you so much"
After that Adrian Drew came often
in the place of his partner, and Cecile
l0ar n nj Roses q. |
too, and once she went to the play
with him, with her grandmother's !
companion as chaperon. But this
ended her pleasure, for the morning i
after the opera. her grandmother sent
for her.
II don't want you to see that young !
man again." she said. Agatha says
he's in love with you !
Ceciles hand went to her heart. He {
is my friend she said.
You're nothing but a child" said
her grandmother, land I'm not go
ing to have you follow in your faith
er's footsteps. He went against my
will when he married your mother
she was not of his class +
The red flooded Cecile's pale cheeks
"Then 1 am not of your class" she /
said, slowly, lit would be better if I
went away +
You will stay here said her grand
mother. You are the only one to carry Z
on the name fou VIII De rlch "o-
man when I die
Il do not want money" said Cecile,
81 want love"
After that outburst she fed to her !
room and packed little bag, and at
twilight she slipped silently out CT =,
the great house In the darkness she =
found the station. and the train which 3
took her back to her beloved school,
and there the next day Adrian Drew h
came for her.
1.-THE teachers say that 1 must go 3
back she told him. weeping but / 1