The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-07-03


the drawing room just as Haksuo an1
nounced that dinner was served.
At the same moment a cocl-lookingI
dark-eyed young man was introduced
as Forbes Baker.
1t was not until they sat at table
| that Barbara stole a glance at the
man who had taken her in. His eyes,
blazing with wrath were fixed on the
great cut glass vase of roses. His
! face was white and Barbara notes
with an odd tremor of her pulses that
his hand was shaking as he raised
his napkin to his lips
A man addressed him across the
table in gay reproof.
Don't glare at Mrs. Madison's roses
that way. Forbes; of course we all
know you are eaten up with jealousy
because they are bigger and handsom-
er than anything you can produce on
your place"
Forbes Baker smiled grimly.
How about your wonderful tree.
Forbes?" asked Mrs. Madison. rs it
ready for the exhibit? We are all dy.
ing to see it with it's twenty magnif-
cent bloOms-Forbes has talked of
nothing else for weeks-roses are his
hobby" smiled Alice at her sister.
But Barbara sat in frozen silence.
A great fear had come over her. The
meal seemed hours long. Forbes Bak-
er uttered few commonplaces, but 1t
was evident that his mind was on
other matters. Barbara was glad she
did not have to talk. She knew Mrs.
Madison would scold her afterwards
for her stupidity--but she didn't care
nothing mattered any more. She
had committed a crime-a theft. She
had stolen Mr.. Bakers prize roses
from his bush. She knew it. 1t was
her own fault-to take it for granted
that that lovely old place was Bark
er's. She knew that Barker was q
"genteman-forist" and she had not
been surprised at the surroundings.
Forbes Baker found her IN the gar
den, wandering drearily among the
paths. They came face to face and
Baker tossed away his cigar and
turned to walk beside her.
Before his lips could form a sem
tence regarding the beauty of the
dusky, moonlit garden, Barbara had
turned to him with outstretched hands
and beautiful pleading face.
81 am so sorry-oh, so sorry" she
said, shakily.
"Sorry?' he asked a little vaguely.
about your roses-you-you-re
ognized them?"
Yes. Then 1t was you'll saw
someone in a motor car leaving my
place-then you took them?"
There was carefully suppressed an
ger in his tone but there was won
derment in the blue eyes fixed on
Barbara's fearful face
why did you take them?" he asked
gently
Barbara told him frankly; related
the plight of her sister over the de-
linquency of the faithless Barker-told
of her own hurried search for the
'gentleman-fOrist'-- the stOlid labor
er who had undoubtedly misunder-
stood her inquiry-and in a sudden
iOCu vi SIdlutu tcdIS size lOlu uO"
she had cut the twenty beautiful
blooms from the rose tree.
You should have turned to the
right at the foot OF the hill and Bar
ker's place is the first place on the
left. Please forget the whole incident.
1t is not worth one tear from your
eyes, Miss Ware. I'm afraid I've act
ed like beast over the whole thing.
That's the worst with having a hobby
one becomes such a fool over it.
Please-please-the that's BETTER
he smiled down at her with tender
eyes.
barbara smiled wanly.
But you will be so disappointed at
not exhibiting the tree" she said for
lornly. you can never grow just
such another splendid bush"
Never mind-Im rather thinking
of cultivating another variety of
roses" said Forbes gravely, and
something in his eyes brought wave
after wave of lovely color to Barbaras
cheeks until she looked like a fragrant
pink rose herself.
From the house came the sound Of
a piano and Tom Madison's mellow
baritone singing Roses. Roses Every
where"
In spite of the loss of his prize bios
SONS, 1t seemed to Forbes Baker that
with Barbara Ware beside him the
whole world was filled with fragrant
roses-and nothing else would ever
matter
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)