The Colorado statesman., 1913-10-25
AFTER MANY YEARS
Bit of Romance of the Kind That
Does Something to Sweet :
en- Life.
BY JANET REESE.


Just as many times she had refused
him; but they remained good friends.
1t was just after one of the offers and
refusals that, half jestingly, half seri-
ously, they agreed to meet in favo-
lite, select roof garden ten years hence,
SO that each might know what the 9TH
er mad reaped, and the girl declared
that they must put the finishing touch
TO romantic situation by wearing red
roses, and the youth laughingly as
sented. Even though he married, he
was to keep the appointment. 1t would
be but meeting of one old friend with
another. the girl said She, of course,
would be welded to none-not with
her glorious career to follow
Five of the ten years passed with
their freight of events. The girl and
youth were now man and woman,
and had married-each other. Fame
had come to the woman-misery to
the man. The woman had found 1t
necessary to dispense with the man or
the career, and it was the man who
had been told to CO.
Five more years, alternately slip
ping and dragging away, brought the
night of the engagement, made ten
years before. The man had not heard
of the woman for a long time-the
last he had heard was that she was
on the continent. She had written
some books-he had heard of them.
but had not read them They had
been the cause of his desolation.
With low, mirthless laugh at his
own foolishness, the man took the
elevator to the roof garden-a red
rose nesting in his buttonhole. The
garden had changed but little, and
with an odd, choking sensation, he
sought and found the little corner
which she had liked best, corner
screened by dropping palms, SO that
two could be alone with the stars and
music.
He came with no thought that the
woman would he there. No doubt she
had forgotten the romantic agreement
OF ten years ago, but it pleased his
fancy to keep the appointment, even
though she would not know. Besides,
by closing his eyes he could almost see
her on the other side of the table, an1
loneliness for awhile. He even ordered
the dishes she liked best, remember
ing with reminiscent smile her fond
ness for glaces.
For what seemed a long time he sat
there. The dinner grew cold, and the
waiter cleared it and q large tip away,
with curious look at the generous
patron. The mans cigar went ont and
the red rose in his buttonhole. dropped
Imply on the table. With a sigh
he rested his arms upon the balcony
rail and dropped his head upon them.
At the far end of the garden an or
chestra was playing the Rosary, and
perhaps it was it's heart-rending ca
dencee which made him dream of the
girl as she had loved him. So al
luringly near did she seem that he
reached out his arms toward her; but
the little table intervened, and she
seemed to smile mockingly at his vain
attempts. AS he wearily dropped his
arms the fragrance of roses seemed
sitting him, SO that he could hardly
breathe. Yes, he knew now, 1t was the
red roses she was wearing in the
dream, for she had come nearer and
was bending over him. In a maze, he
saw in the dark depths of her eyes a
word of love and longing.
After all, it was only dream, he
told himself bitterly, and surely the
gods were cruel to torture him So
Strange, when he looked again she was
still there! Well, when he tried to
crush her in his arms he would find
but thin air as one does in dreams. Yet
-ah, 1t was true! AS he held her close
he felt the beating of her heart, the
clinging sweetness of her lips.
Only the waiter saw, and he merely
smiled, for many strange things hap
pen in roof garden.-Buffalo Ex-
press.