Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-09
THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

June's bud. The softened mood Of Birda-
lire and the tears that bedewed her
cheeks gave her back just enough of the
beauty she had had to emphasize how
much she had lost
And Josie. her quondam rival in the
garden, was sweetened by melancholy
too Ii was not hospitality alone, nor
mere generosity, but pcssing sympathy
thdi warmed her tone as she squeezed
Birdalllc's arm and told her how we'll
her daughter had sung
a number OF matrons felt the same
altar of regret in the air They had been
beautiful in their days and ways, and
now felt like the dismantled rose on the
lloor The common tragedy OF beauty be-
lated and foredone saddened everybody
In the room: the old women had eX-
perienced it; The young women foresaw
1t the men knew it as the destruction of
the beauties they loved or had loved
Everybody was sad but Deborah LARA
bee.
That homely little spinster slipped inn
pudently into the elbow OF the piano, into
the place still warm from the presence
of Pamela, and she rallied at the sorrow
of her sChoolmates, Josie and Birdaline.
Her voice was as sharp as the old piano
strings.
AliA EODB = All NlOllEr Sttlll0 w i'iN'
girls. Pretty toOn and nice words, but ]
can't make out why everybody feels
sorry for the last rose Of summer. It's
the luckiest rose i'm the world The rest
Of 'em have bloomed too soon or Just
when all the other roses are blooming, or
when people are sort of tired of roses.
But this one is saved up till the last. And
then when the garden is all dying out
and the bushes are just dead stalks and
the other roses are wilted and brown,
and folks say I'd give anything for the
sight Of a rose along comes this rose
and-blooms alone! Seems to me it has
the laugh on all the rest"
This heresy had the usual success of
attacks on sacred texts; the orthodox
paid no heed to the value Of the argu-
ment; they simply resented its impu-
dence. But all they said to Deborah was
an indugent, That's so, Debby.' and
polite. 81 never though OF that"
AS Deborah turned away triumphant 20
repeat what she had just said to Mr..
MauSans she overheard Birdaine muir
mur to Josie in a kinshlp Of contempt,
Poor old Dcbbyr'
And Josie consented, "She can't under
stand! She never was a rose
1t was as If Birdaline and Josie had
slipped a knife under Deborah's left
shoulder blade and pushed 1t into her
heart. She felt a mortal wound. She
chung to the plano and remembered some
thing she had overheard Josie say in
exactly that tone far back in that prime
val epoch when Debby had been 16-as
sweetless 10 as girl ever endured.
on that memorable night Birdallne had
given a party and Deborah had gone. No
fellow had taken her; but then Birdaline
lived just across the street from Deborah,
and Debby could run right over unnoticed
and run home alone safely afterward.
Debby was safe anywhere where 1t was
not too dark to see her. Her face was
her chaperone.
Asaph Shillaber took Josie to Blrdalne's
party that night, and he danced three
times with Debby. Each time-as she
knew and pretended not to know-he had
come TO her because of a mix-up In his
program. or because she was the only girl
left without Il partner. But a dance was
dance, and Asaph was awful light on
his feet, for all he was so big.
After she had danced the third time
with him he led her hastily to a chair
against the stairway-deposited her like
an umbrella and left her. She did not
mind his desertion, but sat painting with
the breathlessness OF the dance and with
the JOY Of having been in Asaphs arms
Then she heard low voices on the stair
way, voices back of her, just above her
head, She knew them perfectly. Josie
was attacking Asaph because he had
danced three times with Birdalne.
But she's the hostess!" Asaph had re-
torted. Besides. | danced with Deb Lar
rabee three times. too. Why don't you
fuss about that?"
Deborah perked an anxious ear to hear
how Josie would accept this rivalry. and
Josie's answer fell into her ear like poi
son.
CONTINUED TOMORROW.