Valdez daily prospector., 1916-05-30
ASpriig of
 Rosemary
Which Is For Remembrance
By MARION TRAVERS

Elrl numDereO lebS Lllau 1llS Uy LuIcc. The man was going hundreds of miles to the westward, there to find competence.
 When he had succeeded the girl was to come to him for the rest of the happy years. In his hands were two sprigs of rosemary, one of which lie gave to the maid.
 "It's for remembrance, Betty. Not that we will either of us need it, dear, but I shall carry it with me wherever l go."
 "You know you'll always be in my. thoughts, Tom. I'll put it under my pillow at night that l may dream of you and wear it next my heart in waking hours that every 5eat may be for you. Goodby, Tom, and God bless you and send you back to me-" And the maid turned her lips upward for her lover $ kiss.
 "Goodby, Betty. It won't be for long, and then we will be together for the rest of our lives" And he stave her one last carcss before he turned and started down the gray eled path bound on the outtrail.
 Betty had been motherless since her sixth year, and at the close of {. winters day the soul of her father left it's gaunt frame, and she was 1 alone.
 Tom wrote letter full of tender consolation, and it was on the ab- sent sweetheart she leaned during the days and nights of her affliction.
 Betty's father had been frugal ;.nd shrewd, and there was enough to provide for the remainder of her days.
 She had no relatives in the home of her father, and when legal mat . ters were finally adjusted she left for big western city to live with an aunt while she was waiting for Tom. It was then the first blow fell.
 No letter came from her sweet heart in the far west. At first she did not worry, for he had written that he was going on long pros pecting trip and might be weeks, even months, from civilization.
 But when spring came and in turn gave way to summer and sum- mer fled before the chilling blasts of autumn and the weeks dragged drearily by until year had passed Betty abandoned hope.
 She wrote to the authorities of the frontier town where he usually outftted, but they could tell her nothing. Tom had left in April. He had not returned. They knew nothing of his fate.
 In the passing of the years her grief was softened, but the agony of her loss was there, locked with her love in the innermost recesses of her heart. Suitors came, but were sent away, not hurt, but firmly, gently denied. Her cousins married, little ones came to bless them, and to all she was Aunt Betty.
 There was another Betty now, a pretty, graceful maid of seventeen, toying in her first glimpses of so- cial life and rapturously happy be- cause she was just living. They were great cronies, these two Bet tvs, and it was often remarked that their resemblance extended away and beyond the name.
 "Aunt Betty, why didn't you mar ry?" asked the little Betty one aft ernoon when the two were having long, confidential chat.
 | Then faded < old letters were brought out and read, the dimmed tintype of a country boy with fine featured face was cried over and the withered sprig of rosemary lift ed gently from the jewel case, where it had reposed 30 many years in state. "And the rosemary, auntie ?" queried little Betty.
 Rosemary is for remembrance, dearie. We each had sprig and were to keep it always, so that when- ever we saw it the others face would appear in our dreams" said auntie. ! "And do you dream of him yet?" pursued the younger. "Bless you, Betty, I'll always dream of him, and l pray now that after death here I may see him."
 "And so that's the reason you didn't let Dr. Thornton and the oth- CTS marry you when they asked? ?"
 Betty, how did you know?"
 ."Oh, I heard mamma talking about it! But won't tell, auntie," Ishe promised penitently. "But it's lovely. Aunt Betty. It's perfectly