The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1916-04-28
ONLYAR ROSE
By DOROTHY BLAcKMoHE.


questioned. She reached out and ex-
tracted solitary pink rose that had
lent its beauty to his writing table Il
think need this in my hair" she said
and tucked the flower among the riot
Of golden curls. After his smile Of ap-
proval she skipped on. It was quite
time for the first guest to arrive for
her coming-out party
Kennard watched her go and sighed
trile YEARLY. He was old beyond
his thirty-fve years in that he had, at
the age Of twefty-one, gone through q
frightful train wreck which LEFT him
mentally aged and physically lame.
At twenty-five, his closest friend,
older by many years than Kennard,
had died, leaving a slim, delicate girl
orphaned ahd oddly alone in the world.
Kenfard had adopted Nancy Vale be-
oadse vale had left her to him
The dUorbeil rang MANY TIMES and
men and women Cooked into tts great
Kennard drawing-room where Nancy,
looking not more than fifteen in her
simple gray frock, welcomed her
guests. Often her big syes glanced
swiftly at the stairs leading from th5
library, but each time they returned
to smiles and laughter with a hint Of
wistfulness growing in their clear
depths "Nynky" was so absorbed in.
his story as TO forget that he had
promised to come in and toin her par.
It was not until silence feigned
again in the great house and small
pink rose dropped YEARLY in Nahcy's
curls that she tiptoed softly to the H.
brary door. The quiet OF that room
told her that the story was finished
and that "Nunky" was smoking the
festfdl cigarette that always followed
the completion OF good days work,
May l come in?" she questioned,
already over the Threshold,
Kennard opened wide his eyes.
Il just wanted to say good night"
she said softly, and stroked back the
lock OF snowwhite hair that lay across
Kenuard's broad forehead.
"You grow more like your father oy-
cry day. he said in quick appreciation
81 her instructive understanding. "He
was the most uhseifisIi and consider
ate man that ever walked this earth
I'm sorry, kiddie, that your old uncle
forgot the contingent party. / could
only have linped about trying vainly
to Danish my hero and his woes from
my mind will get you another string
Of those beads"
'Beads How dare you call my
matchless pink pearls beadslD She
touched the exquisite present from
hin that eiaaped her slender neck.
Size looked anxiously st him. you
won't sit up any longer will ycu--it's
late f6wYs
only till the cigarette Ddffs OUT
he told her and watched her skip of
and up to her room.
Kennard sat for a few moments
YEARLY looking at the door through
which his ward had gone. Gradually
his eyes focused themselves on
faded pink flower that lay Just within
the library door. II was the rose Nam
cy had worn In her hair.
Kennard rose and picked 1t up and
returned to his desk with 1t. He sat
gazing softly, tenderly, at # and,
second later, his lips caressed It ten
deyly.
NO sooner had he touched the with
cred flower than he drew back swiftly.
Ths meaning of his action went over
him like a flame of FIRE.
$Godi" he cried in terror at his own
emotion. mot that Surely not that
she's only child" lie sat stunned.
A few minutes later his head went for
ward on his arms and the rose was
again against his lips.
Nancy, creeping softly down the
stairs, tried to stiffe the beating Of her
heart when she glanced swiftly at the
floor just within the library door
There was no rose lying there. She
stood Tor a moment, her great eyes
devouring Kennard's bent shoulders
and bowed head. The very softest
sigh escaped her and Kennard raised
his eyes slowly. believing a splendid
vision had appeared to him.
Surely the slim little creature in the
doorway was not Nancy There was
golden hair piled high and bound by
the matchless pink pearls and white
throat rose like the stem Of lily from
low-cut bodice The arms were bare
and cleaning white.
"This is the new gown aunty bought
for me" she explained swiftly, her
words hysterically broken. She had
seen the crushed rose under Ken
nards hand. Her eyes were like stars