The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1917-04-20
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THE ROSE
BY IzoLA FoRREsrER.

The neighborhoOd was far from
fashionable. Rows OF secondrnte
apartment houses lined both sides of
the street, With stores on the ground
floors and the elevated tracks between
them. But as he looked up he caught
a glimpse Of face at secOnd-story
window. face that matched the rose.
Young and very girlish it was, with
eyes full of mischief and dismay too,
seeing him with the rose in his hand.
Just a moment. and 1t was out Of sight
IN The room back OF the window.
Bnrtram went up the long stairs to
the elevated station with a curious
tingllng of his heartstrings. Romance
lid not usually stalk his footsteps.
All the way downtown and during
The days work he was wildly con-
sclous of the rose In his waistcoat
pocket, Several times he surreptl-
tlously took II out and looked at it
when he was alone in the office.
The next morning when he came to
the newsstand at the foot of the elc-
waited stairs he glanced up at the win
dow. There was no sign of the face
no wanted TO sec, and he rode down
town feeling the Joy Of the day gone.
Bartram puzzled for several days,
seeking to meet her. Then toward the
end Of the week there came q sudden,
blessed relief. A small, discreet sign
hing In the upper lcft-hnnd corner Of
one window.
"Room to Let"
Bnrtram took his noon hour and
went up to engage the room. The
door In the second hallway was opened
by middle-aged woman, pleasant
faced and hopeful. Yes. she had
room 10 let, the front bedroom off the
parlor. The young lady who had oc-
cupled It before had just left.
Bartram stared at her. Could fate
he so unkind?
Nothing happened TO her, hopc?'
he said slowly.
"Oh. nothing contagious, sir" re-
Piled the woman. "She was just hurt
little bit In an automobile accident
run down on Columbus avenue.
She's at the hospital now, but YOU
mustn't be afraid OF that. 1t don't
hurt the room a bit"
mo" Bartram answered. an take
the room. IL expect to he called
out of town for little while, but I'll
keep the ROOM"
He paid q couple of weeks in adj
vance, got the name Of the hospital
and went out on the street again,
From a booth in n cigar store he tele-
phoned to The office. They must OK
cuse him that afternoon. lie was not
well. and had gone home. That done,
he started for the hospital. He had
her name now, Dorothy Bennett. 1t
sounded like the name of a girl who
loved roses. At the desk he asked
for her. They looked up the name.
said it had been an emergency case
brought in during the night She
was not badly injured. He could go
mp to The ward and see her. Bar
tram held tightly the big cluster Of
pink roses lie had brought and made
his way to the elevator.
At The door of the ward n nurse d.
rected him to the right cot. and he
tlptoed TO It cautiously. She was
sleeping. Her hair was braided In two
grlish plaits down her shoulders. She
looked pale and wistful. There were
no flowers on the little stand beside
her. After Bartram had sat down the
nurse took the roses and brought them
back in q tall green glass vase. Then
he waited.
When she opened her eyes without
stirring there was no alarm or sur
prise in them. She smiled at him, ever
so lttt'n. md looked at the roses I'M
dersidr llnGly.
81 wondered If you'd find out" she
said. I'm not hurt much"
Dorothy smiled up at him when he
left. and watched him as he went
down the room. It had been horribly
lonely. coming into the strange hos
pital with no friends nj all. She had
been I'm New York two months now
trying to get work, and each day
had made the quest more hopeless.
She lay smiling nj the roses Il long
while. thinking OF all he had said. lie
had promised TO come every day to
see her.
II was a month before the broken
ankle was healed and her shoulder
felt right. but there came the day
when she was to be discharged. Bar
tram came for her in taxi, his eyes
eager and purposeful.
"You know" Dorothy said, MS she
came down the wide steps, leaning on
his arm. "it's Sc good TO get out again,
but I haven't any idea whore I'm 20