The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-05-08
THE ROSE
BY lZOLA FORESTER.

II zen Ut bdFtfalll 1ecC as lie NaH
hufrying to the elevated station and I
lay III the trodden snow, a pink La
France rose. He was late, yet he
stopped and picked it up, trying TO see
where it had come from.
The neighborhood was far from |
fashionable. Rows Of second-rate /
apartment houses lined both sides OF |
tie street with stores on the ground |
floors and the elevated tracks between /
them. But as he looked up he caught |
glimpse of q face at secondstory
window, a 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 Il moment, and it was out of sight
in The room back of the window.
Bartram Went up the long stairs to
the elevated station with curious
tlhging at his heartstrings. Romance
did not usually stalk his footsteps.
All the way downtown and during
the days work he was wildly con-
scious Of the rose in his waistcoat
pocket. Several times he surrepti-
tiously took it out and looked at it
when he was alone in the Office.
The aeXt morning when he came to
the newsstand at the foot of the Gle
waited stairs he glanced up at the win
{ dow. There was no sign of the face
| he wanted to see, and he rode down
| town feeling the joy of the day gone
! b1l
! seeking 10 meet her. Then toward the
| end of the week there came a sudden,
! blessed relief 4 small, discreet sign
hung in the upper left-hand corner of
one window
Room to Let"
Bartram took his noon hour, and
! went up to engage the room. The
/ door iii the second hallway was opened
by middleaged woman, pleasant
faced and hopeful. Yes, she had a
room 10 let, the front bedroom off the
parIor. The young lady who had oc-
cupiod it before had just left.
Barfram stared at her. Could fate
be 50 unkiud?
Nothing happened to her, l hopeF
he said slowly.
"Oh, nothing contagious sir re-
Piled the woman. "Shc was just hurt
q little bit in an automobile accident
run down on Columbus avenue
Shes at the hospital now, but you
mustn't be afraid of that. 1t don't
hurt The room a bit"
Ne" Bartrmn answered. I'll take
the room II expect to be callee
: out Of town for little While, but II
keep the room"
: He paid a couple of weeks in al
} vance got the name Of the hoSpita
and Went out on the street again
, From a booth in a cigar store he tele
. phoned to the Office They must ex
cuse him that afternoon. He was no
5 well. aad had gone home. That done
: he started for the hospital. He ha
t her name now, Dorothy Bennett.
sounded like the name of Il girl VIII
t loved roses At the desk lie aske
for her They looked up the name
i said il had been an emergency cas-
Y brought in during the night. Sh
| was not badly injured. He could 2
: up To the ward ana see her. BaI
! tram held tightly the big cluster [
pink roses he had brought ana mad
:. his way To The elevator.
y At the door of the ward n nurse q
e rected him to the right cot, and h
e tiptoed to it cautiously. She Wa
..Ia hni, Il. Nv
r girlish plaits down her shoulders. 81
locked pale and wiStful. There WEI
!. no flowers on the little stand beSi6
|. her. After Bartram had sat down Il
5 nurse took the roses and brought the
Il back in a tall green glass vase. The
G he waited.
e When she opened her eyes withol
e stirring there was no alarm or su
prise in them. She smiled at him. evt
so little, and looked at the roses II
derstandingly.
re Il wondered if you'd find out" 81
m said. I'm not hurt much"
Dorothy smiled up at him when
left, and watched him as he we
- down the room. 1t had been horrib
tx lonely, coming into the strange he
pital With no friends at all. She Ii;
FRI been in New York two months no
til trying to get work, and each a;
Of had made the quest more hopele>
e, She lay smiling at the roses 4 Ion
al While. thinking of all lie had said. /
s. had promised to come every day
M see her
It was n month before the broll
~ ankle was healed and her should
felt right but there came the d
when She was TO be discharged. 3;
=. tram came for her in Il taxi, his ely
> eager and purposeful
You Know" Dorothy said, as S
- came down the wide steps, leaning
his arm, Its SO good to get out aga
but | haven't any idea where I'm :
~ ing. DO YOU suppose Mrs. Kim
woald take me back into my sal
little room just until | coAd 9
ur work."
It's waiting for you now" +;