The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-30
EVENING STORY
The Brown Rose.
BY INES MACDONALD.

the heavily scented air. one Hdo pCSh
born in the atmosphere Of roses. Ever
since she could remember she had
loved them, and for five years past |
she had been working on a new
strain, a wonderful new color, the
like of which had never been seen.
The year before she almost had it
but not quite! And yesterday there
had burst a new bud that had prom |
Use of success.
Hopefully she slipped down the
long aisle between banks of greenery, |
caressIng the lovely growing things
with an occasional touch of her slim
fingers, till she reached her own small
earth beds far to the rear. There she
bent over the lovely half-blown bud,
her eyes alight with the golden brown
glory of the new rose.
The entrance bell rang lightly and
lone fastened toward the small show
room in front. A tall girl. with
straight, supple body and handsome.
worried eyes, was nervouSly stripping
| a motor glove from a strong, brown
| hand. She picked out dozen hot
red roses and lone sighed a little as
she watched the dashing girl whirl
away alone in a smart racing road
ster, but then she smiled again when
/ she thought of her rose.
She called the errand boy, arranged
| the roses daintily in their box. and, as
the boy went whistling on his away,
| she turned with thoughtful eyes to
| her entry in the record book that lay
| before her.
"Mr. Carlton Esmond," she had
written, Bellevue Hospital"
| Suddenly her thoughts slipped back
over the years and she saw herself
little girl again. Her father had
taken her out on the edge of the city,
where there was large estate, and
| for one great glorious day, while he
1 w a dxyiC nd inc he
dener on the culture of roses, she had
romped and played with sturdy,
democratic, reckless boy, who had
promptly rechristened her iona" and
ordered her about, delightfully."-.
Altho she had never seen him
again. all the events of her childhood
had /been reckoned from that day.
During her high school days she had
followed his exploits on the football
| field at Yale. thru the happy medium
| sionally, she had noted his movements
in society in the same papers two
pages forward. In her later years she
had passed the Esmond estate often
and wondered what he was like-and
now he lay very close to death in the
hospital.
Her revery was disturbed by an
\ other customer, a very much agitated
young woman, who also chose roses
and also ordered them sent to Carlton
Esmond. Then when she was alone
Iagain, lone glanced over the morning
paper ana found the headlines which
explained it all.
Carlton Esmond-Noted Polo Play
Ier-Seriously Injured
With a queer little ache in her throat
she read of his terrible fall. With
wistful eyes she looked out into the
autumn sunshine and offered a little
prayer for him. During that morning
no less than five young women ordered
FLOWERS sent to Esmond. and with an
unusual tenderness lone sent the dear
blossom out to him, each one the
message of some other girls love. At
length she wandered back to look at
her new rose. the flower that had
sprung from her own heart, and pa
thence and desire, and as she cupped
its golden brown fragrance between
her slender hands, she thought of the
little dark-haired boy who had raced
with her over broad, spacious lawns
beneath high old trees. Then with a
little impulsive sigh. she clipped the
rose long on its stem, and wrapped it
gently; then without name or card 1t
modestly followed it's sisters to the
place where young Esmond lay.
Some hospitals will permit no flow
lers in the rooms. 1t means extra work
for the nurses, and most doctors and
nurses don't approve of them. So the
flowers for Esmond were set in the
great window at the end of the corri-
dor. But tones single rose so struck
the nurse with its beauty and modesty
Vase on a low shelf near Esmond's
bed. The great surgeon in attendance
turned to order it away, but when its
strange beauty smiled on him he ex-
! amined it carefully.
: THE most exquisite thing I ever
, saw" he said to the nurse. ''In fact, !
never saw one like it\before< A brown
rosa golden brown rose! How
wonderful!' And he let it stay.
Hours later Carlton opened his eyes
His head was tightly bandaged and
; one of his legs was in cast. He
, glanced toward the nurse, who was
engrossed in a magazine.
After a few moments Of silence his
, pain-dulled glance frightened as il
fell on the velvet rose.
Bring it closer" he ordered the
/ nurse.
} You mustn't talk" she said Sc
vereiy.
: II won't, if you'll bring me the
rose" he promised.
! How lovely" he murmured. Just
the color of the eyes of a little girl I
played with once a long time ago.
; slipped into sleep.
That night he awoke again.
I've got it!'' the nurse heard him
} chuckle family from his bed. "Ona.
, that's it! Ona-she must be grown
| up by now" And the nurse, being
only a nurse. took his temperature
again. and entered the word "deIiri-
Gus" on her chart. But she did take
care of the rose. She must have
credit for that, She kept the water
fresh and extended it's life whole
day by sca1ding and clipping its stem.
Also she brought it to him to look at
whenever he wished, and besides for
long hours he lay and watched it from
| his bed. Once he had touched its
golden velvet brown with his unbound
hand. and smiled, Just like her eyes, y
! he said gently. THE next morning the
nurse gave a little exclamation of re-
Eret when she found a shower OF