News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1918-07-24

tAOACSlly IOllONtu ITO W t..S
place where young Esmond lay.
Some hospitals will permit no flow
ers 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 CORR
dor. But tones single rose so struck
the nurse with its beauty and modesty
that she placed it in a slender white
vase on 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 l ever
saw" he said to the nurse. "In fact, |
never saw one like it before. A brown
rosa golden brown rose! How Won
derful!" 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.
"What time is it?" he asked feebly
and the nurse arose hastily to take his
temperature.
After few moments of silence his
pain-dulled glance frightened as it fell
on the velvet rose.
"Bring it Closer" he ordered the
nurse.
"You mustn't talk" she said Sc
verely.
81 won't if you'll bring me the rose"
he promised
How lovely" he murmured Just
the color of the eyes of little girl |
played with once a Hong time ago"
And with sigh of exhaustion he Slip
ped into sleep.
That night he awoke again.
"rve 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 "deliri-
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 its life a whole
day by scalding and clipping its stem
Also she brought 1t to him to look at
whenever he wished, and besides for
long hours he lay and watched 1t from
his bed. Once he had touched Its
golden velvet brown with his unbound
hand and smiled. "Just like her eyes"
he said gently. The next morning the
nurse gave little exclamation or re-
greet when she found shower OF pet
ais around the base of The vase.
} "What is it?" he asked quickly, sit
ting up in bed.
} 1.-THE rose," she said, thoughtlessly,
'1t's deadw
"Ah-hl' he sighed, and crumpled
back into Inconsistencies again.
Three months later all society turn
ed out en- masse to attend the flower
show. Carlton Esmond was a men,
Der Of gay party that strolled by the
chrysanthemums into the rose exhibit.
He was noticeable because OF the
patch of short gray hair on one side OF
AiAo hNNAs anu lllt NuAAt ~ $50
to protect his injured leg.
Look" gestured a tall, handsome
eyed supple-bodied girl with a strong
brown hand, "look, Carl, at that won
derful golden brown rose|
He bent over the rail excitedly.
Its my rosel The one | told you
Of" he exclaimed, eagerly, hastily
making note of the name and address
of the exhibitor.
Its called" said the girl, examin-
ing the tag, "it's called the lone Won
Derby" And for the rest of the eve
ming she was puzzled at Eqmonds
seeming preoccupatiOn.
The next morning, lone was arrang-
ing some long-stemmed lilies In tail
vase. when Carlton Esmond entered.
She heard the door shut. and turned to
find his glance full upon her. For an
instant she inspected him doubtfHlly
out Of her golden brown eyes. then she
smiled and extended her hand shyly.
"They say" he said holding her
hand caressingly, that my interest In
a certain golden brown rose pulled me
through. And-and last night l saw