The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1932-08-19
The Last
Stitch
90 by Mcclure Newspaper syndicats.)
(WNIJ S0rvIcal
BY ROSE MEREDITH

II OSE Clemens sounds like the name
~ Of pretty young girl. And in.
deed when Rose was a little younger,
she was prettier than most of them.
Today, Rose Clemens, not SO young and
pretty, sat and sewed all day long.
She only stopped for cup Of tea and
. bit to eat, or to f1t some customer
Of the village who wanted new pat
tern, for Rose was the only dress
maker In the village and busy from
morning until night.
She lived all alone In the cottage
because all her family had either
married and moved to other houses,
or, as In the case Of her parents, had
died. So Rose Clemons lived all
alone in the small white house, no
longer young. and yet not old. and al
though she had host Of friends and
plenty Of relatives, she was not re-
signed to single blessedness-not at
all
This afternoon, she was sewing, as
matchmaking 4 new silk dress for
Mrs. Cheeseman, who lived up on the
hill In the large white house. Mrs.
Cheeseman was very gracious and al
ways most considerate Of Rose Glenn
ems. you know we are expecting the
new minister tonight" she said, just
before she left. "My husband has In
vited him to stay few days with US,
until the manse is quite ready. He
seems to be such a splendid mani
am hoping that he will fall in love
with one Of our girls and marry. A
wife is such a great help to minis
ter, I believe" And Mrs. Cheeseman
had hurried out to her car and the
very smart chauffeur had driven away
with a great air, and Rose Clemens
had settled down to her sewing
again. She wondered rather casually
about the new minister, whom she had
not as yet seen. He had preached
twice at the church. but 1t was dur
ing the month she had been In the
city sewing for Mrs. Cheeseman, so
all she knew about him was that he
was evidently very popular with
everybody who had seen him or heard
him, and his name was John Harry
Jones.
AS that happened to be the name Of
the only man Rose Clemens had ever
wanted to marry, and had refused be-
cause he had been so wild and reek-
less, she was rather curious to see
him. OF course her Harry Jones had
gone to the dogs long ago-at least
people who claimed TO know the
Jones family after they had removed
from the village always said so.
The very first Sunday that the new
minister preached, Rose Clemens, in
q soft blue dress and hat, with love
ly pink rose at her breast, came soft
ly up the aisle to her pew.
Perhaps Rose had been thinking
about the poor black sheep, Harry
Jones, whom she had loved SO long
ago, and when she sat there with
closed eyes, while the organ softly
played the prelude, she was praying
for that poor lost Jones boy who had
flung away SO recklessly when she
told him that she did not love him
Then the organ doomed out trium-
phantly and Rose lifted her head to
see a tall man ascending the steps to
the pulpit.
1t was long service-a glorious
service-and, when 1t was over, Rose
Clemens hastened down the aisle and
out of the door and into her small
house little way down the street.
When she got there, she went upstairs
to her own room, and took off her blue
hat and knelt down and prayed q
thanksgiving for the safe return of
Harry Jones!
Then she went downstairs and made
her preparations for dinner. Sudden
ly she noticed a group of women and
girls pausing before her gate, while
the tall minister broke away from
them, with some pleasant word, and
came around to her side door! Not
to the front door-that would be too
formal, for her old friend, Harry
Jones, even II he was a reverend now !!
He raped at the screen door and
then opened 1t and came right In. 81
haven't forgotten old tricks, Rose" he
told her, and there was an eager look
In his eyes as she gave him both her
hands.
''Harry JONES'" she said with tears
In her lovely long-lashed eyes, "you
have made me SO happy-to come
back to us this wayw
II am glad, Rose" he said simply.
sam too later he asked.
''No-dinner will be ready in five
minutes, and"
"Dinner?" interrupted the minister,
placing his panama hat on small
table. "Rose Clemens, there Is an
question that must be set
tied before either one Of us eats to-
day."
"YesT" trembled Rose.
II told in my sermon just how
went away. a reckless, foolish young
man, but / did not tell, Of course, that
1t was the contempt Of the only girl
/ had ever loved that sent me awayi
l went to the city and got real job.
and when my people came later on,
lived with them, went to night school,
then to college, and. finally, to divin-
ity school. This is my first parish.
And the very first thing that do. now
that my first day here is passing. Is
to come to the only girl that / ever
loved in all the world and ask her II
she can learn to love me nowl''
"Oh Harry-Haxry," she whis-
pered, coming to him and grasping his
onaf 1apo1 aIf vou onlv knou fho