The gazette-times., February 19, 1915, HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 6, Image 6

nOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
The Park Goddess and the Rose
BY V. A, HUNGERFORD.
HE STOOD hesitating a moment,
then with an odd shuffling gait
made for the nearest bench. It
-was isolated from the rest of the
park by a bit of hedge. Directly be
hind the bench was a rose bush in .
full, heavy bloom. From the other
side of the hedge came childish
voices and laughter, and the chatter
of nurse maids. From farther away
came the steady drone of a lawn
moyer.
The youth he was but 22
slouched down upon the bench and
pulled his cap over his eyes. His
cheap suit was badly wrinkled as
though he had slept in It. His face
was unshaven and of a peculiar pal
lor. His expression was bitter. He
was tired and hungry and heart
sick. He had been unable to get a
single day's work since he had
started life all over again two weeks
before and his $3 was gone.
The merriment about him, the
warm sun flooding him, he sat wrapt
in brooding meditation.. What had
happened to hlra In that one long
year? Poignantly sorry for what he
had done, anxious to redeem himself,
he had looked forward to the day
when his punishment should be over,
and he could start again with a
clean slate. He had faced the world
again with squared shoulders, clear
eyed, a cheap suit, $5 and the
stigma! He hadn't figured on the
stigma. Full of good resolves, he
had started out, first in the business
section of the city, then in the lower
districts, and now in final despera
tion he had tried the fashionable
avenues, begging for odd jobs in
payment of a meal. And it had al
ways been the same. An appraising
glance, narrowed to a stare of com
prehension, refusal and the closing
of the door.
He had had nothing to eat since
the day before yesterday, and all day
thoughts kept cropping up in his
inind, thoughts that preyed through
his weakened body upon the good
resolves he had made only two weeks
before. A row of pies cooling on a
convenient window ledge, easily
within reach, had caused him agony
that brought the cold perspiration
out all over him. Nothing but the
sudden vision of gray stone walls
and a tall, iron gate saved him. He
turned and fled from temptation.
But now his eyes were furtive, his
shoulders drooped, and his step was
dead and hopeless.
A short distance away he glimpsed
a blue uniform, and drew farther
back Into seclusion on his bench. The
park policeman passed by on the
other side of the hedge. The ex
convict relaxed, and resumed his
brooding again.
He told himself there was none to
care whether he made good or not.
And there always must be somebody
to care if it's nothing but a starved
cur from the gutters to lick your
hand apologetically and wag a
friendly tail and look at you with
sympathetic eyes. He suddenly
bowed his face in his hands.
After a while he became conscious
that someone was watching him. He
raised his eyes slowly and then
stared. She stood on the grass be
fore him, a dazzle of blue silk and
brown curls and deep, gray eyes.
She was a well-trained child, but with
fine carelessness tossed aside con
ventionality to be human. She
recognized misery when she saw it.
"Are you sick?" She looked
straight at him,- and there was no
fear nor shrinking in her eyes,
"No," he said slowly, "I'm not
that is no I'm not!" That sick
ening hunger was gnawing at his
stomach again, and it was impossible
to keep his gaze off the apple she
held. He was unconscious of the
sudden greed that lit his eyes.
She was only 9, but she had heard
of such things. Her eyes widened
in incredulous amazement.
"You're hungry!"
The youth flushed, dropped his
eyes ashamed, and fingered his cap
nervously.
She thrust the apple into his hand.
"Eat it," she commanded. "And
wait here. Nurse brought lunch
with us I'll get you some."
She flashed away and he had
barely devoured the apple before she
returned, her hands full of dainty
sandwiches.
"Here quick nurse saw me, old
cat! She'll be after me!" She
crowded the food into his hands.
"Good-by!"
The nurse's shocked face appeared
around the end of the hedge. The
little girl's expression changed from
sympathy Jor the youth to impudence
for the nurse. In sheer Impiahness
she pulled the rose from her bair and
tossed it toward him. It fell at his
feet.
"E-liz-a-beth!" The nurse's
shocked voice followed the child, as
with a peal of merry laughter, a
flash of blue silk and flying curls,
she disappeared around the other
end of the hedge.
The youth ate the food greedily,
then picked up the rose. The brood
ing bitterness was gone from his
face; gradually hope began to dawn
in his eyes. He had had sympathy
without revulsion, charity without
condescension. The food did him
much good. The kindness did him
infinitely more It gave him confi
dence in himself. He felt suddenly
that things -were going to turn for
the better. There was good stuff In
him and he would bring It out. They
couldn't keep him down. His faith
in himself restored, and the pangs
of hunger quieted, the memory of his
temptation earlier In the day struck
him as gross weakness. He trembled
at the thought of It and firmly de
cided to stay straight, no matter what
happened. He never wanted to see
the inside of a jail again.
The run warmed him pleasantly.
He told himself he would rest a lit
tle before again trying to get work.
He felt sure that this time he would
succeed. He settled himself com
fortably and dozed off.
He awoke with a shiver. The sun
was setting. The park was deserted.
Not a sound broke the stillness, ex
cept the bedtime fuss of birds. He
started to leave the bench when he
caught the measured crunch of
gravel beneath the tread of the park
policeman. He sat very still, hoping
the minion of the law would pass
by on the other side. He was happy
and confident, and felt he couldn't
bear the gimlet stare just then. He
glanced down at the rose he still
held, and a half smile curved his
boyish lips. He would keep that
rose always, as a sort of mascot. It
might bring him luck.
But the policeman didn't pass by
on the other side. He came and
Btood looking down upon the youth.
He recognized the "stigma" and
scowled.
"Better move on!" .And then he
saw the rose.
"Been picking flowers, eh? Don't
you know it's $10 fine to pick flowers
in the park?"
The youth went white and began
to tremble. His eyes followed 'the
policeman's glance from the rose he
held to the laden bush behind him.
The' blooms were Identical.
"I I didn't pick it!" he stam
mered; but the knowledge of the
stigma caused him to drop his eyes
guiltily.
"Don't lie!" threatened the police
man. "It's 10 bucks or 10 days
you can have your choice!"
Real terror looked out of the
youth's eyes now.
- "But but a little girl gave It to
me I didn't pick it! A little girl
in blue silk with brown curls she
gave it to me!"
' "A likely story!" The officer's
eyes swept the youth meaningly;
then he added: "The less trouble
you make, the better for you!"
The boy's eyes grew tragic with
bitterness. His pale face set in
stern, hard lines. With sneering lips
he looked down upon the flower he
held, emblem of love and friendship,
turned to a weapon against him. His
impulse was to crush It In his hand
and throw it far from him. Then
between It and him there visualized
a dainty child's fa.ce, framed in
brown curls a face innocent and
full of sympathy and confidence. A
moment he tottered on the brink of
reckless despair. Then the black
look left his face.
"It's just luck," he said to him
self reassuringly. "When I get out
I'll show them! They can't keep a
good man down! There's good stuff
and plenty of It In Billy Mc
Mahon! I'll prove "
"Are you coming?" The harsh
voice cut his thought In twain.
"Yes I'm coming."
Recent sales by the Government
totaling 126,000,000 feet of saw-timber
in the, Olympic National forest,
in Western Washington, mark the
opening of this hitherto Inaccessible
storehouse of timber, estimated to
contain a stand of 33,000,000,000
feet.
ATTIMPORTANT, that
VL you mention this
paper in answering
advertisements. '
SB
Mr NOTl BLEACH ED m9
1ST ft!
"HEART!
WHEAT
A NATION'S BRKKFASf
EVEKVWIimiE 13c.
If your dealer does not handle.
Bend 5o stamps tor regular size
package by Parcel Post to
MORGAN MILLING CO.
UOLDE.VDAI.K, WASH.
Fine Wheat Ranch
960 acres (rood land, 700 acres
fine wheat land, balance hunch
ETnss, pasture; 400 acres now in
Fall-sown groin; comfortable
buildings; on main county road,
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county scat and railroad; lo
cated In the best wheat section
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Also stock ranches. Write us.
ACME REALTY CO.
401 KqullnMc Building,
Tueoraa, Wnnh.
S. DROUTH
Prepare your soil to retain mot(itur and
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IMPERIAL I'l LVEIUZER
Paoks the subsoil and cru"hen rolls,
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the work of 3 Implements all In one trip.
C buying more Implements
uaVCS Bovwi two extra trips over the
plowed ground.
Snd at ico
lor our booklet
IVtenwm Mfir.
., 178 River
t., KfM, Ohio.
EVERYTHING FOR THE
FARM
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Wholesale Plumbing Supplies.
213 Third Sc. S49 Salmon.
Portland. Orricon.
C3
There's Great Comfort
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"Crescent"
Its leavening action
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ly moist.
Crescent Mff. Co.,
Soattlo, Vn.
GET IT FROM
OUR GROCER
25c per lb.
DRAG SAWS
Cut yoirr wood with a Vaughan Port
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pounds Can be handled by one man
or by two men on any kind of ground.
Manufactured by the
VAl'liHAX MOTOR WORKS,
SiO Eat Seventh St., Portland, Or.
Seattle Aaency TS Marlon Street,
l-'ur a l ull Description Write la.
STEAM PRESSURE
CANNING OUTFITS
Can your Fruits, Vegetables, Corn,
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Built by
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MFG. CO. ,
47 Vint St. ' Portland, Oregon.
SAVE TIM E AMI MONEY
WOOD FIBRE WALL BOARD
Cheaper than lath and plaster;
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d0 Per Thousand
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(Send for I'rre Sample)
Complete Illustrated Catalogue
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US Commercial St, Salem, Or
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A Bargain Collection ol
FLOWER SEEDS
FOR 1 3 CENTS
10 Cholo ftrlltlM, fcll DfW.
frwh mdi, lurt to trow mat
bloom thli iMton. FtBir, W
Colon I Phloi, 10 Colon; Tor
bmnm, IS Colon, Plnki, J8 Col
on; PtuniJ0 Colon; AiNn,
12 Colon; Poppy, Colon
BfcX.i 10 Wl,B Color; Mlf
nonoUft.mlTtvl nd Swt illrt
Jam. Tk 10 PukiMra7
SA.Si.7rV GOOD POULTRY
a qatrtetlr tnHz' 4tvote4 to iptrUl Crept tnd Intentlr
firming, with tpociftl ftUontlnn to tbactr uid hftndllni
poultry. Tolli how tomitk 'Wprcr ptr jwonwrfim
from &to 100 trm. Foaltry 1ono, l(fe tpi 2&o
Jncludini ftcopjr of new book, UUmIt i'tralaf . Writtkinifhl
HORIWOOO FARMS CO., SwgiUlok, Miefc
..... .nw.
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