Show THE LAST OF HER HE X ROSES T all S by J J HELT BELL author of wes macgreegor L oy py light mw k y J JOBI I 1 b h 11 WI uewl on the doorstep of lavender cottage maj carruthers shoed signs of hesitation instead of pulling the bell handle he pulled ills his gray mustache and looked baik undecidedly at the garden gate through which chic he had passed cre re his courage failed im ilni abis will never do he said to him self and with an effort he laid his big fin ier tars on the bell handle A faint tin kle and presently he was waa asking a maid who glanced admiringly at ills bla broad shoulders deis and bronzed countenance if allbe nevile was at home maj carruthers Carruth found himself tn in a 61 small mall drawing room the furniture of which was old fashioned yet arranged without primness A dainty touch was evel even where eN evident ident an aal though the season meason wis was lite 1 ftp autumn flowers abounded lie ile noticed of people as aa he had met them 20 years be fore and he observed with a bagh that ills his own likeness had no ilace laco amone them ile he out one on the piece it was waa that of a brother officer in his first campaign I 1 loor old J jck lek sighed the major she has forgotten me and she has le vou voll though votive vou ve been in your grave grav a store sore of vears ears I 1 wonder if tou ou wet E really eng to tier hei buoie he guined for the booi hid hat opened and miss liss salle avile was cominic forward to greet him do you know me 1111 hilua it v lie he stam stain know you youa of ourse course jim wa wat wai t her reply as bhe huld held out a friend hand maj was and lla ile had anticipated cited an awl awk ward inc inciting eting and at beckt a bollt re ignition tion of himself as an all old acau acquaint tint ante ance abao whoso ap appearance was a sort of resurrection but here was hilary nevile i beeching leeching lee ecea ching ing him as though lie he hid parted from her only yesterday leat erday it its s av awfully fully good of you lie he cried boyishly and then laughed lie he could not help it I 1 should have known oil by our laugh anyhow she said smiling and motioning him to a seat an I 1 I 1 should have known you by your voice ilien ihen he became grave its 20 belis ie ii a in ili december 20 henrs ears since I 1 last saw you Is it so ao much I 1 can hii h ii adly belle believe e it 11 neither can I 1 when I 1 look at iou hilary yon were always abroad any time I 1 happened to be home on leme lea e yes yea for veirs ears I 1 hid a desire to travel now I 1 in rather tired of it all and am quite content to vegetate nt at larender Lii Lai ender cottage I 1 suppose the contentment tent ment nent la Is a sign of age she 8 aid nonsense exclaimed her visitor he fie wat wa t fored forced to admit thit that imp had 1131 thiv geol her but lit hi helit heart he lit cried out that she bhe v is as sect and desirable to him na as mei I 1 in 9 she bhe said bluntly thinking to shock him not till J januari lie he returned simply and I 1 m 10 0 lie he added stoutly the maid entered with tile the tei tea tray tny and on her departure they dropped into a on oil the past the past as aa it had interested both of them it was waa natural enough that they should come to speak of jack cunningham but the major was a little surprised that ills his companion referred to her lend dead lover without great sadness though with all gentleness her aln geis lid did not tremble na its she took the photograph front from the mantelpiece td and handed it to her visitor poor old jackl jack he said softly I 1 remember the day he and I 1 went to ther to hao haae our poi portraits traits taken this this is a likeness keness il lie he won dered what else he could say after a moment he went on I 1 jack was one of those clever fellows who would have tome to the top if ho be had lived ile he gt ahead of me in everything hilary 11 1 I think you are underrating bour self gelf jim she ehe said kindly no it its a the truth but only ones once was I 1 jealous ot of hta his success there was it a silence which was broken at last by miss nevile would you like to see the companion photo to jacks jack s she asked with a taint faint smile I 1 yes es I 1 looked in vain for it on the mantelpiece excuse roe me a moment then and get it tor for you stay hilary ilary Il said the major fol lowing her to the door Is it the same as this anit he be took a worn leather case fiort hla his breast pocket Is it the same as this he asked opening the case miss nevile nealle stared tor for a moment tier her tuce face flushed crimson and then than turne very pale oh no not no she whis whispered perea and fled ahat have I 1 done he muttered have I 1 offended her t I 1 he fie looked longingly at the faded photograph in his bis hands bands how often in many a far land he had gazed on the girlish face and returned it carefully in its case cage to his pocket IT II a hostess was waa absent for several and when she returned she brought no photograph I 1 must lt I it yoi see it another ume time she said aid carelessly careless almot almost almo t coldly 1 11 I have baie surely offended he be thought tho the major miserably I 1 11 nemize wu ii 1111 hilary lary he said aloud alond trying to speak was it taken utter after i the OM 0 n I 1 chovie a ou aist j now abe one I 1 stole from your mothers dalburn la lburn 29 att fam 1 years ago he be added with a feeble laugh I 1 it it Is quite a different photo graph she replied turning away her hen bend d 1 I suppose appose iou never guessed that I 1 had one of your photos he said slowly I 1 never thought you would havo have stolen atole it jim she returned with an attempt at a smile it used to torment me sometimes so you t without a conscience after all I 1 I 1 meant that 1 I 1 I ought to have let my poor old chum jack know that I 1 had it I 1 miss nevile started stir ted what had he to do with it ita she detri demanded oh well er cr when a man a engaged to a girl er 1 hat are you talking about jim about jak jack cunningham canningham and and ou lil hilary lary M A ell el then you are talking non sense you mean there was no engage ment me n t corive ro rIve roe me forgive roe me but you see bee jak jack told nn me just before we were ordered to india that he had an understanding with il i ohal oh and liter later lie he told me he hoped soon to be formally engaged I 1 was mas going to witte sou I 1 wanted to be the first you know but he be begged me to delly a little and then came that night in the hills when we were at attacked taked and nearly cut to pieces and jali jade give sned my life rind and and hobt his bis own NT mij ij stopped speaking and walked over to the w window inflow miss nalle nei ile hid her face in her hands her heart was la in a turmoil could slip she tell her old friend her old I 1 lin I 1 U TOO TOOK IT friend who might have been so much iloie ore to lier her that the man who had saved his life had ano also deceived him that the heio had lied alc d and stolen a double happiness she could not tell him and she would mould not had it not been for tack lack she would mould not have baie lost jim carruthers Carru theis for the best yeats of her life and his how bow she hated the liar yet hid had it not been for jick J ick cunningham she ahe would have lost jim fale el ilow how she bhe blessum the hero berol and now she must allow the man bhe loved to be aliee that hit her feirt had bad bom bern his old chums bum s even as the litter had bad said the kijor came hick back aiom the window and touched her really on the I 1 t hive haie spoken about it hilary I 1 in coiry very seiri tint that I 1 ve hurt you and I 1 ve wished often that I 1 could have changed places with dear old jick jack now I 1 II 11 go she rose robe and faced mill him with tearless eyes eves it if only he would mould understand a little not all without being told and oh ell if only he had been bold and a aked her a question 20 years agov ago she went with liim to the tha door and walked down the garden pith path towards the gite their tongues seemed tied until the major hitting abru abruptly aptly pointed to a rosebush and said quiet ly N ill you give me thit that rose hlll va Vs irs it if sou ou wish mish it but perhaps I 1 can ird fird you another more perfect I 1 abe he 1001 ed about her and then shook her head and sighed no adno there are no more inore you must hive have this one ic is 13 tle fie last of my roses roes jim I 1 title she ob P red with fill a thin smile c is ie bake it from tile the tern item aal ravo gave it to him lie he took it and her hind AN tit th it lie he looked it t her fice face und and s w the lines ines that lint I 1 time ime had bad begun to trace id he loved cr nore for every one I 1 tf n it wa ua lod od of vou to fi f t i 1 n io your last rose III 1111 ri he be sald paid gazing at tier her in a puzz od col fashion oh jim blip whispered 9 down my iny first rose and all my roses wei e vours ours had you asked for them you mean if K I 1 had bad come in spring lie he it if you hid had come in spring the full meaning of her words did not reach him how could it yet he Lnders understood tood enough to make him alad he h understood that in some strange way may she had kept a sn art all place in her libit for alra all these years thit somehow she hid had grawi to care toi for him in spite of jack Cunning cunninghams hams memory and ill chit it she would have we wel corned him had he tome ome to her a few felp months earlier oh fl hilary ilary he be cried when they were in the ho drawing room again 1 I could never nener have hoped for this what the last of ray my roses she asked for it its s all I 1 have to you dear jim I 1 she added halt half gayly hall sadly the major took her by the shoulders shou and look her tenderly the last of 0 your eyges to la the first of mine and go goi know how sweet it is he cried and kissed her but was it abs tbs hi last 11 net nei CH 01 ours hotl not nou cint help a woman a foolish remark now and atwi |