第28章 Miss Dangerlie's Roses(5)

"Oh! it is not worth anything as land," he said, "but I love the association.

My mother was brought up there, and I keep up the garden just as it was.

You shall have the roses.Some day I want to see you among them."Just then there was a step behind him.She rose.

"Is it ours?" she asked someone over her shoulder.

"Yes, come along."

Floyd glanced around.It was the "son of the great Router".

She turned to Floyd, and said, in an earnest undertone, "I am very sorry;but I had an engagement.Good-by." She held out her hand.

Floyd took it and pressed it.

"Good-by," he said, tenderly."That is all right."She took the-son-of-the-great-Router's arm.

.....

One afternoon, a month after Miss Dangerlie's reception, Henry Floyd was packing his trunk.He had just looked at his watch, when there was a ring at the bell.He knew it was the postman, and a soft look came over his face as he reflected that even if he got no letter he would see her within a few hours.

A large box of glorious old-fashioned roses was on the floor near him, and a roll of money and a time-table lay beside it.He had ridden thirty miles that morning to get and bring the roses himself for one whom he always thought of in connection with them.

A letter was brought in, and a pleased smile lit up the young man's face as he saw the handwriting.He laid on the side of the trunk a coat that he held, and then sat down on the arm of a chair and opened the letter.His hand stroked it softly as if it were of velvet.

He wore a pleased smile as he began to read.Then the smile died away and a startled look took its place.The color faded out of his face, and his mouth closed firmly.When he was through he turned back and read the letter all over again, slowly.It seemed hard to understand;for after a pause he read it over a third time.Then he looked straight before him for a moment, and then slowly tore it up into thin shreds and crumpled them up in his hand.Ten minutes later he rose from his seat and dropped the torn pieces into the fireplace.He walked over and put on his hat and coat, and going out, pulled the door firmly to behind him.The trunk, partly packed, stood open with the half-folded coat hanging over its edge and with the roses lying by its side.

Floyd walked into the Club and, returning quietly the salutations of a group of friends, went over to a rack and drew out a newspaper file, with which he passed into another room.

"Announcement of Engagement: Router and Dangerlie," was the heading on which his eye rested."It is stated," ran the paragraph, "that they have been engaged some time, but no announcement has been made until now, on the eve of the wedding, owing to the young lady's delicacy of feeling."That night Henry Floyd wrote a letter.This was the close of it:

"Possibly your recollection may hereafter trouble you.I wish to say that I do not hold you accountable in any way."That night a wretched creature, half beggar, half worse, was standing on the street under a lamp.A man came along.She glanced at him timidly.

He was looking at her, but it would not do to speak to him, he was a gentleman going somewhere.His hands were full of roses.

He posted a letter in the box, then to her astonishment he stopped at her side and spoke to her.

"Here are some roses for you," he said, "and here is some money.

Go home to-night."

He pushed the roses and money into her hands, and turning, went back up the dim street.