Rose of Old Harpeth, Page 2

  CHAPTER II

  THE FOLKS-GARDEN

  "Well," said Uncle Tucker meditatively, "I reckon a festibul on abirthday can be taken as a kind of compliment to the Lord and nospecial glorification to yourself. He instuted your first one Himself,and I see no harm in jest a-marking of the years He sends you. Whatare Sister Viney's special reasons against the junket?"

  "Oh, I don't know what makes Aunt Viney feel this way!" exclaimed RoseMary with distress in her blue eyes that she raised to Uncle Tucker's,that were bent benignly upon her as she stood in the barn door besidehim. "She says that as the Lord has granted her her fourscore years byreason of great strength, she oughtn't to remind Him that He hasforgotten her by having an eighty-second birthday. Everybody inSweetbriar has been looking forward to it for a week, and it was goingto be such a lovely party. What shall we do? She says she just won'thave it, and Aunt Amandy is crying when Aunt Viney don't see it. She'smade up her mind, and I don't know what more to say to her."

  "Rose Mary," said Uncle Tucker, with a quizzical smile quirking at thecorners of his mouth, "mighty often the ingredient of permanency isleft out in the making up of a woman's mind, one way or another. Can'tyou kinder pervail with your Aunt Viney some? I've got a real hankerafter this little birthday to-do. Jest back her around to another viewof the question with a slack plow-line. Looks like it's too bad to--"

  "Rose Mary, oh, Rose Mary, where are ye, child?" came a call in ahigh, sweet old quaver of a voice from down the garden path, and MissAmanda hove in sight, hurrying along on eager but tottering littlefeet. Her short, skimpy, gray skirts fluttered in the spring breezesand her bright, old eyes peered out from the gray shawl she held overher head with tremulous excitement. She was both laughing and pantingas Rose Mary threw her arm around her and drew her into the door ofthe barn. "Sister Viney has consented in her mind about the party, allalong of a verse I was just now a-reading to her in our morninglesson. Saint Luke says: '_It is meet that we should make merry and beglad, for this thy brother was dead and is alive again_,' and at thesame minute the recollection of how sick Mr. Mark has been hit usboth. 'There now,' she says, 'you folks can jest go on with that partyto-day for the benefit of our young brother Everett's coming to sogood after all his sufferings. This time I will consider it asinstituted of the Lord, but don't nobody say birthday next April, ifI'm here, on no account whatever.' I take it as a special leading tome to have read that verse this morning to Sister Viney, and won'tyou please go over and tell Sally Rucker to go on with the cake, RoseMary? Sister Viney called Jennie over by sun-up, when she took thisnotion, and told her to tell her mother not to make it, even if shehad already broke all the sixteen eggs."

  "Yes, Aunt Amandy, I'll run over and tell Mrs. Rucker, and then wewill begin right away to get things ready. I am so glad Aunt Vineyis--"

  "Rose Mamie, Rose Mamie," came another loud hail from up the pathtoward the house and down came the General at top speed, with a plumysetter frisking in his wake. "Aunt Viney says for you to come there toher this minute. They is a-going to be the party and it's right by theBible to have it, some for Mr. Mark, too. Tobe Poteet said 'shoo' whenI told him he couldn't come, 'cause they wasn't a-going to be no partyon account of worrying the Lord about forgetting Aunt Viney, and Iwas jest a-going to knock him into stuffings, 'cause they can'tnobody say 'shoo' at the Bible or Aunt Viney neither, to me, whenthere Aunt Viney called for us to go tell everybody that the party wasa-going off and be sure and come. I believe God let her call me beforeI hit Tobe, 'cause I ain't never hit him yet, and maybe now I neverwill have to." The General paused, and an expression of devoutthankfulness came into his small face at thus being saved thenecessity of administering chastisement to his henchman, Tobe theadventurous.

  "I believe he did, Stonie, and how thankful I am," exclaimed littleMiss Amanda, with real relief at this deliverance of young Tobe, whowas her especial, both self-elected and chosen, knight from theGeneral's cohorts.

  "Yes'm," answered Stonie. "Come on now, Rose Mamie! Put your hand onme, Aunt Amandy, and I'll go slow with you," and presenting his sturdylittle shoulder to Miss Amanda on one side and drawing Rose Maryalong with him on the other, Stonewall Jackson hurried them both awayto the house.

  "Well," remarked Uncle Tucker to himself as he took up a measure ofgrain from a bin in the corner of the feed-room and scattered some infront of a row of half-barrel nests upon which brooded a dozencomplacent setting hens, "well, if the Lord has to pester with theaffairs of Sweetbriar to the extent Stonie and the sisters, Rose Mary,too, are a-giving Him the credit of doing looks like we might bea-getting more'n our share of His attentions. I reckon by the time Hegets all the women and children doings settled up for the day He findssome of the men have slipped the bridle and gone. That would accountfor some of these here wild covortings around in the world we hearabout by the newspapers. But He'll git 'em some day sure as--"

  "Am I interrupting any confidence between you and the Mrs. Biddies,Mr. Alloway?" asked Everett, as he stood in the barn door with a panin one hand and a bucket in the other.

  "No, oh, no," answered Uncle Tucker with a laugh. "I was jestremarking how the Almighty had the lasso of His love around the neckof all the wild young asses a-galloping over the world and would throw'em in His own time. Well, I hear you're a-going to get a sochulbaptism into Sweetbriar along about a hour before sundown. Better partyour hair in the middle and get some taller for your shoes."

  "I will, most assuredly, if that's what's expected of me for theceremony," answered Everett with a delightful laugh. "Here's a pan ofdelicacies for the hens, and this bucket is for you to bring someshelled corn for Miss Rose Mary to parch for them, when you come tothe house."

  "I'm not a-counting on going any time soon," answered Uncle Tuckerwith a shrewd glance up at Everett as he came and stood in thedoorway beside the tall young man, who lounged against one of the doorposts. Uncle Tucker was himself tall, but slightly bent, lean andbrown, with great, gray, mystic eyes that peered out from under bushywhite brows. Long gray locks curled around his ears and a rampantforelock stood up defiantly upon his wide, high brow. At all times hisfirm old mouth was on the eve of breaking into a quizzical smile, andhe bestowed one upon Everett as he remarked further:

  "The barn is man's instituted refuge in the time of mop and broomcyclones in the house. I reckon you can't get on to your rock-pickingin the fields now, but you really hadn't oughter dig up an oil-wellto-day anyway; it might kinder overshadow the excitement of theparty."

  "Mr. Alloway, has any other survey of this river bend been madebefore?" asked Everett as he looked keenly at Uncle Tucker, while helit his cigar from the cob pipe the old gentleman accommodatinglyhanded him.

  "Well, yes, there was a young fellow came poking around here not solong ago with a little hammer pecking at the rocks. I didn't pay muchattention to him, though. He never stayed but one day, and I wasa-cutting clover hay, and too busy to notice him much 'cept to ask himin to dinner. He couldn't seem to manage his chicken dumplings forfeeding his eyes with Rose Mary, and he didn't have time to give upmuch information about sech little things as oil-wells and phosphatebeds. You know, they has to be a good touch of frost over a man's earsbefore he can tend to business, with good-looking dimity passingaround him." And Uncle Tucker laughed as he resumed the puffing of hispipe.

  "And after the frost they are not at all immune--to such dimity,"answered Everett with an echo of Uncle Tucker's laugh, as a slightcolor rose up under the tan of his thin face. As he spoke he ruffledhis own dark red mop of hair, which was slightly sprinkled with gray,over his temples. Everett was tall, broad and muscular, but thinalmost to gauntness, and his face habitually wore the expression ofdeep weariness. His eyes were red-brown and disillusioned, except whenthey joined with his well-cut mouth in a smile that brought an almostboyish beauty back over his whole expression. There was decided youthin the glance he bestowed upon Uncle Tucker, whose attention wasriveted on the manoeuvers of the General and Tobe, who were busy witha pair of old kitche
n knives in an attack upon the grass growingbetween the cracks of the front walk.

  "So you have had no report as to what that survey was?" Everett askedUncle Tucker, again bringing him back to the subject in hand. "Do youknow who sent the man you speak of to prospect on your land?"

  "Never thought to ask him," answered Uncle Tucker, still with theutmost unconcern. "Maybe Rose Mary knows. Women generally carry areticule around with 'em jest to poke facts into that they gathertogether from nothing put pure wantin'-to-know. Ask her."

  And as he spoke Uncle Tucker began to busy himself getting out thegrease cans, with the evident intention of putting in a morninglubricating the farm implements in general.

  "Your friend, Mr. Gideon Newsome, said something about a rumor ofpaying phosphate here in the Harpeth bend when I met him over inBoliver before I came to Sweetbriar. In fact, I had tried to come tolook over the fields just to kill time when I nearly killed myself andfell down upon you. Do you suppose he could have sent the prospector?"Again Everett brought Uncle Tucker back to the uninteresting topic ofwhat might lay under the fields, the top of which he was so interestedin cultivating.

  "Oh, I reckon not," answered Uncle Tucker, puffing away as he laidout his monkey-wrenches. "The Honorable Gid is up to his neck in thishere no-dram wave what is a-sweeping around over the state and prettynigh rising up as high as the necks of even private liquor bottles.Gid's not to say a teetotaler, but he had to climb into the bandwagonskiff or sink outen sight. He's got to tie down his seat in the statehouse with a white ribbon, and he's got no mind for fooling withphosphate dirt. He's a mighty fine man, and all of Sweetbriar thinks aheap of him. Do you want to help me lift this wagon wheel on to thisjack, so I can sorter grease her up against the next time I use her?"

  "Say, Uncle Tuck, Aunt Viney says for you to come right there now andbring Mr. Mark and a spade and a long string with you," came just atthe critical moment of balancing the notched plank under the revolvingwagon wheel, in Stonewall Jackson's young voice, which held in itquite a trace of Miss Lavinia's decisive tone of command. Stoniestood in the barn door, poised for instant return along the path ofduty to the front walk, only waiting to be sure his summons would beobeyed. Stonie was sturdy, freckled, and in possession of UncleTucker's big gray eyes, Rose Mary's curled mouth and more than a tingeof Aunt Viney's austerity of manner.

  "Better come on," he further admonished. "Rose Mary can't hold thatvine up much longer, and if she lets go they'll all fall down." And ashe raced up the path Everett followed almost as rapidly, urged on bythe vision of Rose Mary drooping under some sort of unsupportableburden. Uncle Tucker brought up the rear with the spade and a longpiece of twine.

  "Oh, I thought you would never come," laughed Rose Mary from half wayup the step-ladder as she lowered herself and a great bunch of buddinghoneysuckle down into Everett's upstretched arms. "I held it up aslong as I could, but I almost let it tear the whole vine down."

  "That's what comes from letting that shoot runcatawumpas"]

  "That's what comes from letting that shoot run catawumpas three yearsago. I told you about it at the time, Tucker," said Miss Lavinia witha stern glance at Uncle Tucker, who stood with spade and twine at thecorner of the porch.

  Miss Lavinia sat in a large, calico-cushioned rocking-chair at the endof the porch, and had been issuing orders to Rose Mary and little MissAmanda about the readjustment of the fragrant vine that trailed acrossthe end of the porch over her window and on out to a trellis in theside yard. Her high mob cap sat on her head in an angle of aggressionalways, and her keen black eyes enforced all commands issuing from herstern old mouth.

  "Now, Amandy, train that shoot straight while you're about it," shecontinued. "It comes plumb from the roots, and I don't want to have tolook at a wild-growing vine right here under my window for all myeighty-second and maybe last year."

  "I've gone and misplaced my glasses and I can't hardly see," answeredMiss Amanda in her sweet little quaver that sounded like a silver bellwith a crack in it. "Lend me your'n, Tucker!"

  "You are a-going to misplace your eyes some day, Sister Amandy. Thenyou'll be a-wanting mine, and I'll have to cut 'em out and give 'em toyou, I suppose," said Uncle Tucker as he handed over his huge,steel-rimmed glasses.

  "The Bible says 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' Tucker,but not in a borrowing sense of the word, as I remember," remarkedMiss Lavinia in a meditative tone of voice. "And that would be thething about my getting the new teeth. Don't either of you need 'em,and it would be selfish of me to spend on something they couldn'tanybody borrow from me. Amandy, dig a little deeper around thatshoot, I don't want no puny vine under my window!"

  "I'm a-trying, Sister Viney," answered Miss Amanda propitiatingly."I've been a-bending over so long my knees are in a kinder tremble."

  "Let me finish digging and put in the new dirt for you, Aunt Amandy,"begged Rose Mary, who had given the armful of vine to Everett to holdwhile Uncle Tucker tied the strings in the exact angle indicated byMiss Lavinia. "I can do it in no time."

  "No, child, I reckon I'd better do it myself," answered Miss Amanda asshe sat back on the grass for a moment's rest. "I have dug around andtrained this vine the last week in April for almost sixty years now.Mr. Lovell brought it by to Ma one spring as he hauled his summergroceries over the Ridge to Warren County. By such care it's neverdied down yet, and I have made it my custom to give sprouts away toall that would take 'em. I'm not a-doubting that there is some ofthis vine a-budding out all over Harpeth Valley from Providence Nob tothe River bend."

  "No, Amandy," interrupted Aunt Viney, "it wasn't sixty years ago, itwas jest fifty-seven. Mr. Lovell brought the switch of it with him thefirst year Mr. Roberts rode this circuit, and he was a-holding thatbig revival over to Providence Chapel. Mr. Lovell came into the foldwith that very first night's preaching, and we all were rejoiced.Don't you remember he brought you that Maiden Blush rose-bush overthere at the same time he brought this vine to Ma? And one bloom cameout on the rose the next year jest in time to put it in his coffinbefore we buried him when he was taken down with the fever on the Roadand died here with us. Fifty-six years ago come June, and him so youngto die while so full of the spirit of the Lord!"

  Feebly Miss Amanda rose to her knees and went on with the diggingaround the roots of the vine, but Rose Mary knelt beside her and laidher strong, young arm around the bent and shaking little shoulders.Uncle Tucker rested on his spade and looked away across the gardenwall, where the little yard of graves was hid in the shadow of tallpine trees, and his big eyes grew very tender. Miss Lavinia fingered ashoot of the vine that had fallen across her thin old knees with asoftened expression in her prophet-woman face, while something new andsweet stirred in Everett's breast and woke in his tired eyes, asacross half a century was wafted the perfume of a shattered romance.

  And then by the time the vine had been trained Miss Lavinia hadthought of a number of other spring jobs that must be attended toalong the front walk and around all the clumps of budding shrubs, sowith one desperate glance toward the barn, his deserted haven, UncleTucker fell to with his spade, while Everett obtained a fork from thetool house and put himself under command. Rose Mary was sharplyrecalled and sent into the house to complete the arrangements for thefestivities, when she had followed the forker down by the lilac hedge,rake in hand, with evident intention of being of great assistance inthe gardening of the amateur.

  "Pull the dirt up closter around those bleeding-hearts, Tucker,"commanded Miss Lavinia from her rocker. "They are Rose Mary's Iplanted the identical day she was born, and I don't want anything tohappen to 'em in the way of cutworms or such this summer."

  "Well, I don't know," answered Uncle Tucker with a little chuckle inEverett's direction, who was turning over the dirt near a rose-bush inhis close vicinity, "it don't do to pay too much attention to women'sbleeding-hearts; let alone, they'll tie 'em up in their own courageand go on dusting around the place, while if you notice 'em too muchthey take to squeezing out more bleed dro
ps for your sympathy. Now, Ithink it's best--"

  "Mister Tucker, say, Mister Tucker," came in a giggle from over thefront gate as Jennie Rucker's little freckled nose appeared just abovethe top plank, only slightly in advance of that of small Peggy's."Mis' Poteet's got a new baby, just earned, and she says she is sorryshe can't come to Mis' Viney's party; but she can't."

  "Now, fly-away, ain't that too bad!" exclaimed Uncle Tucker. "Thatbaby oughter be sent back until it has got manners to wait until it'swanted. Didn't neither one of you all get here on anybody's birthdaybut your own." Uncle Tucker's sally was greeted by a duet of giggles,and the announcement committee hurried on across the street with itsnews.

  "Tucker, you Tucker, don't you touch that snowball bush with thespade!" came in a fresh and alarmed command from the rocker post ofobservation. "You know Ma didn't ever let that bush be touched afterit had budded. You spaded around it onct when you was young and uptyand you remember it didn't bloom."

  "Muster been a hundred years ago if I was ever upty about this hereflower job," he answered in an undertone to Everett as he turned hisattention to the rose-bushes at which his apprentice had been peggingaway. "At weddings and bornings and flower tending man is just a wormunder woman's feet and he might as well not even hope to turn. All hecan do is to--"

  But it was just at this juncture when Uncle Tucker's patience wasabout to be exhausted, that a summons from Rose Mary came for ageneral getting ready for the birthday celebration.

  And in a very few hours the festivities were in full swing. MissLavinia sat in state in her rocker and received the offerings andcongratulations of Sweetbriar as they were presented in variousoriginal and characteristic forms. Young Peter Rucker, still a bitunsteady on his pink and chubby underpinning, was steered forward topresent his glossy buckeye, hung on a plaited horse-hair string thathad been constructed by small Jennie with long and infinite patience.Miss Lavinia's commendations threw both donor and constructor into anagony of bashfulness from which Pete took refuge in Rose Mary's skirtsand Jennie behind her mother's chair. But at this juncture the arrivalon the scene of action of young Bob Nickols with a whole two-horsewagon-load of pine cones, which the old lady doted on for the freshingup of the tiny fires always kept smoldering in her andironed fireplacethe summer through, distracted the attention of the company and wasgreeted with great applause. Bob had been from early morning over onProvidence Nob collecting the treasures, and, seated beside him on thefront of the wagon, was Louisa Helen Plunkett, blushing furiously andmost obviously avoiding her mother's stern eye of inquiry as to whereshe had spent the valuable morning hours.

  The sensation of young Bob's offering was only offset at the unpackingof the complacent Mr. Crabtree's gift, which he bore over from thestore in his own arms. With dramatic effect he placed it on the floorat Miss Lavinia's feet and called for a hatchet for its opening. Andas from their wrappings of paper and excelsior he drew two large giltand glass bottles, one containing bay rum and the other camphor, thatprecious lotion for fast stiffening joints, little Miss Amanda heaveda sigh of positive rapture. Mr. Crabtree was small and wiry, with ahickory-nut countenance and a luscious peach of a heart, and, thoughof bachelor condition, he at all times displayed sympathetic andintuitive domestic inclinations. He kept the Sweetbriar store and wasthus in position to know of the small economies practised by the twoold ladies in the matter of personal necessities. For the months pastthey had not bought the quantity of lubricating remedies that heconsidered sufficient and this had been his tactful way of supplyingenough to last for some time to come. And from over the pile of giftsheaped around her, Miss Lavinia beamed upon him to such an extent thathe felt like following young Pete's example, committing the awfulimpropriety of hiding his embarrassment in any petticoat handy, butjust at this juncture up the front walk came the birthday cakenavigating itself by the long legs of Mr. Caleb Rucker and attended bya riot of Sweetbriar youth, mad with excitement over its safe landingand the treat in prospect. In its wake followed Mrs. Rucker,complacent and beaming over the sensation caused by this her hightriumph in the culinary line.

  "Fly-away, if that's not Providence Nob gone and turned to a cake forSister Viney's birthday," exclaimed Uncle Tucker, as amid generousapplause the offering was landed on a table set near the rocker.

  And again at this auspicious moment a huge waiter covered with littlemountains of white ice-cream made its appearance through the frontdoor, impelled by the motive power of Mr. Mark Everett's elegantlywhite-flannel-trousered legs, and guided to a landing beside the cakeby Rose Mary, who was a pink flower of smiles and blushes.

  Then it followed that in less time than one would think possible thecompany at large was busy with a spoon attached to the refreshmentswhich to Sweetbriar represented the height of elegance. Out in theworld beyond Old Harpeth ice-cream and cake may have lost caste as afashionable afternoon refreshment, having been succeeded by theimported custom of tea and scones or an elaborate menu of receptionindigestibles, but in the Valley nothing had ever threatened thesupremacy of the frozen cream and white-frosted confection. The menall sat on the end of the long porch and accepted second saucers andslices and even when urged by Rose Mary, beaming with hospitality,third relays, while the Swarm in camp on the front steps, under theGeneral's management, seconded by Everett, succeeded in obtainingsupplies in a practically unlimited quantity.

  "Looks like Miss Rose Mary's freezer ain't got no bottom at all," saidMr. Rucker in his long drawl as he began on a fourth white mound. "Itreminds me of 'the snow, the snow what falls from Heaven to earthbelow,' and keeps a-falling." Mr. Rucker was a poet at heart and ahusband to Mrs. Rucker by profession, and his flights were regarded bySweetbriar at large with a mixture of pride and derision.

  "Cal," said Mrs. Rucker sternly, "don't you eat more'n half thatsaucer. I've got no mind to top off this here good time with mustardplasters all around. Even rejoicings can get overfed and peter outinto ginger tea. Jennie, you and Sammie and Pete stop eating rightnow. Lands alive, the sun has set and we all know Miss Viney oughterbe in the house. Shoo, everybody go home to save your manners!" Andwith hearty laughs and further good-by congratulations the happylittle company of farmer folk scattered to their own roof trees acrossand along Providence Road. The twilight had come, but a very youngmoon was casting soft shadows from the trees rustling in the nightbreezes and the stars were lighting up in competition to the rays thatshot out from window after window in the little village.

  Uncle Tucker had hurried away to his belated barn duties and littleMiss Amanda into the house to stir up Miss Lavinia's fire inpreparation for their retirement, which was a ceremony of longduration and begun with the mounting of the chickens to their roosts.Miss Lavinia sat with her hands folded in her lap over a collection ofthe smaller gifts of the afternoon and her eyes looked far away crossthe Ridge, dim in the failing light, while her stern old face took onsoftened and very lovely lines. Rose Mary stood near to help her intothe house and Everett leaned against a post close on the other side ofthe rocker.

  "Children," she said with a little break in her usual austere voice,"I'm kinder ashamed of accusing the Lord of forgetting me this morningwhen I look at all these remembers of me here that my neighbors havegiven me. I found friends when I came here eighty-two years ago to-dayand as they have died off He has raised up a new crop outen their seedfor me. This rheumatism buckeye here is the present of the greatgrandson of my first beau, and this afternoon I have looked into thekind eyes of some of my friends dead and gone many a day, and haveseen smiles come to life that have been buried fifty years. I'ma-feeling thankful to be here another summer to see my friends andflowers a-blooming onct more, and come next April I am a-going towant just such another infair as this one. Now help me into bed! Youngman, you can lift me up some, I'm stiff with so long setting, and I'ma-going to want a power of rubbing this night, Rose Mary."

  So, thus held by her duties of ministration, it was quite an hourlater that Rose Mary came out of the house, which was dark andsleep-qui
et, and found Everett still sitting on the front stepssmoking and--waiting.

  "Tired?" he asked as she sank down on to the step beside him andleaned her dark head back against one of the posts that supported themass of honeysuckle vine.

  "Not much--and a heap happy," she answered, looking up at him withreflected stars in her long-lashed blue eyes. "Wasn't it a lovelyparty?"

  "Yes," answered Everett slowly as he watched the smoke curl up fromhis cigar and blow in the soft little night wind across toward RoseMary; "yes, it was a nice party. I seriously doubt if anywhere on anyof the known continents there could have been one just like it pulledoff by any people of any nation. It was unique--in sentiment andexecution; I'm duly grateful for having been a guest--even parthonoree."

  "I always think of old people as being the soft shadows that sturdylittle children cast on the wall. They are a part of the day andsunshine, but just protected by the young folks that come between themand the direct rays. They are strangely like flowers, too, with theirquaint fragrance. Aunt Viney is my tall purple flag, but Aunt Amandyis my bed of white cinnamon pinks. I--I want to keep them in bloom foralways. I can't let myself think--that I can't." Rose Mary's voicetrembled into a laugh as she caught a trailing wisp of honeysuckle andpressed a bunch of its buds to her lips.

  "You'll keep them, Rose Mary. You could keep anything you--you reallywanted," said Everett in a guardedly comforting voice. "And what areMr. Alloway and Stonie in your flower garden?" he asked in a banteringtone.

  "Oh, Uncle Tucker is the briar rose hedge all around the place, andStonie is all the young shoots that I'm trying to prune and train upjust like him," answered Rose Mary with a quick laugh. "You're mynew-fashioned crimson-rambler from out over the Ridge that I'm tryingto make grow in my garden," she added, with a little hint of bothaudacity and tenderness in her voice.

  "I'm rooted all right," answered Everett quickly, as he blew a puff ofsmoke at her. "And you, Rose Mary, are the bloom of every rose-bushthat I ever saw anywhere. You are, I verily believe, the only andoriginal Rose of the World."

  "Oh, no," answered Rose Mary lifting her long lashes for a second'sglance at him; "I'm just the Rose of these Briars. Don't you know allover the world women are blooming on lovely tall stems, where theyhave planted themselves deep in home places and are drinking theMaster's love and courage from both sun and rain. But if we don't goto rest some you'll wilt, Rambler, and I'll shatter. Be sure and takethe glass of cream I put by your bed. Good night and good dreams!"