The Story Teller, ROSA DEAN.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 201, 9 June 1893, Page 7

The Story Teller, ROSA DEAN.

‘ Edwin, our engagement must be broken off! It is from this hour, whether you would have it so or not.’ ‘ And yet you say you love ine ’ ‘ Belter than life, dear.’ The words seemed wrung from the girl against her will. ‘ But I have no right to hold your promise when I may never De able to fulfil mine. ‘As long as Ralph needs me.’ That is what I promised mother, and he may need me as long as I live.’

‘ Why, can you not care for him and be my wife, too ?’

‘ For this reason. He is determined to go West to take up a claim ; could I go with him if I were your wife ?’ * Do you say you mean to ge- ’ ‘We start early next week. It may be hard, but will be easier than to see n>y twin brother go into a drunkard’s grave. We shall be on the prairie, Ralph says, away from saloons and temptation, and he thinks he can become strong enough there to control himself.’

* I shall not consider our engagement broken,’ Edwin had said when he bade Rosa good'bye. ' I shall wait for you and you must brighten the days of waiting by an occasional letter.’ Nearly two years had passed, and for the last three months Ralph had been very steady. Hope’s song bin s again took possession of Rosa’s heart. There had been days when it seemed as if her heart must break, for Ralph had found that his was a form of temptation not easy to run away from, and the new life had been worse than the old. The dreaded praire fires had swept over that part of the world, leaving a mantle of dreariness behind ; but the bright October sunshine shone across the white floor of the little cabin, making a gay rug for Rosa’s feet, as she sat by the window among her flowers, reading a letter from Edwin, He wrote :

‘Do you think that Ralph needs you now more than Ido ? Have you any idea what it meant to me to read in your last letter that he is doing better ? Oh, Rosa, I have been too happy ever sir.ce to know whether I appear natural or not ! ‘lf you hear that I am under arrest for insanity, please come and testify that you sent me a letter containing a word of hope that you might some day come to me 1 No one, seeing you, will wonder that I gc wild with joy. If you were here I could not say this, for your dear hand would cover my mouth. ;Tt does sound extravagant, I admit, hut think how hard it is for me to go to a boarding house after a long day in the counting-house. It has become harder since all my leisure moments are given to dreaming of a pretty little home which will one day be ours, ‘ I shou'dn't dare to tell you how many times I have gone to look at a certain little house which is to be offered for sale very soon. ‘ I like to picture you in your garden, and among your flowers, bat you must not try to care for the young trees ; it would be better for Ralph to lose the tree claim than for you to lose your health. Why did yon cut your hair ? The short curls may be very becoming, but they make ine think of masculine women I have known Please let them grow again ; I do not want you to be very much changed when I see you. Every day, when I know I may expect a letter from you, the thought comes : perhaps this will tell me when she is coming home ! Dear, I want you ! I waut you ! Rosa read and re-read the precious letter ; but between the lines her mother’s last words seemed written in letters of fire, * Rosa, dear, promise me that you will not leave Ralph as long as he needs you. Ralph is weak, but you are strong, and can make a good man of him.’ ‘ What would Edwin say if he knew that I sold my hair to buy flour, and that, if the tree-claim is lost, nothing remains ?’ There were tears in the girl’s eye 3 as she arose to put the letter away ; and when she resumed her seat she could scarcely see through them to distinguish the features of the man who stood in the half open doorway.! ‘ He’s gotketched, mis?,’ he said. ‘ Who ? What do you mean ?’ ‘ I guess you know.’

‘ Do you mean my brother Ralph ? Has anything happened to him ?’ The man nodded, and looked away from the swiftly paling face, out through the little cabin window to the leafless grove of year-old trees, which had been planted by the girl’s slender hands. He shifted his weight uneasily from one foot to the other, his slow mind struggling to find a pleasant combination of words in which to clothe the remainder of his message. ‘ They hang horse thieves here,’ he finally blurted, his face turned away from the girl ; then the door closed behind his retreating form, and she was left alone.

‘ I have orders that no one shall see him, miss,’ said the man on guard before the heavy door of the rude buildiug in which horse thieves were confined, but which their murderers entered easily. ‘ But you will let me see him,’ replied the girl softly. ‘ I hate to disappoint you, but orders were strict. We’re going to make a great effort to keep him from Judge Lynch’s boys.’ *He is the only relative I have in the world,’ faltered the girl. ‘ Please let me see him ! He is my twin. I promise not to stay long, and I will not tell that you disobeyed orders. You cannot be so cruel as to refuse.’ ‘ I oughtn’t to let you in,’ said the man, slowly pushing aside the heavy bolt which held the door, ‘ but you may stay ten minutes, not longer. It will go hard with me if you are found in there,’ He opened the door, and in another moment the brother gand sister were locked in each other’s arms,

‘ Ralph, Ralph ! why did you do it ?’ * I didn’t mean to, Rosa ; it was done before I thought.’ ‘ I don’t understand—had you been drinking ?’ ‘ Yes, Rosa. The boyish face was flushed with shame. ‘ You promised ’ ‘ I know. I meant to keep my word, I wish I could tell you how sorry I am !’ ‘ Where is the horse ?’ ‘ Dead in Nine Mile Slough. I rode him to death ; but I did not know what I was doing. Rosa, please believe me ; I will never drink again.’ ‘ Ralph, yi u must go away at once ; they mean to ki'l you ,’ ‘ How can I ? Oh, Rosa, save me ! It was dene when I did not know what I was doing,’ ‘ Will you promise solemnly before God never to taste strong drink ?’ ‘ I promise t efore God never again to taste intoxicating drinks.’ ‘ You must put on my clothes and walk out, with my veil over your face. We are so much alike that no one will mistrust.’ * But you, Rosa ?’ ‘ Don’t worry about ine ; they will not harm a girl who has done nothing worse than saved the live of her brother. Hurry Ralph ! I was allowed only ten minutes ! The exchange of clothing was quicklj made, and again the brother and sister were locked in each other's arms. ‘ Write as soon as you are safe,’ she whispered, ‘ and I will join you at once 1 Time’s up !’ called the watchman, casting a glance of pity on the closely veiled form which swept past him through the little hall out into the twilight. He retraced his steps to the dimly-lighted cell ; the prisoner knelt by the wooden pallet, and he passed on without speaking. ‘Dear God,’ she wbispe:ed, ‘I pray Thee watch over my poor weak brother. Help him to overcome the habit which enslaves him, and let him never touch what does not belong to him. Help him—— Nearer and yet nearer sounded the tumult, swelled now to an angi’y roar. The girl raised her head to listen, then buried her face in the pallet again, and once more began her prayer for her brother. A hundred angry voices, twice a hundred trampling feet, filled the air with a volume of sound that rose above, and made as silence the piteous pleading of the girl. iSlie arose to her feet, wishing that her hair was long, that she might be more quickly recognised. The flickering torchlights penetrated the heavy darkness, revealing only the great frightened eyes, and the merest outline of the pale face pressed against the bars. More and more terrible became the uproar, There was a crasii of splintering ■ wood ; dozens of strong hands, any one of ! which could have strangled the life from

the shrinking form, were stretched towards it. They bound ft with ropes, dragged it through stony streets, beat it, kicked it, hung it to a wayside tree, and left it, bruised and lifeless. Much whisky had been drunk that cour age for the work might not be wanting ; the air was filled with howls and oaths to keep men nerved to the task they had set themselves, and not one sound of the girlish voice was heard by the crazy mob. ‘ Give him a chance to speak,’ called one, when the rope had been adjusted ; but Rosa had fainted, and in the heavy darkness she met her death.

The next day pale-faced men avoided the eyes of their friends, and wept over the body of sweet Rosa Dean, and for a little while no one drank to the honour of Judge Lynch 1 In the little cabin dust is gathering on the scanty furniture, and not even a chair has been moved from the place where it was set by the small hands which have been at rest so long. The trees which Rosa cared for are choked with weeds and have ceased to grow. There are men living near the mining town who had sufficient courage to enable them to help to hang the owner of that little frontier claim ; but they cannot be induced, for love, hate, or money, to pass that cabin alone at night. In an Eastern city a young man with snow-white hair still toils all day in his oounting-rcom, and at night goes to the boarding house which he calls home. He is never seen to pass the pretty cottage which he bought and sold within a week. One life lost, one for ever saddened, that the poor wretch, who to-day was laid in a drunkard’s grave, might be saved.