The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Heart of the Rose, by Mabel A. McKee

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Title: The Heart of the Rose

Author: Mabel A. McKee

Release Date: August 10, 2008 [EBook #26254]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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The Heart
of the Rose

By
MABEL A. McKEE

[Device]

NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO
Fleming H. Revell Company
LONDON AND EDINBURGH

Copyright, 1913, by
FLEMING H. REVELL
COMPANY ...

New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave.
London: 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street

The Heart of the Rose

He was her brother. The thought gave her the same thrill this morning as
it had given her on a morning seventeen years back, when the old family
doctor had laid a tiny bundle in her arms and said, "You'll have to be
his sister and mother both, Elizabeth."

Her twelve years then hung heavily on her; her little face, stained
with the marks of recent tears, took on a warmer glow as she touched the
baby's hand. She had unfolded the baby blanket and slipped on his first
little clothes. And as she dressed him, she felt a sense of loss; with
every fresh garment he seemed to become less of an angel and more of a
human being. The same feeling of loss was now in her heart as she folded
his great Indian blankets, slipped his photographs into the case and
filled the nooks and crevices of his trunk with "little surprises" to
drive away the first bitter longings for home. She lifted a thick white
wool sweater; it brought the memory of a little soft flannel shirt. She
buried her face in its folds and murmured in a tearful voice, "Why, he
is my man brother and I am sending him from home to college."

* * * * *

His foot sounded on the stairway; his clear boyish voice called, "Beth,
where are you?"

Before she could answer he entered the room. Throwing several bundles
onto the bed, he gave a sigh of relief. He tugged impat