Show GRACES VALENTINE A crisp clear morning with a dome af pf purest blue overhead and a mantle of enow ermine underneath tho feet at an easy walking distance a sheet of frozen water so faultlessly smooth that jack frost must have swooped down upon it and concealed its surface during a calm of alic disturbing elements what could havo been more propitious for a skating party it was a pretty scene warmly clad and daintily booted flying along over tho sparkling surface of the lake went merry skaters red checks growing redder and bright eyes shining brighter clear oung voices ringing out in chimes m tinkling laughter oon and repartees rep artees and must I 1 say it occasionally casio nally a of malicious meaning veiled under honeyed sounding words such is life bitter must mingle with alic sweet and crabbed natures arc ever to be found among the funny glad spirited ones who do so much to fill our lives with happiness it was the day preceding alic one which Is marked w ith tho while pebble upon alic calendar of every child and also upon aliat of many children of a larger Is there a maiden who does not greet tho coming of st valentines daiy diy with an expectant thrill at her as alic post mans ring is heard and the w ditc w ingco messenger is delivered to her whose bold chirography at once the secret of its sender s name if EO she is an anomaly among her and and must have been aged at bicart from glicr cradle but to return to my story one swift footed fairy of ft girl was the cynosure of all cyca as she circled around as much at her casc ca sc ns bw biad been born and bred upon skates she was as pretty a picture of youthful maidenhood as one could find in a days journey she ind no lack of attendants it is one of alic peculiarities of male nature to el a value upon what is most to obtain anil alsic a great favorite was one of those rare young misses who as a usual tiling prefer girls society to boya and here let me whisper a secret such a friend is the nicest to hive one who is at all time lovable and bright and charming and whose vivacity does not depend upon alio llio masculine clement in as fully as tho brilliance of a cre docs upon a due amount of coal I 1 will not deny that elsie was very much pleased when she saw harry vail imka his appearance upon alio llio ice for although aline manly fellow who could hold his own with the best at a gamo of lase ball or at a trial with tho boxing gloves still there was an absence in him of eliat vainglorious boastfulness W which brothers arc so apt to try to impress their sisters or their girlfriends girl friends and then too lie was so sensible and in all emergencies that elsie could not any more lican liking him than the sunflower can help turning its golden leaves toward the sun as lie takes liis diurnal pilgrimage from cast to w cst owing to this prepossession in his favor lie was considered a privileged personage among the rest of tho boys for elsie allowed him to fasten the skates upon her little feet and to leold her duct and well if lie had been her shadow lie have been in more constant attendance upon her and it occasioned some heart burnings for the best skater on tho pond stairl ought not to be monopolized said one party in an injured tone and another neglected lad made a grumbling answer that it was shame and he meant to put a stop to that racket though to bo descos discos crad how he begin to ct about it as he was too shy to speak in a g ats presence and blushed to the roots of his hair if one of the pretty sisterhood addressed even alie simplest remark to him are you going to send any valentines tomorrow to morrow elsio a may hogood plating up boaire her friend 1 cs I 1 shall put one in alic post tonight for little micky in alic infant class cla ss at sunday school You him may and lies the tiling and io i o patient may bo ni send him one too now that youve put me in mind of it but arent going to have a little fuu on bour own account I 1 am mamma says im getting too big for such things but I 1 dont think so 1 I quite made up my mind yet answered elsie with a warning glance at her friend for harry waa avi pacing interested attention to aliat they were saying what do you think about it harry aho added turning smilingly toward him its to send comic onca lie answered that is if you can hit upon a good one 1 hato the ugly things exclaimed may vehemently ta never forgive any one it I 1 got one but you find out who it sni dElsio weve a visitor at our hou sc said harry and hes a perfect gem of a fellow ho can draw the cutest ti lings I 1 lc lico ru get him to scratch me off something nice and ill scud it to tho girl I 1 want to have for my valentine all through the year people cant always get what they want was mays sententious answer may bo tho one you like dont like you dont talk nonsense may said elsic and lets BOO which can first reach that stunted old tree on the other tide 0 o in another instant the merry trio ere hying over the ico in a hotly con tested caca A day later ally please let mamie turn in said a baby voice outside the door and two chubby hands pounded lustily apon the heavy oaken panels in tho hope 0 o expedite cousin allys movements another instant and tho door was and alice caught the bild up in her arms and kissed her without that she bad a compan ion in another tiny sister who had reached tho mature age of six but inc too tousin ally piped a small voice and kitty was la turn kissed and naadi it was not long before alic little runaways acro missed from tho nursery and miss alicyn young governess came in search of ars room you sho said smilingly a she her finger at kitty why did you let mamie conic and bollich miss mamie turned and I 1 turned to bring her said kilty and wu dont bother tousin ally dues we no pet not in alic least in miss alicyn I 1 promised tho children to show them my scrap album and as there aru como things in it worth alic attention of grown people perhaps j on would like to look it over with them grace alicyn accepted lie invitation and was abon engrossed with alio pictures As slie sat with her head bent and her cyc s cast down alice tool tho opportunity port unity to satisfy her wish to hive a look at her fica it had charmed bood cr artistic nature at the arst glimpse she had obtained of 51 when the evening before her cousin had introduced her to her and a closer study of it did not lessen the attraction A rich bloom lay upon the round checks and colored the pouting lips A purple blooded brooded upon the heavy curling masses of hair which had evidently been out short at no distant period for it was only aust long enough to cluster in great round rings about her head suddenly as alice gazed a death liko pallor overspread miss alloyus Alle face and sho fixed her eyes upon a picture as though fascinated by it after a timo she turned them upon alice an intense ii estion iu their brilliant depths as she asked in a low strained voice will you forgive ino if I 1 seem to bo taking the liberty hardly warranted by our short acquaintance I 1 hoar ou arc soon to be married Is that gentleman your intended husband As alice glanced at alic portrait her lips curved into an amused wayna clifton is my cousin wo arc just like brother and sister she said A low cry startled her but grace al layns next words enlightened her as to alic cause of glicr strange agitation 0 miss anstruther exclaimed hoarsely pity me I 1 alio might have been at this moment alic happiest woman upon this earth am instead the most wretched of mortals take barnin war nin from me ami guard against jealousy as on would against taking a serpent to your heart 0 W n ne I 1 sec it all now well might your love turn to hate alices beautiful acro radiant vi ith a happy thought sho wont up to grace and put her arms about glicr so you aro grace she said softly whom wayna loved so dearly his wife you naughty girl to almost bicak my poor cousins heart I 1 thought I 1 should linic you if I 1 ever met you but I 1 dont one bit I 1 love you for 1 arc that you arc as unhappy as he is and that there am been a mistake will you let mo bo peacemaker what moro ablio intended to say ro unspoken for an interruption came elsie rushed into alic room eager and gloning from her walk to the posic 0 cousin ally sec what n lovely valentine lias been sent to me and it i your stupid boughten bought cn ones its hand painted and I 1 know who did it its mr wayno clifton chos visiting harry vails brother hes his college chum harry sas grace had her self posses sion by this time and but for the trembling of tho hand stroked camies curb one would not have known that she had heard tho name ellios rosy lips biad uttered alice examined alio valentine admiringly and then handed it to grace saying wayna is quite an artist what a pretty fancy that is I 1 will leave you to look at for a moment I 1 show elsie n gift I 1 have for her cousin ally s valentine is a useful one moment ami a delighted face elsie was a sealskin skating cap alice took the opportunity to whisper to her 1 I want you to ask 11 II irav as you call him to ell mr clifton liis cousin alice is visiting at your house and eliat sho wishes to sec him as won as ho can mike it convenient to call ask harry to como with him to show him the way and mind say not liing about dinv inv to miss alicyn alien she led elsic back to alic croup she biad so lately left and said you inu t ask miss alicyn her opinion as to whether your cap is bc comin or not wait until I 1 have taken a walk in it then I 1 will ask glicr laughed alsic on alio principle thai healthy rosca make the truest kind of beauty questioned grace rousing herself with an effort from the abstracted mood into which she had fall rii then elsie vanished and after sho biad been away for some time a strange nervousness took of alice she started at overy unusual sound and it alie bell rang she would start lias tily for tho door in a very unusual manner for such a self possessed young lady grace biad taken away glicr little charges sometime before alic ring chuc which announced the arrival of alio llio visitor alice was evidently expecting she went to meet him in a of excitement wayna the said its the luckiest thing you ever did in your life to draw that Milen for sent it to my little cousin for but for that I 1 should not have known you acro here now I 1 want you to answer me a question aro you still fowl of grace I 1 ask because you wrote me such a bitter letter about her aliat I 1 am turc disappointed but faithful love civo it its sting tho animation which had waynes faco at meeting alice died out suddenly usurped by a expression dont rako up that old wound ally it is healed to bear probing do what 1 will I 1 cannot kielp loving the girl and I 1 wish I 1 could hale her the heartless coquette to play with a roans happiness and then throw him over for a richer lover aro you sure falio did that wayna am 1 suro that I 1 am alive lie answered bitterly but why do j ask I 1 will tell you ericc is hero in this house and she loves you as dearly ahyou levu lovu her it was jealousy made glicr act as she did for she told me so with teara in her cyc s wayno looked the surprise ho felt iban it was you she was jealous of ally ho said after a moments thoughtful consideration for now that you put it in that light she was never the simo after I 1 showed her your picture saying jestingly that I 1 had fallen in love wah the original she showed no signs of annoyance at the lime and like a fool I 1 kept un the delusion then I 1 grew angry at her for kerning pleased with herman attentions and we quarreled and parted you did very wrong said alice seriously and you have both been punished for playing an fn st and loose with your happiness but I 1 am mistaken thi will bo A happy tidos div to you and to grace wiit 1 moment alice after 1 brief absence returned broco followed her witti wide bouder aug eyes I 1 told you I 1 had a valentine for you miss alicyn and hero it is or rather lie is I 1 will give him into your charge and excuse myself as I 1 have letters to write will you forgive me wayne said grace looking pleadingly up into the agitated face of glicr lover as she went toward him after one incredulous look succeeded by 1 burning glow of happiness which irradiated her face upon one condition said wayne drawing her to his heart and holding her there in a bloc embrace hat our wedding take place at the lauio imo with my cousin alices that is next month wayne abid but I 1 must tell you something before wo renew our engagement I 1 am no longer my uncles I 1 am poor and um earning my own living what docs that burst in wayne impetuously I 1 did not fill in love with your uncles money it wa was s with you 1 I did not mean that wayne ant 1 shall hire to make my own things even to my wedding dress and bonnet and that give mo time and I 1 say that you could ni look nicer to my eyes in any gown than in alio acry one 3 on have on so no excuse and ill not accept it well bo married first and you div afterward spend mouths innia King ti lings as you call them biad liis way about lie marriage taking place with that of alice grace was in and looked and graceful in glicr simple dress as a s did alice in her rich toilette of satin and po mt jacc she would leavo dearly enjoyed presenting grace a trousseau as handas her own but she could not upon her to accept any tiling so catly and so she had to content herself with giving a pretty and serviceable aca act of silver for her wedding gift to her new cousin |