Show 0 IV C ITE HE was wa very pretty there wa no doubt whatever S about that and harold vane who liked to loo it nt at pretty things of all kinds especially women lingered 1 tn the shadow shado of the hallway and watched pretty maud ethlyn us as she ehe sat eat at the old fashioned fireplace one foot rest resting ingon on the brass andiron and her curl crowned head bead bent low as with a tiny gold penell pencil she alie wrote something on a sheet of note paper which reposed woman fashion lu in her lap presently the writing cheated and tin the fair writer thinking herself alone proceeded in a way she had 0 to o talk I 1 to her own charming sell and harold the man who listened excused himself on the plea that what she was saying could be no secret or she would not utter it aloud al oud even though supposing her acif to bo be alone alono and this Is what he heard yes cupid I 1 have written a valentine to the one who la is destined destine d by you to be my fate for according to maidens belief only he my 0 own wn true lover can find it and answer it hence should an am answer come tt it will be a absolute b proof to me that the writer of it Is my future lord and master and she made a little curtsey before the long pier glass and snatching sn atch a soft wool shawl from the sofa adlie lie wound it about her head bead and shoulders and the valentine in her hand went out on to the porch and ran down the garden path harold from the hall window discreetly watching her as she ehe went lightly down past the old moss grown well to the some abut hut bleak and deserted summer made mada a little curtsey house where lie he saw her slip th the valentine e under a loose stone at the sill and then for reasons of hla his own not wishing to be discovered by the fair writer or of the tha valentine he swiftly left the house ty by another path making a circuit circus which in a n few moments brought biln also to the he summer house where ho he deftly abstracted the valentine not pausing paual ng however to read it until bately within his own bachelor quarters lut but haying having reach 4 them he could no longer brook delay and wita hat but aud and overcoat still on he drew from hla his pocket the tiny sheet of note paper and mad in mauds graceful chirography the following aora taint saint on an earth sor nowhere litre they tell ina in III a valentine I 1 LI r R ve anil and heuler and loyal alway and destined some lay day to toa be mine coin can you rot inot find him blin and toll tell him duly another heart hart tender and true As A a Valent fits Is in waltina waiting tor for him and to aric her lot let him ask ark you early the next visited the summer house and while not lot really expecting to fand her valentine RODS gone she bho did hope that it might be so eagerly raised the stone at the mill anti and savo gave n little shir shirleta letz of girlish delight at finding her hope realized allied re yes her valentine was un ably goue gone dut but who could have taken it anil naj whoever it was it was quite shabby of 0 him riot not to have answered it could it have been that beaving loy cousin ot hers here it so go she bhe would d noyer hear tho the last ot of it but no jim would never havo have put the tha stone back bach properly laud alaid was becoming a good detective at least in affairs of 0 love at but who could it have been she felt certain 01 that to no one had seen her deposit her he valentlna valentine th there ere under the stone lt hero ero it being gone would argue that fate had indeed been at work laj behalf but who was the man mant i and eliud mopped down on the nia tic sent loftt albeit not a manlif mant if spot in winter to meditate anil and at some conclusion undisturbed she really did hope that it was not the young for she he was not at all up la in theology and was quite too loo undignified for a clergy clergyman mans wife and the ruling doctor would not do nice an he ha la Is she he said emphatically for I 1 never could be sweet and amiable enough to share shara him with all the other women la in the towns town she paused a moment and then continued ralph la Is a bright young lawyer but so BO metaphysical and while I 1 can occasionally casio caslo nally assume an aa interest la in metaphysics lih that mental diet dally daily would be very wearing but dont you think MIB aless maud she continued gayly to herself that you yon are presuming a great deal in taking it for granted that any one of these gentlemen wishes to be your valentine oh ob no nol I 1 I 1 do not flatter myself hut but the eligible young men in town aral ara so BO few that I 1 must mention them all to find somebody so I 1 might as aa well refer to the others reginald cornea comes next find and he does a waltz divinely but waltzing Is not very profitable and I 1 fear it la is poor Reg It eggles gies strongest point tom to in intellectual but he be has haa such a dreadful temper that I 1 should feel all the time as though I 1 were living with dynamite joe la Is a tyrant and he be Is so insanely jealous now I 1 love to have my own way or think I 1 do and if a man were determined to be jealous anyway I 1 am afraid I 1 might be tempted to teare him a little so BO that combination would not do at all only two are left jack and harold and jack Is 18 a dear good boy hut but not at all commanding sho she had forgotten that she discarded joe because he be was and last but not least there Is if harold rut dut what she thought ot at him the little lady did not say that evening as aa she agal again n ant katat ast the old fireplace feeling it must be b con confessed somewhat disappointed at the non arrival of her valentine a white missive evidently tossed to in through the open hall ball window fell at her feet dut but no one was la in eight and full of eager expectation maud opened the seated sealed missive oh how rom romantic antiel I 1 how she exclaimed as with and dancing eyes she read 0 sweetheart manol I 1 have no sitt to t offer so bo priceless as aa thou artt ant ionly I 1 only come a lover true and tender and bring to you my heart then as she turned hor her head bead the door behind her opened softly an and d somebody ome body took hor her in hla his arms and kisses silenced the protests of her lips A little struggle a womans comans last at pretense of battle before the surrender she is happy in making and than maud with all the tender love of her heart shining in her bar glorious eyes whispered softly 0 harold I 1 I 1 am so glad it was you |