Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-16

THE FORGOTTEN VALENTINE.
L THE MESSENGER WHO BORE IT.


And who never delivered it. Per
hans II would have been too much TO
expect of him that he should do so;
too much to expect that the little pack
et earelessly taken and thrust away
enongst others, would ever enter his
baad again. At any rate it did not
He was a young man still, though he
had been for some years wldower;
and he had fallen in love, and was on
the way to learn his fate.
II cannot be fattering to young
lady. if she knows it, that her sultor
shouId be capable of taking thought for
any one besides herself; but certainly
Sir Hugh Rainham tried to believe that
he was not making his own happiness
altogether the first consideration
There was the weli-being of his little
Girl TO be thought of; and what did he
now about bringing up little girls?Z
He had heard sensible people say, and
he was ready enough now to accept
the dietum, that the wisest thing man
in his position could do would be 70
marry again; wisest both for his own
fnt-1re and his child's. He said this to
himself rs he stood in Evelyn Neville's
drawing-room, hat In hand, waiting,
looking out upon the bare branches
which were soon to be green again, and
wondering, in desulLory fashion, II
this February day would bring him an
other, spripg-time, or only the desc
late branches, the dead leaves whirling
about. and the cold sky beyond. He
had not long to wait. When she came
into the room, and that thrill went
through his heart which the presence
of one we love alone can bring, 1T must
have left some mark upon his face; for
she knew why he had come, and in q
few rapid arguments had decided upon
her answer. He was rich; but she did
NOT care so much about that, not know
ing what it was to be anything else; he
was Sir Hugh Rainham; but she didn't
care for that either, her pride being OF
another sort; he was good, generous,
and devoted. these things she did not
care for, He loved her; and he came
on q day when that same pride of hers
was smarting under a sense OF neglect.
In the few seconds allowed her before
he spoke, Evelyn Neville made her de-
cision. She had thought that he knew,
and was Jealous of, her friendship with
that cousin Frank, whom she had fan
cied might one day be nearer than a
cousin. But that was over. The cous-
ms had kept up childish habit OF e1-
changing valentines; and to day there
was nothing from him, while her own
had gone as usual. That was the hui
initiating part of it. If she had broken
through the custom, il would have been
well: but that he should-be the first!
and when, too, he had given her cause
co EXPECT that his would be no ordin-
ary yalentinel Here, within her reach,
was the means of Furnishing him; at any
rate, of letting him know that she did
not care.
Evelyn listened to Sir Hugh with a
forced attention; but he knew nothing
of that. When he spoke of his little
girl, falteringly, she reused up and saw
the strong earnestness and anxiety in
the mans face; and, strange to say, this
touched her more Just then than any
passionate, lovers pleading from his
lips would have done. She turned to-
wards him suddenly, and put her hand
into his, and said, speaking of the small
Cecilia.
.'She shall be very dear to me, and
precious: / will care for her, as much
as you could desire"
And when Sir Hugh had left her, she
did not repent. 1t is true that there
came upon her a certain sense of being
bound, of having done what could not
be undone, and that half-rebelliOus de-
L E. -, o1w 81.
insepsrable from an act that seals ones
own fate. And then the drawing-roUm
was rather lonely; the trees outside the
window got a ghostly look, and seemed
to wrap themselves up tighter as the
Iog gathered round them; and-alto- |
gether, she thought she would Just go
and tell her brother, by way of con-
herself that the thing was final
" settled.
When she told him, he lifted up his |
eve brows and stared at her.
''Is it true?-You look as If it were. |
Rather scared, and that sort of thing. |
Not that there is anything to be scared
about; only I suppose it's proper
Heml might have thought of Frank
Neville; but this is wiser"
She bit her lip, but never answered
lim. She wished he had not said that
about Frank, and she didn't like the
word wiser" What had wisdom to
10 with it?
She started from her sleep that
light, with mist before her eyes and
great thrObbing at her heart, for
franks voice was IN her ears. Would
70 care?
But what use to ask, now that it was
90 late? And that it was too late no
ne knew better than herself; for to
Ier, having once decided publicly as
! were, enange would have been i'm
ossible.
And on her wedding day she was to
in Hugh a radiant princess, far away
boYe him, STOPPING to crown him with
he blessing of her love, Any one who
ad seen him that day might have
Quilted about its being altogether, or
ven very much for his daughters sake
nat he took this step.
Il have reason to be grateful, he
nd to his new brother-in-law, when
lie speechifying was over, and the
ride was going away to change her {
-ess.
George Neville looked at her and nod '
d.
''She's a good girl enough; little I