The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-02-15
From London Society for Feb, lss7.l
A Forgotten Valentine.
I. TIE MESSENGER WHO BORE 1T.

fate.
1t cannot be llattering to a young la
DIV, if she knows it, that her sultor
should 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 well-being of his little girl to be
thought of; and what did he know
about bringing up little girlst Ho had
heard sensible people say, and he was
ready enough now to accept the dictum,
that the wisest thing man in his posi-
tion could do would be TO marry again;
wisest both for his own future and his
child's. He said this to himself as he
stood in Evelyn Neville's drawing-room,
hat in hand, waiting, looking out upon
the bare branches which were soon to
he green again, and wondering, in n
desnltory fashion, if this February day
would bring him another spriug-tlme,
or only the desolate 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, it must have left some mark upon
his face: for she knew why he had come,
and in few rapid arguments had de-
cided upon her answer. lie was rich;
but she did not care so much about that,
not knowing what il was TO be any
thing else: he was Sir Hugh RaiDham;
but she didn't care for that either, her
pride being of another sort; he was
good. generous and devoted,-these
things she did care for. He loved her;
and he came on a day when that same
nride of hers was smartipg under .
sense of neglect.
I'm the few seconds allowed her before
he spoke, Evelyn Neville made her de-
cisiou. She had thought that he knew,
and was Jealous of, her friendship with
that cousin Frank, whom she had IAN
cied might one day be nearer than q
cousin. But that was over. The cousins
had kept up childish habit OF ex-
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, it would have been
well; but that he should be the first.
and when, too, he had given her cause
TO expect that his would be no ordinary
valentine. 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 attentions; 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
iips would have done. She turned to-
wards him suddenly, and pnt her hand
into his, and said. speaking of the small
Cecilia
"She shall be very dear to me, and
precious: will care for her rs much as
you could desire"
And when Sir Hugh had left her, she
did not repent. 1t is true that there
came upon her certain sense of being
bound: of having done what could not
he undonc. and that half-rebelliOus de-
sire to he free. which is almost always
inseparable from an act that seals
ones own fate. And then the drawing
room was rather lonely; the trees ont
side the window got Il ghostly look,
and seemed to wrap themselves up
tighter rs the fog gathered round them
and-altogether, she thought she would
inst go and tell her brother, by way of
convincing herself that the thing WAS
finally settled.
When she told him, he Lifted his eye
brows and stared ut her.
as it trur'-You look rs if II were
Rather scared. and that sort of thing.
Not that there is anything to bc sacred
about: only suppose it's proper. Hem!
| might have thought of Frank Neville;
but this is wiser"
She bit her lip, but never answered
him. She wished he had not said that
about Frank, and she didn't like the
word wiser" What had wisdom to do
with it'
She started from her sleep that night,
with a mist before her eyes and great
throbbiny Mt her heart. for Franks
voice was in her ears. WUuld be carei
But what use TO ask, now that 1t was
too latei And that it was too late no
one knew better than herself; for TO her,
having once decided publicly rs 1t were,
change would have been impossible.
And on her weddingday she was to
Sir Hugh a radiant princess, far away
above him, STOPPING to crown him with
the blessing of her love. Any one who
had seen him that day might have
doubted about its being altogether, or
even very much for his daughters sake
that he took this step.
al have reason to be grateful, he
said to his new brother-in-law, when
the speechifying was over. and the
bride was going away to change her
dress.
George Neville looked at her and nod
ded.
"She's good girl enough: little
self. willed, perhaps; but then she has
ALWAYS had her own way
"And will have il still, / hope said
Sir Hugh. "IfI don't make her happy,
/ shall deserve TO be n miserable man
all my life."
In wears to come he recalled the
speech, and wonderered whether some
strange misgiving had moved him to
utter it.
Just then Frank Neville was saying
to Evelyn, $50 you did not think me
worth An answer,
She was passing through the throng
towards the door, and she never falter-
ed or raised her head. No one knew
that the words fell upon her with sud
den chill, like cold hand grssping her
heart. She had seen her cousin amongst
the guests, and knew that he was look
ing miserably i'll, but she had been too
much occupied to think about that.
"what do you mean, Frank
80. not much. Valentines don't re-
quire answers in a general way; but /
think you might have given me o few
words last February. However, you'll
keep my secret. No one knows it but
Won, unless it is your husband. What's
the matter, Evelyni Ioa look as If you
didn't understand
II DON'T
.sYou must have had it. Imissed the
post over night, and gave it to Rain