Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-06-26
! "Major Deverel is expected on visit to

| L was buCA CuSdSCo WCCh w t1AS
Robertson's near Torquay. But they
telegraphed to me at Lord Marston's to
| say they had illness in the house and had
| been put in ouarantine-couldn't have me.
| So came here straight. 1t will be an
early morning CALI if you can't take me
in. I have left my luggage at the station"
By this time Major Deverel was walking
with us towards the house. He soon said:
"Do you always walk as early as this,
Miss Lawrence?"
spoke honestly. Its the best joke in the
world. We made an engagement last
night to walk out together to-day early.
| Valentines Day, you know. The firstman
Aunt Grace met was to be her Valentine.
| We west-country people believe in all
| kinds of superstitions, and that is one.
We promised to tell the truth to Oliver
and Jack, which was but fair, as we had
refused their company. Now we shall
carry you back as proof positive, the Val
entine not only seen, but captured and
brought home. You are Grace's Valen-
tine, Major Deverel, and hope you will
do your years service properly"
Major Deverel stood still. He looked at
BERTHE, and he looked at me. "I had never
thought of it I" he said Valentines Day!
Well, so it isl Valentines Day-I never
thought Of it once, even"
His manner was very strange. l saw
| that it was provocative of Bertie's mirth,
so I began to talk to Major Deverel of
Devonshire customs, and the queer fancies
| that we kept in remembrance in our old
fashioned place.
Major Deverel got as good welcome as
any man could have desired He and my
brother had been at school together. My
brother had gone to Cambridge, then to the
bar, and had been going the Western Cir
cult when his friend, Frank Deverel, had
been through hard fighting in India
They had seen each other but seldom, but
had corresponded without intermission !;
and now it was pleasant to see my brother
of forty years of age and his friend few
years younger. standing with grasped
hands, looking in each others faces, and
recalling old memories, both very happy
in the old friendship so faithfully cher
| ished, and SO suddenly gratifed by this
| pleasant appearance on Valentines Day.
We had breakfast; and after breakfast
heard Major Deverel say strangely fast my
| brother had seemed to run through life
| only forty, and twice married; with three
boys, and an eldest son shooting up into
manhood. "Well, my life" he said, has
got to begin--my home life, 1 mean; at
least, hope so. After ALL" he said, "the
great struggle of youth carried into battle
| fields full of danger, fuller of thought, and
a responsibility that shuts self out of ones
mind, is not the life that.a man looks for
| ward to. The patriarchal vine-and-f tree
life advances upon one in sort of vision,
and claims ones sympathy. Yes" he add
| a6 thnr1 nhffI1llJr Han6 in, nf
| mems best moments, [ think" I felt quite
touched I confessed that my Valentine
| entertained some most admirable senti-
| ments. "But | should not have liked to
begin so early, though" he said, with an
honesty of tone and manner that made me
hate him. In fact, before luncheon time
Major Deverel had greatly puzzled me,
and l had said to myself, "There is
something queer about him." He kept
on betraying the drollest sort of inter-
est in this Valentines Day, and once,
in the most unaccountable manner Won
dered what would happen before the end
of it.
Nothing more extraordinary than an
assemblage of friends in the evening""
said Julia, with her pretty, quiet, captivat-
ing SMILE / was pleased to see that Major
Deverel admired her
"O!' he exclaimed, &C party of friends;
would you tell me all about them?"
And then he sat down by Julia's work
table and cut open the leaves of a book, in
a peculiarly careful and knowing way,
which made me, once more, entertain
good opinion of my Valentine He heard
about Lawsons and Robertses, Colyills,
brakes and .Markingtons and asked
questions as to sex, age family, fortune
once more he was growing unaccountably
odd; and once more he wondered, out
loud, that it should be Valentines Day.
valentines Day! Never thought of it,"
And when he ended by saying, with every
mark of astonishment "And eighteen
hundred and sixty-six, too" l really
thought him crazy.
Before dinner | had been both charmed
and bewildered by our new guest, several
times. I liked, l disliked, I wondered
but, with all, think | admired
When we had assembled for dinner in
our smart clothes, thought Major
Deverel the finest-looking man had ever
seen-my Valentine was man to be
proud of. We ladies left the dinner table
early, for we had some little arrange
ments to make for the entertainment of
the guests who were expected in the
evening We had not been many minutes
out of the dining-room when three boys
rushed out and joined us in the morning
room, where our friends were to have tea
on their arrival
ooh, Grace, he is the best fellow going.
He will do anything ng-everything-w will
have charades"
| asked, did Major Devercl propose
charades ?'
"Ob, no, you can't get him to propose
anything go with the stream on Val
entine's Day. he said"
Our boys were very fond of acting,
and, with very little help from others,
they and l had got up several successful
charades that winter. They were all i'm
promptu characters. We fixed on our
word and how the syllables should be ex-
pressed, and then left all the acting and
the dialogue to the inspiration Of the mo-
ment. | knew the boys wished for
charades, and of course I knew they
would have all their wishes as far as pos
sible fulfilled. They had been brought up
on the very mot over) indulgent princi-
pie, and were not the least spoilt by it.
so charades we were to have, and Major
Deverel was to act with u.s.
Had he ever acted ?" Hundreds of
times, no doubt" "Had he ever acted
impromptu charades 2" Nobody knows
But no matter. He agrees to everything
says he would not advise, nor contra.
dict, nor suggest, nor refuse, nor doubt,
nor run away-can you want more than
that? Don't be afraid, Gracey Let us fix
on a word"
But was afraid. Our friends were ar
riyine; dozen people were in the draw