The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-13
"Oh, summer night!
heavens! what a frightW


very thin; she saw at u glance that this
| irightiui caricature bore u striking re.
semblance to herself, and that the arms
and legs were copy OF her own. "Sum-
mer Night" was her cheodl de combat song,
and she could not realize any one daring
TO ridicule it.
After dinner she was examining it for
the hundredJh time, when Jimmy W,
John's younger brother, came in.
"lliss Lucy" said he, ''if you'll write
my to-morr0w's composition ior me l'll
tell you who sent that."
"O1 course, Jimmy; Pll write twenty
compositions. VINO sent it?"
''Nubouy but brother John. He has
had il in his Dufeau-drawer ior week."
Lucy uiu mol speak word or move,
but her face turned deadly pale and her
lips quivered as though she had chill.
80, Mr.. w." said Lucy, calmly,
holding up the valentine, as John, an
hour later, entered the room,. 81 am in
deUted to you for pleasant surprise-a
plost lover-llke gilt"
"Why, Miss Lucy" stammered John,
''what makes you suspect me Of perpe.
truting such u jokeW
joke, lndeed!" sald Lucy: wrath and
words stimulating eacn other; II tell
you, sir, II don't think u gentleman could
relish such a joke, ard l don't care. TO
acknowledge such an acquaintance"
"As you please" SAID John, his tenn
per flaming up too.
.And tnink," said Lucy, "the sooner
we pat u stop 20 our farce of an engage
ment the DetterW.
.-Of course, il you wish it,"
"Yhere's your ring sir. Please return
mine." And they gave back the rings
exchanged few weeks before with SO
many tOnd vows and tell-taie bushes.
81 suppose this is all, ;" said John, lin
gering al the door.
NO" snapped Lucy, "you have lock
of my hair; please return it,"
Tue next morning John went to a hair
Dealers and selecting locks OF every
conceivable hue OF red-straight, curly,
stiff, bristly, rowsy-cranmed them
into an old hat-b0X with sOme.bits OF
muiton-suet and bees-wax, an old comb,
broken razor, and different odds and
ends, and sent the box with the follow
ing note.
"MIss i: Failing to identity
your lock OF halr, send you the box
where generally deposit such relics.
Please select your own and return the
balance. john"
Lucy's hair was beautiful auburn,
brown in the shade, and golden in the
sun. No one had ever dared to call it
rcd, and this insult even surpassed the
valentine.
John speedily and bitterly repented
his mischief, really prompted by that de-
sire to tease and worry SO characteris-
tic of the love of many men, and tried to
apologize; but no; Lucy Was inexorable,
and would neither see nor near him.
Years rolled by. Lucy married, but
her husband was not named John, and
John went off to distant city and per-
suaded plump little dark-haired beau
ty to share his fortunes.
Twenty years afterward the dice-box
of fate cast them together again on the
l4th of February-Lucy quiet, matron-
ly widow, but still attractive, and John
u spruce widower, every button on his
coat suggesting second-Wife hunting.
Shy at first of each other, old ties as
serted their power and made them
friends in spite OF themselves.
"Miss Lucy" said John, unconciously
using well-remembered title, "a fool.
ish valentine onoe blighted my life and i'm
posed on me twenty years. hopeless
and remorseful penance. Now, be mag
nanimous, return good for evil, and
grant me boon that will make my old
age blossom with blessings denied my
youth"
"Why, what can giveW said Lucy.
-"Y Yonrself," was the eager reply; ga
mother for my children-a guardian Tor
for my home"
Do you doubt her answer? Could any
woman have resisted the appeal?