Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-02-20
TWO VALENTINES.

TWO VALENTINES.
Will Adds turned his horses head IN.
to the long avenue, bordered by leahess
trees, that led to Helen Bray's. Other
people would have said, "that led to Mr.
Bray's;" butHother people had not the
same regard for Helen that he had, which
made all the difference in the world.
1t was toward evening. A soft sky
still relieved the delicate branches of the
elms; but the lights in the west room
made evening in the house, and cheered
the young man as his horse stepped care
fully over the slippery ground. ,,..... =
He knew just how Helen would vel.
come him in the little sitting. room with
the open tire, and make him sit in he,
fathers chair, and give him a pretty
hand-screen, and SIT down before him,
shielding her own eyes with blue fan
and how after she had asked for his mo-
ther and sister, delightful silence would
fall upon them, and the horse was at
the door. a
Mr.. Bray had seen the young man
coming, and FASTENED out with a well
come. .%'~o -
II am glad to see you,''' he said. 1
feared I was in for lonely evening
but now we will have game of chess,
helen's gone to Spring feld for a.
week."
Dear me! How different Mr.. BRAY was
from Helen! He did not stand by the
young man while he took off his coat.
nor did be give him the large easy chair.
In fact, the old gentleman seated himself
in the easy-chalr, and helped himself to
the hand screen, regardless whether
Will Adds eyes were burnt out or not.
In the dining-room, Margaret poured
the tea at side-table for the gentlemen,
both of whom missed Helen, though in
different ways.
Mr.. Bray remarked that he wished he
had some of Helen's potato biscuits. Will
would have thought cold potatoes the
lightest Of biscuits had Helen only been
smiling on him from behind the shining
sllver-hc would gladly have gone hun
CRY to have heard her sweet voice Still,
as starving himself would not bring her
back from Springfield, he managed to eat
very good supper. =.
After the usual talk on business and
politics. the two settled down to chess,
>.ad passed avery pleasant evening.
Every Tuesday evening for some time,
Will Adds had ridden over from the next
village to visit Helen Bray. When she
received her friends invitation, she had
put off her journey for day, to see him
on Tuesday; and, after all, he had not
come.
This very Wednesday evening, he had
meant to tell her all that was IN his heart.
But now she was gone. He, however,
chccred himself with tie thought that
weeks almost always have ends as well
as beginnings.
Will was going the following night to
Boston, it occurred to him, as he went
drcamily about his business the next af-
ternoon, that he might drop letter at
Springfield as he went through. Oh,
happy thought! 1t Helen would only
answer it, and let him stop at Springfield
and bring her back.
The train passed through Sprinield
about midnight; and our friend "with
the arrow in his heart" as the poets say,
took two letters from his pocket, posted
one he had written on a business matter,
gave the other to the conductor with a
generous fee, and SO clearly and repeated
lv impressed him with the fact that it
was an important letter, andsmust reach
the house very early in the morning. aud
that it must not he forgotten, that the
conductor was glad to get it off his hands
and mind.
AS soon as the conductor reached the
depot, he, in turn, impressed lank fel.
low who was always hanging about there,
with its importance. and gave him part of
the tee to deliver it.
"Sonaebody's dead, guess or Is dy-
ing, or has had money left them, or
something said the conductor; $50 you
see that that letters delivered on time,
night express, lightning train-do you
hear2''
see to't.''
Helen Bray was sleeping sweetly in the
pretty blue guest-chamber. Her friend,
Mary Williams, was in the next room. A
furious pull at the bell awakened her.
1t rang again and again. Mr.. Williams
hurried down, opened the door and asked
whats the mattcr?-a tclcgram2'' as
something white was thrust into his
hand through the crack.
dunno. Somebody dead or dyin',"
the conductor said"
The letter was addressed to Helen Bray.
He earned it to his wife, and she to TX it
to Mary's room.
II wouldn't dare to wake her," said
Mary. "There may be some trouble at
home, and she may have to take the early
TO- 1r
Helen was startled by seeing Mrs.
Williams and Mary standing by her bed,
one holding candle and the other a
letter.
"Read it quickly, my dear, and see it
anybody is ill.," said Mrs. Williams.
Helen tore open the envelope. Ske
knew the writing even in the dim candle
light. 1t read as follows:
"DHAR SIR: l have made the inquiries
you desired me to make, and find that the
firm does not stand we'll. Their paper is SELL
ing very low. Wellman says he would not
thing in there, should get it out rs soon as
possible.
very respectfully yours,
WILLIAM ALnIs."
Helen looked about her in surprise.
"Is it valcntine2' asked Mary.
"What is the matter2 Do tell me!'
cried Mrs. Williams, shivering in her
nightgown.
us your father ill2' asked the crack in
the door, in deep mans voice.
Helen read the letter aloud, and they
all laughed. ~. =.
~ know what 1t is,' said Mary, "Will
Adds meant to send you valentine, but
inclosed a business letter instead, and
mailed the valentine to some old gentle
man in Wall street,
Mr.. Williams was the incensed one Of
the party. ''Young fool! said he to his
wife; "didn't he know that there were
mails and a postofice2 Why must he
send special messenger with such stuf
as that in the dead Of the night2''
Mr.. Williams had been tho one to &C
to the door, you know, and the night was
bitterly cold. sstsz7t' ~
Mrs. Williams made believe that she
was asleep, and drew a long breath, suct
very Icing one that Mr.. Williams wa.
suspicious; but he only muttered "Fool!'
and went to sleep himself.
Margaret brought Mr.. Bray his Letters
x the next morning. She pitied the Ole
gentleman, taking his breakfast all alon,
and sought to cheer him in her simpl,