The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-03-10

knocked twice. but you didn't hear me-
II started from the reverv into which
l had fallen y the servant advanced
and handed me small white box.
bearing my address in the somewhat
peculiar hand writing of the Major. It
q beautiful lace envelope,
which ISL unfolded revealed valen-
tina s Yes, my first and only valentine.
II was simple design, wreath of blue
forget-me-nots, in the center of which
was inscribed To my Love'-and be-
meath in q trembling hand. If there is
any hope for me may it be revealed
when next we meet .s-.
'sMalor Cotton was unlike other men,
and when he wrote these words he
meant nothing else than Offering true
and noble heart for the love I might
give him. aIta ~~5 .-l<
Tears filed my eyes, tears of Joy. I
pressed the delightful missive to my
lips and blessed the sender. Don't
smile at what you may call my foolish
enthusiasm. / had known. very little
happiness in my existence, and love to
me was life. Besides, girls a quarter
of century ago were much more inn
pulsive and girlish in their manner than
now.
"A sigh from the couch awoke me out
of my sweet dream. l started and with
q beating heart turned towards Adele.
She still slept. I gszed on the uncon-
scious sleeper as if spell bound; my
heart ached with pity at the sight of
that wan face; my dream was over
love was not for me. Ever strong of
will, then and thsre, 1 formed the reso-
luton of sacrificing my happiness for
be the means of driving sorrow from
my aunt's door, and determined at the
cost of breaking heart to make the
endeavor. Seeing Adele stirring, I
hurried to my chamber, turned the key
in the lock, fell upon my knees and
prayed for strength to bear me through
the trial. l seemed to see the spirit of
my mother smiling down upon me, and
l rose up calm and resolved, vet, even
then, ! felt how hard it was to put that
resolve into execution.
! "Major Cotton called as usual that
evening, but I pleaded illness to avoid
meeting him. Adele, however, went
down. delicate rs she was, and his pres
ence seemed to animate her with new
life. In his absence she dropped again
like flower deprived Of light.
when again met Major Cotton it
was with = cold restraint on my part,
while avoided meeting HIS eyes, for 1
feared that mine would have betrayed
me. He moved proudly away, sought
my cousins side, and from that moment
as if by mutual consent we avoided
each other. He seemed to resent my
reserve and GOODNESS, and he bestowed
all those little graceful attentions, which
are SO pleasing to our sex. on Adele,
and which hitherto had been accorded
to me. l suppose he regretted sending
me the valentine. which apparently
caused the change in my manner to-
wards him. What must he have
thought of mey From the first APP
peared to take a pleasure in his society,
and when encouraged by this seeming
interest of mine, he half expressed his
devotion, suddenly treated him with
a chilling reserve that must have been
to his pride. l often turned
over these things in my mind, and it
added to the pain that was silently en-
during, that I forfeited his respect as
we'll as lost his love.
"One day my aunt took me kindly to
task for excusing myself from joining
in pleasure party in which the Major
took an active part.
"'I am at a loss,' she said, 'to dis
cover the cause of your sudden dislike
to Major Cotton, whom we all hold in
the greatest esteem
II burst into tears and remained
silent, for l knew not what to say. She
looked at me earnestly, then putting
back the hair from my forehead, she
kissed me affectionately, and never
again required to a subject that had ev-
identity given me so much pain. But q
little while after, as she and Uncle
West strolled up and down the lawn in
front of the library windows, near
which sat reading, few words of
their conversation reached my ears,
words that .pierced my heart like the
sting of injustice.
80 Mabel, poor child said my aunt,
: is. I fear. jealous of the Majors at
to Adele
Z" 1 could not blame her for thinking
so; my altered manner to her guest must
have led her to form this supposition,
and yet it was hard to bear.
Eyes, Major Cotton bestowed all his
attentions on Adele now, though /
think he did so at first more to let me
see that l was an object of Indifference
to him than for any attachment he felt
for my cousin. / am not vain, but
am sure that for long time love was
on Adele's side alone.
"What wonderful change had taken
place in Adele's appearance; what q
light in the eyes, what changing rose
on the cheeks. what playful grace in
her movements, as she went softly
singing through the rooms. All, hope
is wonderful magician. He waves
his magic wand and all is light and life
where before reigned gloom and desola-
ton. The whole house rejoiced at the
recovery Of its pride, and was
not already half repaid in seeing thisP
lone night when l was preparing to
retire, Adele fingered in my chamber,
chatting merrily, from an overlooking
l. fancied. Dear cousin
she said, with fond caress, as she was
leaving me, = l begin to think that he
does care for me at last; he said so
many sweet and tender things this
evening when we walked ON the lawn
together. But you are silent, darling,
ali, tears, my cousin! What q sympa-
thizing soul is yours Then in low
er. softer tone. while the pink deepened
on her cheekA i often think that Mai
jor Cotton regards me as being childish
and wanting in self-reliance, but, dear
cousin, if it should come to pass, il such
is to be mine, you shall be
my bridesmaid
II bore up as we'll as I could, but when
she left me and my throbbing temples
were pressed upon the cold pillows, l
Heavens aid to sustain me in
the approaching trial.
" Strange did it appear that as each
day made an improvement in Adele's
health, 50 mine began visibly to fail. I
mad thought myself so strong of will.
I