The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-02-12

"NOj auntle telled me NOBODY would
send her none, Poor auntiel Will 90 send
her one and me too added Mollie insinu-
atingly-roses and snow and ice and ickle
boys wis wings blowing trumpets like
Freddy's3 Please do, Mr. Scarsdale!"
"Very well, Mollie; you shall have one,
all roses and snow and Cupids. What
must auntie's be like2" he asked, smiling
down at Mollle.
81 know" said Molie shaking her head
very wisely-"a nice big boy like 90,
and"
"Dont be tiresome, Molliew interrupted
Geraldine Grossly. "Mr. Scarsdale, you
quite spoil her. AS to valentines, think
they get more Objectionable and vulgar
every year"
Nevertheless it is a good old institu-
ton, and we will do il all honor. The
roses and Cupids and spangles please the
little ones; don't they, Mollief Goodbye,
Miss spoilt," he said, putting her down.
"You shall have your valentine. And
now, Miss Cameron, l will wish you good
evening"
Good bye, Mr., Scarsdale," was the brief
reply, as for moment she suffered him
TO take her hand.
Though the words were 80 coldly spok-
en-, Geraldine got up after he had left the
room and went to the window. She
watched the dark figure walking away in
the gathering gloom till the dense masses
of the shrubbery hid it from sight. What
did he meant Why had he uttered her
name and then broken off suddenly p
Why did that half-smile cross his lips at
her stiff "good-bye"3 Above all, what did
his doings or sayings signify to herr
She stood listening to the d cary plash
of the rain-drops against the window and
the wild moan Of the wind as it tossed the
branches to and fro. She shivered as she
looked into the blank dimness and detest-
ed the country and all it contained more
bitterly than ever,
"No," she thought discontentedly; "not
for worlds would drag on an existence in
the dismal monotonous country. How AL
ice and Harry contrive to exist here |
don't know. With nothing to do, nothing
to think Of, nobody to see, and every day
exactly like the one before it, it is holri-
BILE! Nothing should induce me to live
such life"
Notwithstanding these conclusions,
Geraldine had din conception she was
wrong, secret conviction that the whirl
of gayety in which she lived was all gilt
ter and emptiness. But, knowing it, she
had no wish to remedy it or turn her back
on the destinations Of her pleasant fiivo-
lous life, which hitherto had been all suf-
fcient for her, She had no desire for any
thing higher or better than the ease and
luxury, the small social successes and tri-
umphs which seemed irresistible in their
fresh variety.
Presently her sister and Sir Henry
Netherby came down. Dinner followed,
which was slight break in the monotony
of the quiet evening, but not enough to
dissfpate Geraldines WEAKNESS and dis
content At the earliest possible moment
she went to bed, and dreamt an unsatis-
factory dream. She thought she dwelt in
a moated grange surrounded by a vast
forest; from the huge weird branches of
the trees dropped perpetually streams of
tiny rain-drops, and in each window of the
house was an Holian harp which moaned
to avary gust of tho wild wind
In the morning the sun shone brilliant
ly, the great shroudiug curtain Of fog had
lifted, and the blue sky was fecked with
white cloudlets. 1t was all very fair, she
allowedj but what of that2 Tomorrow
the rain and the mist might come again,
and dulness and melancholy reign su-
preme
On reaching the breakfast-room she was
greeted by Mollie's clamorous little voice.
"Auntie, auntie, me got four-twenty
valentines. And there's one for 90 too
papa said so-auntie's valentine! Herel"
and the busy small fingers seized let
ter lying on Geraldine's plate and gave It
to her.
Sir Henry looked up from his letters.
"Good morning, Gera. thought your
ladyship would not condescend to such
fiivolties as valentinesY"
"The valentine exists only in Mollie's
Imagination; it is letter. she said qui.
city.
With pang Of sorrow, shame, and an
ger she had guessed who had sent it, and
what was in it. She quietly put i into
her pocket, to Molie's disgust that astute
little damsel being in morbid state of
jealousy for fear any valentine should
surpass the glowing beauty of her own,
and quite convinced that auntie Geras
was not a letter at all but "an ugly penny
valentineW
"Was not Arthur Scarsdale here last
nightf" asked Sir Henry presently. ~
met him at the gate as l came in
"No," said Lady Netherby.
"Yes," corrected Geraldine, "He stayed
only short time, Alice, and would not let
me call you. forgot to tell you after
wards"
Sir Henry gave sharp glance at his
sister-in-law; but the quiet proud face
haffled his scrutiny.
After n time Geraldine made her es-
cape to her own room; and a few bitter
remorseful tears rose to her eyes as she