Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-24

Daru, ana W1tnOuI Scfupie inscribed his Initials
IN the corner, he seemed to glow with the
serene complacency of the wholly virtuous man
who by one bold stroke has removed himself
from the temptations Of an alluring world
| On Saturday morning, when the station plat
! form was crowded with men waiting for the
city train, King attached himself to Professor
| Weaver. Their intercourse had long been dis
| tinguished by the punctilious pOliteness of men
who recognize mutual antagonism of nature
and In clause which preclude open hostility.
This morning all Kings formality vanished into
| thin air: the Professor found him Extensively
familiar. vulgarly jocose. In order to get rid Of
King, Weaver had to forego his morning smoke,
| and, arrived in the city, he actually ran and
| took refuge in street car.
He did not know where that car was going;
Car stops here" Professor Weaver stepped
| of-stepped of, of course (why not p, directly
In front OF that thrice-blessed poster,
''Valenainesl Valentines! Valentines 2"
The sun seemed to blaze out full upon this
melancholy man, giving him generously Of his
| brilliancy. The PROFESSIONAL tread became q hop
and skip. In FIVE minutes the old gentleman
with whom we are already acquainted had en-
| tered in his book:
| valentine in verse. Fanciful, with under
| tone OF sentiment. To Violet
Your price. sir2" peering quizzcally at his
| shameiaced customer.
Anything you please. I must have a good
thing. No alliterative trash" Peerless pitt
| less Peri, rang sorely ia Viewers ears
We'll, sir, the hour has come, as it were. For
thirty dollars, though, you can have lines to a
lady which would make Shakespeare or Fletcher,
pretty clever fellows at their trade, too, groan
| in his grave.
The Professor silently turned away. As he
went down stairs his cheeks tingled great
he had even remotely introduced Violet into
such a transaction. The torture which he en-
dured that day. In scathing self-accusation, in
feeble, c0ntemptuOus self-defense, few men
know. When he received and paid for his val
entne he intended to destroy It at once. He
had resolved to go Violet ON Monday and say
II can love you, and take care of you all my
LIE, but cannot write you valentine"
so he put the valentine In his pocket, not sus-
pecting the flame that was In 1t, nor how it
could burn. 1t began to burn before he reached
the street. On his journey home it seemed to
scorch his heart, near which 1t lay, and when
after dinner he had retreated among his books,
the pain OF the burning was lntOlerable.
Hs snatched the thing then from his pocket,
and held It over his wood fre-held 1t there tear
fully, as ffit were red-hot coal that in mo-
ment OF madness he had plucked from the
hearth. and on the white surface stood out om-
inously black his number, TIA lucky number,
seven. therefore three sevens must be thrice
lucky. Where had Professor Weaver heard that
silly saytng9 Long ago, no doubt, for it came
ringing down through weary years, like the
echo of some school-mates laugh, some friend
of his childhood, long dead long forgotten
mocking him too. urging him on to grasp this
last hope, to grasp It even at the cost of decep-
ton and perjury. With the instinct to seize
whatever comes to hand in the crises where
happiness or life Is at stake. the overwhelming
Impulse of selfshness which sweeps out of ex-
istence debatable rights, Professor Weaver tore
open the envelope and feverishly read his val
entine.
As he read, principle, intention, resolution.
yanished-yanished and made room Tor trium-
plant gladness. He felt that if Violet could be
won by valentine, he had it in his power to
win her.
So 80 It came about that on the morning of the
18th of February two valentines lay by Violet's
breakfast plate. She opened that addressed in
Professor Weaver's handwriting first. As she
rapidly scanned the lines her mother saw in her
face shadow of pain, which deepened, and, as
she took up the other valentine, expressed It.
self: 81 am afraid that Frank is beaten" So
Violet revealed to her mother, and probably to
herself, the inclination of her heart She had
barely unfOlded Kings valentine when the tears
that had been In her eyes dried, and an angry
scornfuIly, 81 have had lucky escape, and q
narrow one. My valentine caprice was an in
SEPARATION. 1t has saved me from two worthless
men. And. OH mamma, l could not have
doubted Professor Weavers honor! And as
for Frank, can not-can not speak of Frank"
Before Mrs. HaZep could even surmise q cause
for this tempest, Violet had swept from the
room.
When. at the appointed hour, Professor Wea-
yer was shown into Mrs. Hazen's drawng-room
he found Violet alone. The mother and daughter
had been together all day, and the dismissal OF
both lovers had been settled. AS to the manner
OF dismissing Professor Weaver, Violet had
yielded to her mother, but she had reserved all
rights In the treatment of Mr.. King.
AS the curtains fell behind the Professor he
crossed'the room to Violet, startling In the bay
Window He held his hat in his hand, and said,
grayeiv, II have come for your answer"
She answered "No."
Her eyes met his steadily and the singing
negative struck his ears like 8 Well-aimed
blow, sinking into his heart and thrilling
through every nerve. After that there was a
silence in the room, and In that silence the girl
seemed to the Professor to shrink into the folds
OF her long, soft Dress and to fade away from
him into the purple light of the evening. away
beyond theLevel plains of SNOW.
us it final 2" he asked at last. SIS there no
appeal ~
None" she said and flung out her arm as If
she would sweep him out OF her sight Profess
| sor Weaver turned to leave her At the door
he glanced back. She was looking out the
window, and stood with her hands clasped be-
hind her.
He put down his hat then and recrossed the
room. Miss Hazen. am not going to trouble
you to repeat your answer, nor indeed to give
you any pain at all. But must tell you that
| the valentine sent you this morning was not"
Spare YOURSELF. she interrupted; mo ex-
PLANTATION Is needed"
sh he9a b have only yh to goodbye Will
mo! no! mol" she cried: and thus to Weaver
the whole story Of the discovery of his impos-
ture was told.
sat was terrible temptation" he exclaimed.
answering all that her violence implied ."And
love you. When q man like me comes to love
| woman as love you he may perhaps forget
the demands Of truth, and yet not be altogether
worthless"
'Then," said Violet. coldly, 'she must abide
| the consequences. since he has tried his method
on woman to whom love that stoops to un-
You are just" said Weaver; ''but II you had
| loved me at all you would have had mercy.
GoOdby."
He went away then, and Violet watched him
walk down the frozen road. Much pathos
there was even In his heavy tread-m0re in the
unconsciously detected dr0op of his head; and
| in his heart was the profound sorrow which
when 1t strikes such heart, consumes But
Violet, who was tenderness itself. had no sense
| of her cruelty, had not even q passing thought
| for the misery she had Inflicted on the man who
had just left her. She had promised her mother
u