Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-23
A STRANGE VALENTINE.

In the dusky light of fragrant and richly
adorned drawing room two people were in ami
mated conversation.
one-a woman Of fifty, handsome still and
with toilet suggestive of much care and
thought-was speaking not only with decision
oul with positive anger; although her self-con-
troi was great enough to keep her voice from
rising. IT was not able to prevent a treInnlous
vibration which she vainly tried to stife. She
was sitting on high backed, embroidered chair
III an attitude as iaultless the fit of her satin
gown.
The Other-a girl of twenty with great clear
brown eyes and fluffy brown hair and graceful
h-ure-stOod as young child might have done
at receiving reprinand Her eyes were cast
down, the lashes dropping till they nearly
touched her cheeks. and her fingers were ner-
NouSiy picking to pieces a sprig of heiiotrOpe
from magnificent basket OF flowers beside
her.
1T is the most absurd thing ever heard of. ;"
said the elder lady. with a scornful s,uiie Il
really cannot waste any more words upon it.
1Ou were always qUjX0tic. Teresa. and tbs per
Torrance caps the climax. In nearly one and
the same breath YOU tell me You love him and
that YOU have refused him. Oh, it is too disap-
pointing"
Aunt"
''Neil!"
please let it drOp-forget it."
Tie tone was pleading. the voice sweet
Forget IT, Indeed no You think ] Will allow
you to oppose me in this style? Have not
daughters of my own and cares enough OF nv
own. without being longer burtiened with one
so obstinate aud Scif-.S He'd as YOU. Teresa"
Il did not Know meaa-' said the Young
girl deprecatingIy. But she was quickly inter
rupted.
Now. don't plead ignorance; don't tell me
that you don't know my wishes and did not
mean to offend me-
Il really did not think of you at all -
Worse and worse Well. this is plain speech.
And whom do You think of-only Yourself?
Selfish child,-is this MY reward for educating
You ard allowing you every luxury. spending
time and money on you as freely as my OWN
"Aunt-Aunt Geraldine. please forgive me-"
The young voice faltered; the pink flush gave
way to pallor; the brown eyes fllled.
No. Teresa: it's mnckery to ask that; and
want you clearly to understand that this is to be
no longer Your home. You have exhausted INV
patience. and now the end has come | have
rented this house, and / am going abroad
Sibyl ard Gladys are both delicate, and need
the change"
But, aunt. where am to go? What am to
do:'
"A pretty question to put to me now. after
such behavior. Consult your friends. l have
no further interest in YOU"
The cruelty of these words seemed to freeze
the young girl. Der brown eyes opened widely;
her color came and went. She stared at the
speaker as if not able to believe the words lust
uttered. and then. rushing from the room,
found her own apartment and flung herself
down in an agony of grief and selt-reprOach.
To whom could she turn for sympathy and pity
when the one she had learned to regard as her
natural protector spurned her and willfully mis-
understood her? What had she done that was
so grieyGus? Had she not battled against her
own feelings and cOncientiOusly done what she
thought to be right.
Meanwhile Mrs. Geraldine GanseyoOrt, having
spent her anger and Indignation, rang the bell
and ordered her coupe
She had to drive alone. Sibyl and GLADYS.
her delicate daughters. had gone to q recep-
ton. Frank. her son. a young physician. was
never able to 60 with her, "Office hours pre-
venting.
Her thoughts were far from pleasant 1t dis
turted her circulation To be thus excited
Teresa in the plain terms she used to herself.
was fool, and why should she allow fool to
annoy her? But the girl should be punished
The idea of portiOness orphan refusing such
an offer as that of Leroy Jones.-a millionaire.
person whose horses and yachts were the
envy of all his comrades And why, fOrsOoth?
Because She chose to think him unsteady weak;
because his little fOibles to this fresh young
unsophist Gated girl seems to be his vices Oh.
il was too yeXat0usi The more SO as she felt
that ali her coed. sound worldly-wise advice
and training had been wasted As tor Sihyl and
Gladys-oh, if they could have had such q
chance. poor delicate darings!
H.
Frank Ganseroort was Woodworking Young
physician. His mother deplored the fact that he
was not society man." and Sibyl and GLADYS
mourned over the dsatItction of their rene
gade brother as it work were vice and idleness
virtue: hut Frank kept steadily on, and even
went SO far as to distgure the front of the house
with sign. To be sure. it was a nice neat
little silver p!ate, with OfAy I''E. Gan segOort,
Nj d.. on it, but il drew tpe MANY poor Ieople.
On this particular afternoon DIR. GanseyOort
had occasion to hunt Up book on the library
"A NO and had i..... t,,piy.. -
out of sight. As he searched tor it "a strange
sound ihet his ears-a sound as OF some one sob
bing. Now Frank knew very well whose little
room opened on the library, and if he had Il ten
der spot IN his heart at all it was for the pretty
young cousin VINO Inhabited that room: So
without finding his musty old tome, he de-
scended from the library steps and knocked at
1ereSas door. There was ne answer until he
had repeated his knock. and then there was a
mutfied response which was not satisfactory
At last he said, IF you don't come to the door,
Tessie, | shall have to break in"
This brought very detected looking tiamsel
TO the threshold. who, finding Frank alone i'm
metiiately fell on his shoulder In fresh burst of
tears This was all very nice to be sure and
Frank had no sort of objection to support a
Weepin1 dsnsel who, despite her tears looked
as pretty aS q picture. But the grict was real
and that panied Frank. SO. placing her very
gently in one of the library chairs. he managed
by dint of cOaxine and questioning to ind out
and a break with Leroy Jones-I wonder which
IL the worse" unused Frank. Tell me- Tessie,
did Won care much for Leroy" he asked.
Il did like him. Prank always used to care
for him when he was nice But he isn't nice any
more He's horribly fast, and will not marry
him Just for his money as aunt wants me to do,
and ! Ve told him so. and-and-" The hand
kerchicf went up again.
Yes see how it is. You are sure you don't
regret ~"
''Of course am sure. Do you think would
baye made all this trouble if ] had not been
sure:" She stopped crying and drew herself I'D
very proudly. Continuing: ''Aunt Geraldine has
cast me off She mas told me that this ia no
longer my home l AIN going away this very
evening. l will not stay another day in her
house"
Don't be hasty, Tessie. Mother Is disap-
pointed and will soon get over it."
But l shall not. I am going, tell you,
Frank"
''Oh no. not yet, Tesse. Why, where will you
gc:"
II don't know yet-perhaps to Mrs Rus
sell--nor do know what shall do. l have no
money. and am so ignorant. Oh, II had only
studied / ought to have done might
then teach; but | will find some way Of get
ting a!onS; and she held her head more proudly
STILL
''TesSie. dear. you are a foolish little thing
don't uphold mothers uak;aIness; but you
must remember that lov.:you n she doesn't"
Yes, dear Frank, you aSSaiways good to me-"
We'll, then, why not put an end to all this
bother and be my little wife?"
"Oh, Frank, don't. please don't talk that way
You know we are cousins, and I've no idea OF
1871