St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-13
aDo not reproach me- Stella was saying.

ArtnurS lace cr1InSOneQ anSr1Iy seeing ner.
"Motherp he cried.
His manner overcame her thought of Civ
ing him the news in fragments. She held
out her hands in pleading for his kindness.
20, Artie, Artie, fathers dead, he's dead"
she moaned, and burst into tears.
He put his arms around her and held her
silently moment. Stella stood motionless.
Even after they had gone she stood still look
ing into the heart of the syringa bloom she
held. When she dragged herself back to the
college she met them coming hastily, ready
for their carriage.
Arthur saw her and stopped.
Goodbye" said Stella, meaning all the
"God bless you," of the word and her full
heart But Arthur only heard formal fare
well and went on without word, half carry
ing his mother.
After the funeral the days went on samely
at the farm. Mother and son came to be
nearer and dearer to each other than ever be-
fore. They were much together, driving over
the farm and to the village, together in the
summer mornings and Sunday readings, at
table, and through quiet winter evenings
later on, but no mention was ever made by
either of Stella or the evident burden the
young man was carrying. They talked often
of the husband and father gone before, they
planned to do the things that he had planned
for the coming years, and though Arthur
felt his mothers love and sympathy he did
not understand it, though he guarded her
and comforted her with affectionate devotion.
She had been asking him to help her in re-
planting some geraniums in her window gar
den in February, and he came into her sit
ting-room on Valentines morning with a
CHEEKY, 'Now, mother, let's look after your
flowers" They walked together for awhile
By and by the mother said, "Do you know
this is Valentines day, Arthur"
eyes"
"His tone seemed to forbid anything more,
but Mrs. Clinton said lightly, not looking at
him:
"I'm going to make valentine for you to
send off. Some of these scarlet and white
geraniums pressed with Ivy leaves will be so
pretty. Any girl would be glad TO get
them"
Nonsense, MOTHER" said Arthur, but he
did not object to her making it. He watched
her with q curious sort of interest.
"Now, good luck to you," said his mother,
finishing her dainty arranging on large
card. "Faint heart never Won fair lady, and
stupid pride is always blind"
"YOu are a very romantic old lady," he
said, II don't know what 1 shall do with you.
have no use for your geraniumsR
But he took them and went up to his room.
He opened a locked drawer of his desk and
took out one Of his class photographs which
had never found place in his album which
lay on Mrs. Clinton's parlor table. 1t was of
a graceful young girl in white dress, with a
cluster Of geraniums at her belt 1t was with
great foreboding that he took out an envel-
ope, enclosed his mothers blossoms, and adj
dressed the package:
"Miss S. L. Flower, No. Vernon avenue,
Chicago"
After he had written the name, hope came
pulsing through his veins quite as if he had
not believed for over half a year that he was
quite hopeless. He felt that the valentine
must somehow say for him what words had
failed to express. When Arthur went out
to give it to the mail-carrier, who daily
passed the farm with post-bags from an off
railway village beyond, his heart nearly
failed him.
The man who usually carried the mails
w do LII LIS sui SttlCi, dllCl Uu0 ldu UGlu UuG
reins with an air of Importance as he stopped
to receive Arthur's missive. With the alb
surdity Of young persons in bis condition of
heart, he fancied that the boy would suspect
a valentine i'll the plain business-like envel-
ope reluctantly given him.
"lts jolly sleighing," observing the lad,
not glancing at the letter as he slowed it
away and touched up his horses.
Arthur fell to watching for that boys COM
ing for days thereafter with painful assidu-
BUSINESS But though the jingling sleigh
bells heralded plenty of papers and maya
zines, and now and then letter for the farm
house, the days seemed unusually useless and
weary to the young man. He kept on watch
ing without expecting, until one morning, a
day or two into March, he felt an instructive
certainty that something was to happen. He
did not say even to himself that he expected
any sign from Stella. He so far assured him
self that he was expecting nothing that he
refused to let himself go for the mail when
he heard the lads sleigh-bells, but betook
himself to the granary below the garden.
From his corn-shoveling he saw his mother
go out and receive handful of letters and
papers. Anything for me" he shouted. He
saw her shake her head, and with sick
heaviness of heart felt a wild sense of folly at
so far overcome him.
II ought not to have sent her that 1t will
only make her despise me. And l said |
would not write"
He threw his scoop down on the pile Of
golden corn in d frenzy of self-reproach and
wretchedness and started to walk, he scarcely
knew where. He threw himself over the
garden fence not minding the gate, and out
on to the snowy road. By sort of impulse
toward perfect loneliness he strobe rapidly
up the little hill toward a wood pasture
where he had been fond OF going alone VITA
his book on Sunday afternoon when he was
a boy-a boy That time seemed so long ago.
Life was SO rich and worth living then. Now
a letter with sealed side upward caught his
eye, lying almost at his feet. "That stupid
boy lost it when he was taking out the mail
for mother before he stopped. I'll have to
report his carelessnesS at the postofIice."
Such was the thought that darteI through
his mind as he stopped to pick it up He
turned it ovci Tie white prairies seemed to
shine around him. The clear air tingled
through his veins as, breathing fast, he tore
open that letter.
o, that handwriting! The snow birds on
the willows seemed all to be fatUerins their
wings and whispering, "Stella, Stella Stella"
among themselves. 1t was not snow-blind-
ness that made Arthur an incredible ten
minutes reading that letter, for it was dated
"Leap Year Day." and began, very bravely,
my dearest"
There wasn't much else in it that was very
tender or very explicit, but that was quite
enough. She said that she had received his
valentine and thanked him very much. 1t
was very pretty. Her father and mother
were quite wei, but she had heard that one
of their old professors was i'll. She hoped he
was well. She had wanted to write and tell
him how sorry she was after his father died
"But was afraid you would think wanted
to get you back" she said, in closing, "and
now | am SO afraid Won WON'T understand