The Iola register., 1884-02-15
DAMS VALENTINE.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTERI.
IL was st. Valentines Day. Dan
Woodford sat by the one small window
of his log cabin, moodily gazing out on
the gaunt. .SeaheSs trees, and On the dis
tant CLEAN of the stormy water of Lake
Superior. His thoughts were as dreary
as the landscape before him; and his
state of mind was hard and bitter, for
he remembered another Valetine' DAY,
only year ago. The one great and
blessed day of his life it had seemed
then-becal,se he had exchanged valen-
tines with lovely Evelyn Graye. and she
had promised to be his wife and his val
entine forever.
"But one short year agO! murmured
Dan. thinking aloud. habit gained in
solitude. "aLd now she is Mrs. Norton,
the old mfllionaire's wife, and l am a
hermit, sci .-exiled to this bleak and
lonely place"
He glanced round on the bare walls.
built BY his own hands, in the fall of
the year Just past. They were rudely
plastered and white washed, but so
solid that the widest storm might rage
and howl without, might beat its angry
violence against them, while the occu-
pant. provided well with food and fuel,
could afford to smile in serene comfort
within.
And Dan smiled now-but it was a
sad smile rs he looked around and
said: Better, ten times letter, drear
and lonely rs it is, than the insecure
home of o faithless woman's shallow,
changing heart"
Then with long-drawn sigh that
much belied his brave words, the
speaker went in quest of his pipe and
tobacco, the solace of his lonely exist
enee. Having found them. he sat down
to rude pine desk, manufactured in
spare evening hours after his days
work was over. He pulled out the
drawer and took from it the few treas
ures it contained half dozen letters
from the girl who had Tilted him; long
tress of her wavy. yellow hair, and a
knot of withered flowers that had once
bloomed and blushed upon her breast.
Faded and deadr' sighed Dan, in
haling the faint fragrance that yet clung
TO them, las the love she vowed should
die only with her life"
Gently, tenderly he replaced them in
the silver paper that had held them;
and then he twined the silken hair
about his finger, where it clung like
some living thing, and its touch thrilled
like an electric shock along his nerves,
setting his heart wildly throbbiug till
he was half mad with love and longing.
He shook the yellow curl from his hand
and flung it away as though it had
burned him. Lastly. he took up the
letters, and with mocking smile read
them. one BY one. Having n;shad. he
folded all together-the letters the tress
of hair and the cIumbl ng tlowers-and
stretched out his hand toward the glow
ing fire of logs that blazed UPON the
hearth. But he didn't cast the little
packet into the flames, as he had meant
to do; instead. he raised it to his lips,
kissed it passionately and reverently re-
turned it to the place from whence he
had taken It. VI ith angry contempt for
himself he then exclaimed:
- h, what fool L amr' shut the
drawer sharply, took up his pipe and
returned tt his place by the window.
The CLEAN of the stormy water was
almost lost now in the gathering dusk
and he snow that still fell heavily.
Now and then, as the darkness in
creased, came the long, loud, hungry
howl of distant wolves. Dan heard it
unmoved. enjoying it rather than 9TH
4erwise. VIII lie he listened, noting the
long intervals between the sounds. Sud
denlf, during one of these intervals,
low. wailing CRY sounded close beside
him; and he bounded from his chair
more startled than if whole pack of
wolves had appeared before the win
dow.
What was that?" he exclaimed,
gazing all round the wide apartment
and peering into every corner brightly
iluminaBei by the flames that blazed
away on the wide. deep hearth.
The only living thing in the room
save himself was q beautiful Maltese
cat that lay fast asleep in the chimney
corner.
lit must have been tire catr' And
while ne stood regarding the comfor a
BILE crea prc, The same wailiDg cry,
louder and more pitifuI, sounded close
behind him
"Gr at heaven, Can It be? 1t isn't
poss bler excla med Dan. and, reach
ing the door at one stride, he tore it
open.
The wind and snow rushed in, and
with them loude~ wall from the bun
die that lay on tie thre bold. With ex-
traordinary care, Dan raised the bundle
IN his stro & arms, and, having closed
and secured the door, proceeded to ex-
anime his strange pri e.
First lac moved the outward and
snow laden covering. which was an old
shawl. The next layer of wrapping ap-
peared 10 be well-worn red flannel
skirt; and after that came a thick, soft
crib blanket This last had been ar
RANGED W ia great care, SO as entirely to
proiect the precious treasure it contain
ed and nov as Dan folded back the
corner of the blanket a pair of great
dark eyes. Inning like two stars, look
ed up at him, AID the baby smiled in
his face.
I'd bless it - said the young man.
fervently; and bending down he kissed