Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-06-28
VALENTIN BRUCE.
BY ETA BLANCHARD.

~
A tall, blue-eyed girl, with loose,
brown curls floating from her face, like
an aureole of amber brightness, and q
slender throat white and smooth as
mother of pearl-that was Valentin
Bruce, as she sat by the open window,
dreamily watching the sunset flame melt
into pillows of light
And Col. Mordaunt smoked his ex-
piring cigar in the fragrant shadows of
the shrubbery, and wondered what for
tunate mortal might be fated to buy
Valentin's wedding-ring, ard pay her
miIlinerv bill, and be her humble slave
and servitor through life.
Col. Mordaunt tossed his cigar In
among the rose acacias that skirted the
lawn, and began to select'a cluster of
exquisite moss-roses needless of the
thorns that pierced his unaccustomed
fingers.
"She likes flowers" he soliloquized,
@and moss-roses are certainly the pref
test flowers that grow. I will get a
smile from those velvet lips of hers"
He twisted a blade of plant grass
around the messy stems, in place of a
ribbon, and sauntered carelessly up the
grsveled walk. All of a sudden he
stopped.
Frank Aldrich's voicel" he exclaimed.
biting his lip with vexation, as peal of
laughter foated through the purling
twilight from the open window beyond
What brings that puppy hear, now, of
all times and seasons in the world?"
Halo, JackI" said Aldrich; "been
sentimentalizing out in the dew? The
ladies were just fretting over the chance
Of your taking cold"
Mordaunt's face frightened up-then
Valentin did think of him sometimes.
AThat is" pursued the relentless AL
drich, poor, thoughtful sister Katy said
she was afraid you would have cold,
and Miss Bruce said nothing"
Col. Mordaunt's countenance elon-
gated again. But he stepped forward
and laid the knot of lnoss-roses on the
folds of Valentin's white muslin dress,
with few mournful words that nobody
could understand.
Flowers, eh?" said Frank, super
eiliously, upon my word, Jack is get
ting prodigal!"
Valentin looked carelessly down at
the cluster of pink buds, then deliber-
ately took them up and tossed them out
on the lawn.
Explain, if you please" said Frank,
composedly, while Mordaunt grew
scarlet and bit his lips until the blood
started.
There was q worm-a horrid green
worm on one of the buds" haughtily
said Valentin, shaking off one or two
crimson petals that still adhered to her
muslin dress. Il have perfect horror
for all such noxious insects"
DO you here that, Jack?" appealed
Mr.. Aldrich, lazilY turning around in
his chair. Its pity you were so I'M
fortunate in the selection of your floral
Altering"
But Col. Mordaunt left the room.
Kate followed him the next moment
Dearest Jack, are you vexed with
Frank and Valentin? They don't mean
to annoy you, Pm quite sure"
Not vexed, DEAR" said Mordaunt,
@Only grieved. I am sorry Miss Bruce
finds me so disagreeable
He went upstairs, while Kate hest
fated moment below.
He is better by himself" she said,
mentally. poor fellow he's dread
fully in love, and 1 do wish Yalentin
would tease him so"
And she went down into the terraced
garden to gather honeysuckles for the
parlor vases, and muse on her brothers
manifold grievances.
ITS too bad, so it is, she murmured,
xinking back the bright drops that
would suffuse her hazel-brown orbs.
II shall talk seriously to Valentin about
1t this very evening.
Meanwhile, Col. Mordaunt stalked
Sulkily upstairs into his sisters pretty
little sitting-room, where the muslin
curtains we're fiuttering to and fro In
the delicious night wind, and the sofa
was drawn into the little recess beside
= table all Uttered with books, and
magazines, and needle-cases, and thin
bles. and the indescribable debris which
two girls invariably collect around
themselves In the course of June
afternoon.
He threw himself recklessly down on
the sofa and drew the soft folds of
Hates cashmere shawl over him, as If
jealous lest the soft eyes of the watch
ing stars, that were just beginning to
gem the heavens, should witness the
struggle that convulsed this strong
mans heart.
Not that the grief wrought itself into
any external signs. No, there was
neither groan nor motion more than
there had been when he had been
wounded az Spottsylvania, and rode on
at the head of his regiment as bravely
as though the red blood was not drip
lIIg frcn his arm with slow and deadly
aralh. One might almost have fancied
oln asleep a. he lay there, white and