The free press., 1895-03-21

"uu hiSS ilhttie, 100.
"Good night, Mr.. Greor!" she
said; and Mr.. Greer responded pla-
cidly
clos not going to be disturbed by
little thing like this, since he's sure
of her," Parke reflected, as he shoul-
dered her skate bag.
The moonlight was wide and splen-
did.
"Shan't we walk?" Christy urged.
'It isn't mile, and that stufy old
treot-car--"
Certainly" said Parke.
He looked down at her She wore
a little plush hood, quantity stylish,
and her face was pink and beautiful
within it.
Other girls, it seemed to Parke,
were too frivolous; Christy had al
ways q gentle underlying seriousness
that Parke liked.
"You got your Valentine?" he
asked, abruptly. "Did you-like it?"
ooh, SO much !" she answered,
quickly; and added, brightly and
shyly: "What do you know about
it?"
Yes, there was an odd shyness in
her voice and manner; and Parke
felt chill of wretched certainty. Shy
at the mention of Greer's Valentine?
That could mean but one thing.
"Oh, happened to see it!" he an
swered, crisply. "The moon is al
most blinding!"
cit was 80 very pretty" Christy
said, still with timidity. 81 never
saw such lovely one. Those Cupids
on the pink satin; and that wreath of
sweet peas"
"The Dawsons' new house is up to
the second story" Parke observed,
vaguely staring at it.
Christy looked up at him. There
was timorous surprise in her eyes,
blue as violet in May.
"And-and it was so artistic" she
faltered, 'and sweet. ] was so
pleased"
"We'll have to walk faster than this
if we want any time to skate" said
Parke.
He had heard all he cared to about
Mr.. Greer's Valentine, and his honest
heart ached. How had it all hap
pened? Once he had been sure she
cared for him. And now-Mr. Greer !!
He felt dazed. He stalked on fast
and silently.
The bay lay icily sparkling in the
moonlight. The "rink" was a cleared
space near the shore. Beyond 1t the
snow lay in blue-white expanse. And
the rink was scene of gaiety.
Scores of light hearted, nimble-
footed young people were gliding
across and around it, the light from
the great bonfires at either end flick
ering on their glowing, laughing
faces.
Christy sat down on an evergreen
wreathed bench, and Parke put her
skates on. He bucklcd on his own,
and rose to give Chrsty his band.
Then he sat down again, suddenly and
with emphases.
He winked few times, and passed
his hand over his eyes, without effac-
ing the sight he could not credit.
Christy followed the direction of
his gaze.
"Oh!" she said.
And then she hid her face, grown
pink with suppressed laughter, in her
muf.
The couple nearest them-Parke
could with difficulty believe his eyes
but tho couple nearest them was
Mr.. Greer and "Miss Hattie, Mrs.
Derwent's attractive, elderly seam
stress. And they were skating that
is, they were on skates-and Miss
Hattie was keeping her balance adj
mirably, and even taking short an d
timid, but correct strokes.
But Mr.. Greer was an unhappy
sight. He was clinging to Miss Hat
tie desperately-being two inches
shorter than she-and merely wobbl-
ing on his short legs.
His hat was at rakish angle, and
his round, unsymmetrical face was
flushed with his exertions. But he
looked happy. A broad smile, whlc Ii
he tried to keep back, broke bounds