Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-02-14

Hughes" said Imogene, pale as an
avenging spirit. holding forth the blue
sheet.
Kitty Crimsoncd and her face con
feSscd. though her lips were silent,
"You'vc ruincd my life. What ticnd
possessed yon:'
Il OH. Gc!;". what is it: fnund
tn" sheet slipped dawn h'hind your
Writin" GoSk and it wasn't written in
your hanh. | didn't suppose any one
would know il. and there it was. all
ready to send off. just thought it
was u lark to ship ii off to the first
man | thought Of.
'Iou'vc ruined my life" said limo
gene, with dull emphasis, and without
another word turned and left tie room.
Kitty fell Ia crying. hut also Ia think
ing Sh" was no, an unobscrvant
youH@ prrSou. She had got an inklinG
of Il stormy scene in the dra wing room
early in the afternoon. She had been
pursuing knowledge when she knocked
at Imogcne's door with her valentine
and, despite that Young lady's acting,
had discovered that she was crying.
She did not waste time trying to find
out how the fatal blue sheet had been
so quickly recognized, but it may be
briefly mad" known to the reader be
fore we follow i'"r next movement.
Imogrnc's beautiful 1nd peculiar let
trring was AZ we'll known to many az
her handwriting. because she WAS al
ways doing it ON fancy articles for her
friends and on things put ON sale at
church fairs and the like. Hughes had
Il calendar. purchased 1T three times its
wor.h lcttcrcd by her hand. and it had
not taken him ten seconds to recognize
the hamdiwork on it as we'll as the pc
culi;r stationery.
kitty now made one boldncSS pay for
another she soon dried her tears and
sailed forth oil the unnadcnlI crrand
of hunting up AinSley. She believed
the trouble ltIi to do with him. and she
was going to investigate remorsclesSly.
She went 10 his apartment house and,
remaining in the hall. sent up her card
in an envelope. with an urgent. crazy
message that she must see him.
He cainr down with Il ha@gard face,
hungry With expectation. OF course
he had ii wild hope that she came on
some erraud-hc could not imagine
what-from Imo%cnc.
Come walk with me i'll the park.
said tn" imiHriuuS Kitty, and there in
the cold February twilight, under the
bare trees thanks to the young lady's
scOrn of conventions and 10 her direct
ness-thc story was soon told.
AinSlcy saw her home, went in. and
there in the library he wrote an inco-
herent letter, heavy with rcmorSe and
love, to Imo@cnc praying her to come
down and see him.
1t was not Il polished piece of litera-
ture. but its eloquence was effective.
With great haughtiness of men she
came, and her haughtiness lasted just
eight minutes by the clock.
Then she bent Il tender face 10 the
man who knelt ut her feet, and he-did
what man should under such circum-
stances.
After he had explained all about how
Farley. with the jealo .Syof chum for
chum's happiness, had come to him with
the story Of the valentine Hughes had
received from Miss Narncy, the tender
phrases he had seen in it and Hughes
asinine and obvious happiness over it
and had excused his insane fit of jeal-
Ousy on the ground of the depth of his
love, Imogcne said:
"Well, | think ST. Valentine has been
very mean to Us. Think Of nearly sep:-
rating us through some foolish verses
really written to yOu!'
"Ah, that's not the saints fault" said
Ainsley. "If you'd only been true to his
traditions aud not only written me IL
valentine and kept it n secret, hut had
sent it to me as you should. we'd have
been saved this terrible day"
But we couldn't have been any hap
pier than we are now" said the wise
young lady. who thought all well that
ends well.