The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-13
YOURS TRULY. CUPID.
BY DELoREs DENT.

II \ Copyright, 1904. by Daily Story Pub. Co!) I Miss Elizabeth Moore had received two letters. Little Pat Ryan, who lived next | door. had brought them. Miss Moore and Pat were sworn friends, and usually he would have liked nothing better than to I have accepted the hearty invitation to | come in and have some ginger cakes To- day, however, he shook his head and ran
 off rapidly. Miss Moore looked after him | in astonishment. but he was out of hear | ing before she could call, so she shut the | door and returned to the cosy little sit- l ting room. | A visitor was present. and she laid the
 letters on the table unopened, wondering vaguely who they were from. The visitor, Mrs Jonas Winterbottonn. was wondering
 also. In fact, she was much disappointed 1 when she saw they. were not to be opened. Conversation Jagged. | Don't let me hinder you from readin' l your mail, Miss Moore" she said at last,
 stlffiy. .....
 ''Oh. mo-" returned her hostess, taking
 up her knitting. "I always like to save
 my letters until the light Is lit, and read
 them before the fire; it seems so much
 nicer then, think. Besides, that gives
 me a longer time to guess what is in-
 side"
 My land! never could wait minnit! I'm that anxious to read 'em. Why I
 shouldn't dare to wait, Miss Moore!
 S'pose' e'n' somebody was sick or dyin'?" | Miss Moore kept on knitting. deciding
 that even If she had to be impolite her
 visitor should not know the contents of those envelopes. For Mrs. Winterbottom
 was the biggest gossip in the little vil-
 lage That lady herself claimed that her
 memory was poor. It was on some things
 -on others remarkably good. She could take the most trivial subject. enlarge. dis
 tort. and spread everything that hap pened to be bad about 1t, in way to
 make the angels weep If she heard any, thing good of any one her poor memory caused her to forget it. Remembering
 these things Miss Moore stood firm. That is a. pretty waist you have on.
 Mrs. Winterbottom,' she said trying to change the subject. ''I wonder if you would lend mo the pattern?"
 "It wouldn't look good on you. Miss | Moore, you're so sim. It needs somebody plump like me. Mfr. Winterbottom never could abide skinny wonderland then again, you wouldn't like the feelln' of 1t, anyway. It draws so under the arms. Be- sides, don't know where the patterns 1 gone to-rny memory's so poor, you know | Did you say one of those letters was from
 Mrs. Cotton, who used to live up on the hill?"
 Mrs. Cotton? No she does not write
 to me-"
 That big one there looks like valen-
 tine" persisted the visitor, craning her neck toward the table. Why. 1t IS! Eliz- abeth Moore, this Is the 14th of February -and you've got valentine. suro!" she l exclaimed, her eyes brightening visibly. Here was something at last that she
 could carry on to the next house for news "Nonsensc-at my age" retorted Miss
 Moore, almost out of temper. well know | Ahak ofI lad
 remark, true or false, everywhere. No body would send me such a thing!" she
 demonstrated.
 "Oh, I don't know!' remarked Mrs Winterbottom, looking wise. There was them that said-for the lands sake! Is
 that widdcr Barnes with Sam Smith? Co.,
 in into the parsons house, too! What
 in the world-guess I'll be goin'. I owe
 Mira Parson Hicks a call" She reached | for her bonnet and shawl and noticed the
 letters again. That's a. valentine sure. Elizabeth Moore!" she exclaimed. Folks
 don't write common letters in big. square, embossed envelopes-leastwayS my friends don't. Good afternoon to you! I'll run in
 tomorrow and see what news come in your letters" she called with emphasis as she went out.
 When she was at last alone Miss Moore took the large white envelope in her hand
 and turned it over and over. It certainly
 did look like a valentine, but of course
 that could not be! She never had but one in her life, and that was as much as ten years ago. David Stone, whom she
 was to marry. had sent it. She remem- | bored how surprised and pleased she had been-then came the quarrel over that
 girl from the city-which ended In sharp
 words on both sides and a VOW never
 to meet again until the other had asked | forgiveness. Ten years ago! That was long time to live alone! Then she thought l of David, also alone, in the house he had built-for her Just for few foolish
 words! That valentine of long ago was still precious to her. She kept 1t hidden away. but she could see 1t now as plainly as if she held it in her hands. She re- membered every word of the verses, tco. she thought proudly. Then she came back to the present with start, and opened the smaller envelope; letter from her sister, full of commonplace news. There was a postscript however. that she | read several times, with little more color l in her cheeks than usual. "David Stone was here yesterday. It | was the first time we had seen him since l you uuarreled. He lives in the house ho built for you-all alone. He has never | married. nor been half civil to any wo- l man for years. I sometimes wish we had not so much Moore pride in our make | up. Of course 1t IS all rignt enough III lIs place. but there are other things that are worth more. David asked many ques- | tions about you-the only subject that seemed to interest him"
 Miss Moore laid the letter down with sigh Could 1t be David ever thought Of her now-now, when she was no longer | young?
 Absent -mindedly she cut open the other | euvelope-and then gaspel in astonish- ment There lay a handsome valentine nne mass of flowers. birds. gold lace and nligree, hearts and cupids There were so many that they swam before her eyes Who on earth could have sent 1t! She turned to the verses. The same words had been on that other valentine Of ten years ago, that David had sent! Davl1! r. rust have been Davidl BTeathlessly | she hurried to find the old valentine to be sure that her memory had not played her false. Comparison showed the ne" valentine to be far handsomer and more elaborate than the oid-but the verses