The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1904-02-12

! Aunt Madeline from her mother. She
must not deprive her brothers of Rufus
aid, or Minnie of the safe refuge she
could command for her If she gave up
Herbert. With pale lips, the girl said:
| wait moment, mother; I'll speak to
Aunt Madeline; only let me sit alone a
! while"
The mother, frightened at the girls
looks. yet knowing how good and true
man Rufus Clark was, left the room.
though longing to uphold her girl in her
| first decision, and Kitty sat alone, not
wavering now, only waiting until 1t
should grow dusk that her face might not
betray her.
Meanwhile Mrs. Joyce was packing
her trunks and boxes, for she was de-
termined woman, and meant to keep her
word. A friend had repeatedly urged her
to come and keep "old maids hall' with
her, and sometimes when the boys were
particularly quarrelsome and noisy Aunt
Madeline had felt inclined to accept, and
had hinted as much to Miss Mills, who
often said she would expect her lat any
time" So now she telegraphed to Bos-
ton that she was to come by the night
train and went to work at her packing
to keep down the feelings of regret and
conjunction that threatened to over
| whelm her. She decided she would not
| pack all, but send or come for the rest
and thought with relief that she need
not sort over her old mementoes of for
mer days; but there was one paper she
must get at and take with her. AS she
turned over a box full of papers she
came across a pink envelope, worn and
! faded, but one that in its day was evi
IDENTIFY chosen for its beauty to hold some
dainty message.
"Harry's valentine! poor fellow, poor
fellow! My own loving Harry" and she
opened the faded envelope with fast
falling tears. II was not Henry Joyce
the drunkard, Of whom she thought; it
was her bonnie lover Of those long years
back. She seemed to be standing again,
a loving. trusting girl of eighteen, and to
zee his blue eyes so full of love, so beaf<
tiful and true to her, beaming upon her,
as he said:
81 wrote it myself, Pet and 1 want
you to keep it always-from your Val
entine."
| "Always-forever" she had answered,
with blush. All there is always one
that gives, and one that takes, in love
affairs. If she had been the giver. pour
ing out her very life in devotion and
sacrifice for him, had she not found a
wonderful secret happiness e, en- in her
pain? Would she even now have her
past life different? She pressed the fad
ed valentine to her lips.
"Aunt Madeline, l have come to say
you need not pack your things. I'll give
up-Tll marry Rufus Clark. Herbert
will understand, poor fellow. Do stay,
Aunt Madeline!"
"Stay! who talked of going? What
nonsense! Just because choose to look
over my things on a rainy afternoon" lit
was perfectly dry outside, but the old
lady was hard put to it,. 'to take it for
granted l am going! And as for Rufus
Clark, let him go, my child, let him go!
I suppose you want Herbert, for better,
for worse, and if it's for worse, DEAR"
and the old lady's voice grew tender and
solemn, "God will help you, as he has
helped many another. The happiest
marriages are not always the truest-
some one must bear with and sustain
the feeble ones. Keep your Herbert, as
you love him, and God bless you"
The girl longed to say, "But Herbert
is not feeble, and there won't be any
WORSE but all better in our marriage"
but she was wise. and let the old lady
have the floor.
"There, this old valentine conquered
me-mere doggerel, suppose, the lines
!, seem to you;" and Aunt Madeline read
| the verses to Kitty, which were doggerel.
and probably only slightly altered from
!, some old book. to suit the lovers pur-