The San Francisco call., 1905-02-14
Her VuleDtiDe :.
BY KITE M. CLEARY

What Is 1t, Aunt Varina7 A valen-
tine? Oh. how lovely! For me 2"
A girl came eagerly forward. She
was very pretty girl.
It's for mel" declared little Miss
Varlna- She was suffused In blushes,
drowned in them. you're not the
only one, guess, who can get valen-
tines!'
For you? OF course, you're young
them by the dozen! Isn't it perfectly
gorgeous? Who do you suppose sent
1.-THE new minister?"
No; l don't know as I ought to
tell you. But if you look real close
you'll see there's two initials written
just under the verse on the inside.
With an air of the most vivid inter-
est Laurel lifted the rose-covered cot
tage, the blue lake, the cup1ds, the
violets, the hearts and the doves and
bent eagerly over the inner page. She
Strengthened UP with a rally1ng cry
and deprecating pink finger pointed
at her aunt's glowing countenance.
"Oh, Aunt Varina 1 never knew
you were flirt! "A. M That's Am
brose Mead, of course. And to think
that all the time he has been vowing
Charlie must not marry until he was
26, and you've been saying you would
ignore me all the rest Of my life II l
married Charlie. that his uncle and
my aunt have been carrying on this
this lively firtation!" She broke OF
with little despairing gesture. I'M
I'm really astonished at you, Aunt
Varina!'
Miss varina, futtered, nattered, agi-
tated, claSped and unclasped her
hands in nervous ecstacy.
But-but you're mistaken, Laurell
Indeed you arei It was because I de-
tested-yes, Observation-Disclosures Mead,
that l did not want you to marry ms
nephew. Why, we haven't spoken for
fifteen yearS-not since he married
that poor, shiftless, good-for-nothlng
there! She's dead-the Lord for
give me for forgetting!"
well, all l can say" averred Lau-
rel in a voice of brisk finality, rs that
he has evidently kept you in his neart
all this time. And--don't be too hard
on the poor fellow, Aunt Varina.
Miss Varina preened herself-pat-
ting the bow on her neck coquettish-
ly.
You're a good child" she muir
mured her eyes on the wonderful OBJ
ject propped up on the cottage organ.
Il may have been a little severe about
you and Charlie, and if
But, deeming it best to let well
enough alone, Laurel had slipped
from tne room.
Charlie Mead, a stalwart young fel-
low coming home that night from mis-
work in the town bank, found MS
uncle, a grim-visaged, sad-eyed man,
brooding above a delicate piece or rice
paper, foamed over with forget-me-
nots. 1t was a trivial little thing, but
pretty and in good taste.
Charlie, look here! Some one has
sent me valentine"
well, why not, sir I'm sure you're
younger in heart and better looking
by a long shot than many of the men
to whom it is the custom, L am told,
for girls to send valentines to-day!
You can't expect to remain widoWer
always The girls of Thomastown are
not too dense"
The elder man raised perturbed
face.
mo girl in Thomastown sent me
this! There are initials signed" He
broke off in embarrassment.
BY Jovei So there are!'
They are V. H. E." The young
man looked interrogatively at his un-
Gle Il can't think of any one having
those"
TT might be varina Hildegarde
Ellington" said Ambrose Mead.
why, uncle! And after all your
opposition to my marrying Laurel.
What a concentrated fraud you are!
Il may have been-a bit Sc
verei" the elder man admitted. Il
fancied Miss Ellington disliked me
very much on account of-well, that's
past and gone now, But think, as
a mere matter of neighborly courtsey,
1 ought to go over after supper and
find out if that fine mare Of hers is