The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-02-10
For THE UNION.
ONE MISSION OF ST. VALENTINE.
BY FLORA srrwARr EMORY.

WOIiQ SCCmGu uluClCul, dt ACoSl ~ Wdo
different to Elsie. Then it was she
had faith in mankind, in one particu-
lar specimen, at least. To him she
had made the promise she would paint
him a valentine the next February.
He had admired dainty bit of water
color full of hearts and darts which
she had given her cousin and had
laughingly remarked that no one had
sent him valentine. They had just
met and were sitting out dance
together.
"How many did you receiver" he
asked her.
mot one !" she responded.
mot a one :" he asked wonder
ingly.
why was that?"
Because no one cared enough
about me to send me one, suppose,
she answered.
Adare laughed heartily. Elsie bit
her lip. ''I am sorry we have dis
cussed the matter, she said, her eyes
filling with tears.
mo, please don't be sorry only
laughed because it was the same
reason that no one sent me one."
Then they both laughed and agreed
to exchange valentines the next year.
Regardless of circumstances. Adare
said at parting.
He went home with a light heart.
That the sort of girl a fellow likes"
he thought. 'She's not always brag-
ging of the attentions she receives. "
Elsie did not put her thoughts in
words, but she glanced at the calen-
dar over her desk; 1865 days yet"
she murmured.
1t wasn't 365 hours before she had
painted the dearest sort of valentine
and put it safely away in a private
drawer. 1t was all over violets en-
twined in small envelopes, each ad-
dressed in the finest of gilt letters to
Adare Roberts. There seemed to be
millions of them, and in the center of
each violet was a blood red heart
sometimes so faint and elusive as to
appear almost invisible. Elsie viewed
her work with pride. eff don't do
it when the spirit moves me / shall
probably never be able to-" she said
in excuse to herself.
The acquaintance between the two
soon ripened into a warm friendship
which was followed by an ardent
courtship. Adare was positive he
had met his fate, and Elsie had no
doubt of it. All went well until
Adare's cousin came upon the scene.
Elsie was sensible she always pri-
ded herself on it; but it took more
heroism than she could muster to
ignor the attitude which Mrs. Gordon
assumed towards Adare. 1t was
cousin Adare" and cousin Adare"
until Elsie felt she hated the name.
Their quarrel, it was their first, had
arisen over this.
Its not fair to me-" Elsie said
one evening when Adare rushed in
just long ennugh to explain why he
could not stay.
Cousin Emily wants to call on a
friend tonight and she cannot go alone,
you see. /"
Elsie was too exasperated to keep
her temper any longer. She stamped
her foot impatiently. eyes, I under
stand exactly how it is" she said,
not looking at him. "I haven't any
use for your silly cousin, / never could
abide widows
why, Elsie p was all he answer
ed, turning from the room.
From bad to worse it went on until
there was curt note from Elsie to
Adare which caused a heavy frown
to gather on his forehead II won't
be lead around by any woman," was
his inelegant thought. He tried not
to care. His reply TO Elsie was as
curt as her note had been. "It shall
be as you wish," he wrote. 81 agree
with you that our tastes are too dis
similar to allow of harmonious rela-
tions."
And now it was the 18th of Febru-
ary and Else had just received type
writtep of these words: "Re-
gardiess Of circumstances.
She had not seen Adare since she
severed the last link in their friend
ship by accepting an invitation to a
hop from his bitterest enemy. This
proved conclusively to Adare that she
was heartless firt. "She is not the
woman / thought she was," he muir
INJURED. Yet something away down
deep in his heart told him better, and
it was that which prompted him to
hold her to the valentine promise.
The most disagreeable part of the
contract was the fact that they were
to exchange the valentines in person.
81 suppose we'll act like two mum
miles," he thought. "Ofcourse we'll
be agreeably disagreeable and proba-
bly, discuss the weather"
Elsie vowed to herself she would
, not see him if he came. "I'll have a
headache or something" she said.
But, instead, she put on her most be-
coming gown. She did her hair three
times before she was satisfied with
the effect. "I'll be very cold and
distant" she thought. Hell find
1 am no plaything, no doll, to be
taken up and cast down at his pleas.
ure." She spoke to her reflection in
the mirror and the mirror girl smiled
displaying two dimples. "Pink al
ways did become me" she said.
1t was not until Adare had come
that she remembered the valentine.
1t was the main part of the program,