The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-02-09
Mrs. Harrington's Valentine
BY LESLIE STEWART

the one with the little man in court
cl0thes2 No, Mamie would have insti-
tuted odiOus comparisons. and he had had
10 thrash three boys for her favor al
ready
Lets see it, Terry
Terry nearly tumbled out of his chair;
then the habit Of obedience reasseTted
Itself He crossed the room and handed
the valentine 10 his employer.
Roses red.
li0lets blue;
Sugars sweet
50 are you
Quoted the railroad msgnate. "A very
nice sentiment, Terry" he concluded, and
handed back the paper lace offering of
youthful affection You'd better run
along home-and mail your valentine
I'm going home myself pretty soon"
He closed his eyes again, but In the
darkness he szw wreaths OF roses, smil-
ing Cupids. and gay little ladies in Marie
Antoinette frocks Years ago he had sent
a valentine Ike that TO his wife. and
when they had moved to New York be
had found her packing il AWAY with few
heart trophies" as she called them.
His wife, Why he hadn't seen her for
days. Perhaps she had gone out to Da-
kota on one OF her periodical trips. No
because he had seen a trained nurse in
the hall that morning. and a trained
nurse meant neuralgia for MS HaTrinE-
ton. lie would go home and End out how
bad it was. There was time 10 so home,
now that the merger was completed.
But on his way uptown he had babe his
chauffeur stop al the fashionable sta
tonery store where he had an account.
Ii was foolish-but he remembered that
triumph in Terrys face when the last
period was on paper. the tender fashion in
which the valentine had been slipped into
its case.
"A vaIentine2" said the obsequious
clerk Certainly. Here are Keats
poems I'm fooled leather or MORE Or
Shelley in tapestry binding.
NO. ] want a paper valentine per
sisted Harrington.
Certainly. Here are some exquisite
French designs-cau be utilized for en-
gagemenL- calendars or anything or that
sort"
Don't you keep real valentines-with
paper lace and pink and blue pictures
demanded the man Of millions,
The clerk looked panied.
quite gone out sir, he replied. You
might find some at toy shop on -- ave
nue."
To the avenue went the big automobile.
aud I'm q press of bargain hunters The rail-
road magnate found what be wanted
! gorgeous combination of paper lace, gilt
fHgree and rampant Cupids. and among
other inscriptions this touching line verse:
IT you love me as I lose YOU
so scissors can cat car love in Two.
The white palace was orderly and flow
Ier-sceuted. One man closed the door on
IHarrington's heels and another took his
coat hat, and stick
! Where is Mrs Harrington"
! The man looked surprised
/ In her room, sir. Shall / ask il you
/ can see here
! Harrington turned and stared Could he
/ see his own wife? Something Ike a grim
laugh passed his lips. Without answer
ling ne STROBE upstairs He followed long
corridor hung in tapestry and mirrors, and
after sharp, imperative knock, opened
the door of his Wife's room. Carefully
shaded lights cast weird shadows. but he
could see her propped half W in the bed
on lace-trimmed pillows.
| Hello. Maggie he said, bluff affeCta-
I ton ringing in mis- voice. Been fighting
| il ont with old neuralgia again
She smiled at him wanly as he kissed
her careIessly. II must be hard to be "a
/ woman. always dlliuE. itt tiiphEnis
She seemed to be spaTTing for breath
He put one finger under her chin and
kissed her again.
See here, my girl, what I've brought
yOu-a real valentine. Had a mind TO
send it by mail. but as ] was coming up
/ this way and I knew you'd guess
| The slender frame was racked by a ter
rife cough. So it wasn't neuralgia this
time
i've been-quite SICK she gasped.
| 'Pleurisy-"
He turned a bit white
| "No-no-it was nothing told them
MOTTO tell you'll knew you were putting
Through big deal-and--'
| When the nurse came hUrrying in, the
lace pillows had been sadly mussed, and
the patients head was resting comfortably
against a coat of English cloth. Also the
lpatient was weeping most unreasonable
tears. The nurse protested.
Nov you just let her cry it Out-I
know my wife" said the man. with an
odd catch in his voice. "A good cry is
worth a ton of physic to her-and as soon
as she can travel, young woman. you fix
her up to 60 to the South of France with
me. We both need a change"
And then the nurse tripped out, leaving
the two together, with the tawdry offering
of paper lace and filigree propped trium-
Iphantly on the lace coverlet
Copyrighted. 1907. by NJ NJ. Cunningham