Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-08-08

eCIlSlo ohb VIM
AS she passed through the door a
small envelope slipped, unnoticed,
from one of the packages Of letters
and futtered to the floor. 1t lay half
concealed under the edge or the
dresser, and it was not until two eve
nings later that Cynthia discovered it.
She was a pale, hollow-eyed young
woman that evening, in spite OF all her
brave efforts to keep up, and her hand
trembled as she picked up the en-
velope, yellowed by age, and held it
to the light. 1t contained a valentine
that Harold had sent her years before.
and there was a culver about her
strained mouth, and a mist before her
eyes, as she drew it from it's cover
ing.
The valentine was a flimsy little lace
paper affair, with cupids and pink rose
buds on the face of it, and behind them
a verse was cunningly hidden, after
the manner of valentines. Cynthia
lifted the cupids and the r%osebuds,
holding tne lace ike a veil before the
printed words, and read
"You are my sweetheart, dear one,
The joy of my life,
And sometime, when we're older.
You shall be my cherished wife"
The hot blood rushed to her face as
she read the words now When she
had received the valentine she had not
been surprised or shocked at its daring
IIanO+yo, FN, che could mot rnmnTu-
Der the time when she and Harold had
not planned to be married when they
should be old enough. Now, they had
quarreled, and had separated with he
understanding that henceforth they
were to be to each other only as mere
:acquaintances. ...
When the firm of which Harold was
Junior partner had first offered him
this opportunity to go abroad, he had
refused, because it would take him so
long away from her; but now it did
not matter where he went, and when
they had offered the opportunity again
he had accepted it gladly enough.
It was Cynthia's first thought to
send the valentine to Harold's address
in England, but she 500 decided that
such an act would look childish, and
as though she were trying to attract
his thoughts to her. In all probability
he would never look over the returned
gifts and letters, and If he should he
surely would not miss this little thing.
Her next thought was to burn the
valentine, and two days before she
might have done so, but to-day, with
grief and loneliness at her heart
growing every hour more poignant and
hard to bear, and Harold far away
upon the sea, she could not destroy
this last frail relic of their love.
So the cupids and roses, and the
crumpled lace, and the sentimental
rhyme, all wet with a woman's ago
nized tears and kisses, were smoothed
carefully out and put back in the en-
velope with it's direction in a boyisk
hand. Then the envelope was lait
away in a carved ebony box, with 6
blue satin lining. The box was put IL
a drawer in Cynthia's rosewood desk
and the drawer was locked securely
with a slender silver key.
A year went by with tagging feet, |
was a February night, frosty and still
as Harold Cushman stepped from
the midnight train to the station plat
form and glanced around at the ia
miliar landmarks of his native town
showing distinctly in the moonlight.
1t was a full mile from the station
to his home uptown, but in spite O
the fact that his journey had bee
long, and that 1t was already midnigh
and cold, for some unaccountable res
son Harold preferred to walk.
AS he neared the finer residenc
portion of the town, his steps slowe
a little, and, before a yellow colonis
house with white trimmings, h
stopped abruptly, 1t was not his home
for the Cushman house was farther Il
the street and was built Of red bricl
There was no sign Of life about th
place.
But the young man saw more tina
another standing by him might hay
seen. Ffe saw a room inside the hous
Ia long, large, pleasant room. wit
pretty windows and coy cushione
7window-seats. The gas-light and fir
light shone softly on the polished foo
on the handsome rugs ana chairs, Il
books and vases and choice picture
He seemed to be standing there |
the fireplace alone, with a fierce t
multi in his heart, and then he heal
the rustic of a skirt upon the stair
and a woman, young and beautiful al
= agowned In white, stood before hi
sholding out to him some letters and
ring that sparkled In tho light. IA
face had been so cold--so cruelty co
and beautiful--his Cynthia's face! Hs
old stood there d little longer, al
then, not seeing very well, he went
up the street.
He had gone only a few rods VIII
his foot struck something lying on u
walk. It was square and dark, an
qptcking 1t up, no discovered that II W
q small black box. He started TO op
III, but hearing footsteps coming rap
az down a side street, be dropped 7