The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-01-16

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| anyway. l just won't try to tell him
about the flowers and note. He doesn't
take the trouble to tell me anything. l
wish knew who sent it-that's what /
wish.' Her cheeks were flushed now
and she looked res@tfully at the form
in the big leather chair Il won't ten
him word she repeated-then called
sharply, Dick"
Stacey started up dazedly. "Eh? Yes.
All right! What is it, mamma"
It's st. Valentines eve"
The deuce it is l thought it was
morning. What's up?"
Nothing. The same old nothing
! There was a pause, after which an
| other gasp and the snore was followed
by an apologize, Did you SPEAK,
mamma?''
I only said it was St. Valentine
eve"
"oh, yes, so you die" CYawn0 WHO
was the old duffer. anyway? Been
reading up about him for the club o.
! (Yawn.)
Mrs. Stacey ignored the question So
| coldly that Stacey dimly realized tina,
something ought to be said or done
This he began insinuatingly. THIS
isn't an anniversary of any kind. Is VI :.
| We were not married or anything on
Valentines day, were we?''
If | had to ask such a question as
that I'd keep still about it," announced
Mrs. Stacey. Her husband retired be-
hind his paper.
The girls have each received lovely
big punches of violets."
Bully for the girls. Who sent en-
We don't know. JPeanne'S came
with valentie-poetry, you know"
well, of course" said Stacey, that
is harder to bear. You know who wrote
it,"
Mrs. Stacey shook her head. mo. But
it is beautiful. She will always remeIn-
Der it,
Will eh? Can't get it out of her
head. 1 suppose. Something like that
Blue trip-lip-for-an eight-cent fare
business"
Mrs. Stacey gave wifely inattention TO
his joke Finally, "A woman always
they make dangerous food for hungry
hearts,
The man behind the paper became
conscious of a meaning in his wife's
tone. He looked over the top Of the
sheet, to see that her gaze was fixed
upon bowl of violets on the stand pc
fore the fire. She went on:
You never sent me a valentine Dick.
But some one else has. l wasn't gong
to tell you-when you were asleep
well, I'm glad you didn't then. But
what about it now?"
There isn't anything more about It.
At least l only know that I received a
valentine and a bunch of flowers. and
don't know who sent them. | wish
did, because l am tired of being left
alone and neglected and-so there!v
Why, mamma! Why"
You needn't why me-" The Ditcher
of patience indeed had been broken al
the fountain. Mrs. Stacey was royalty
angry and in tears. What do you men
think women want in this life? Do YOU
think we are satisfied with food and fire
and clothes?. l tell you we want love
and attention as much as we did when
we were young girls! And if husbands
are too busy or too Indifferent to give
these things, some other men WiIIl~
She stopped, with shamed sobbing.
Stacey had risen and now stood bes!Ge
her chair. What did he say, Anne?"
he questioned quietly
But she shook her head miserabiy.
What did he say?" He reached
down and took her slender hand in his
broad palm: His little ring glimmered
upon it in the freight
II can't tell you. You-never would
understand-or appreciate-such tender
ness. You-you never have-time-"
What did he say, dear?"
ooh, Dick. If only you had made love
to me-if you ever-ever had i
Tell me what he, said. You can't?
Then let me tell you"
He knelt down beside her, and her
wondering eyes saw tears upon his
bearded cheeks. But he reached over
and took the bowl of violets in his hand
as he said
These tender flowers are sent to you by
one
To whom you are the starlight and the
sun.
dick. You? Your" She threw her
arms around his neck. Her cheek was
upon his cheek. her eyes seeking MS
eyes, as he continued:
Their fragrance bears a message fond
and true
From out heart which beats alone for
you.
Then there was silence in the little
room where a man knelt with his wife
in his arms and the quick-pulsed clock
called blithely the quarter-hours as
they ran away with the eve of st. Vat
entine.