Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-02-09
list. To himself he muttered: Roses
and hyacinths-they're for love; hello


and hyacinths-they're for love; hello
trope, that's devotion. Strange how a
fellow will remember those things!"
On the reverse side OF his card,
which he gave to the florist to send
with the flowers, he wrote:
Read my floral message, o my Val.
entine!" Then, feeling that he was
making fool of himself, he gave the
address, Miss N. Harding"
OF course he would have to follow
his valentine and pay call to this old.
time divinity of his, and as he walked
on he grew quite nervous over the
coming event. Nothing gives man
a better opinion of himself than i'm
maculate gloves. He would indulge
in new pair. He entered store to
make the purchase, and there behind
the glove counter he found. his di.
'vinity.
Not she of the blue eyes for whom
he had purchased the flowers, but his
ideal, whom he had been looking for
through long years. How did he recog-
nize her? Well, he did not know, but
certain it was that she recognized him,
too.
Yes, o blind man. she recognized
you as Jack Hilton, her ideal, whom
she had loved since early glrlhood, and
waited for through long. silent years,
with only faith in God to bid her
hope. And you-you took that radiant
look of Joy that reused your hearts
blood and made you cry out: Here is
my ideal, my twin soul" for CLEAN
from fancy as idle as your own.
Jack Hilton felt no more nervous
ness about the call which he resolved
to pay that afternoon. He would laugh
over the valentine business in some
way, and close that chapter quickly.
When Ninette Harding reached home
at noon her little niece ran to meet
her with beautiful though somewhat
disarranged bouquet in her hand, cry
ing:
ooh, Aunt Nettie! Aunt Nettie! See
what some one sent you!"
And Nora called from the dining
room, where she already was at lunch:
"Oh, Ninette, would you believe It?
Jack Hilton is home, and he sent you
most lovely bouquet, to announce
himself, suppose. Used to send them
to me by the score; you remember, for
you always took care of them. The
silly goose! The child is Just wild
over them; couldn't keep them away
from her."
Ninette set her teeth hard, but took
the flowers and said nothing, accord.
ing to her custom. AS she straight.
ened up the rumpled ones her eyes
noted the message which her NEEDLE.
some sister had not spied.
She took the bouquet to her own
room, and that afternoon she wore,
pinned to her coat, bunch Of flowers
"a rosebud, Roman hyacinth and a
sprig of heliotrope. y
In the meantime Jack Hilton had
learned from relatives (the Hardings'
near neighbors) the whole "lay Of the
land" at the Harding home, and in the
course of these inquiries 1t dawned
upon him who his divinity of the
glove counter was; and when he met
her on the way to the store that after
noon they shook hands as old friends
who were not sure at their first rec
ognition but doubly glad at second
meeting, he received her gracious
thanks for the bouquet that. after all,
had not gone astray, with thankful
heart.
Suffice 1t to say that Mrs. Ned Jones
knoweth not to this present day that
Jack Hilton's bouquet was meant for
her. and that Mrs. Jack Hilton is ,ig-