The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-03-15

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room. Then, "Confound the name,
anyway" he exclaimed.
II V. J. ever wavered in a deep
sentiment of reverence for his mother
1t was when he thought Of the name
she had given him. At home there
was series of Valentines pictures
taken on his successive birthdays, by
which she had emphasized the names
absurdlty. They ran up to thirteen,
when the subject had rebelled. Then,
after an interval, there was one more,
sent from a distant college-a poorly
finished, staring caricature of a
youth in his teens, of which fasidi-
GUS regard for dress and a sent-
mental pose were conspicuous fea'
lures. How delighted his mother had
been with this particular valentine!
He arose and walked to a mirror
TITS a freak of a face" he declared
surveying his reflection sternly and
critically. 1T looks" he said, "as II
II had repented at the last and tried
to do something in the beauty line.
Could anything be moro narrowing
and inharmonious! No sane girl
could ever bring hersslf to the point
Of accepting the wearer Of such
face" He would never make a fool
Of himself by asking it. No! The
matter was settled definitely, finally
and forever, he declared
The role he was TO play henceforth
seemed, however, a tame and color
less one as he sat that evening In the
Merrill library talking to Marcia. He
delayed taking up the book they were
reading together.
It had been a dangerous expert
ment, the reading Of that book. An
interest in It had led to regular meet
ings, during which Propinquity had
been busy after the manner of that
efficient ally of Cupid.
In V. Us case the mischief had
been done before he reached chapter
three. This was inevitable. Marcia
was pretty. She had a merry face,
with all sorts of charming little
curves playing over It; and his heart
leaped out toward the sense Of humor
it indicated. Then no one could look
at her mouth and chin and not gain
hint as to her character. Sane,
sweet and sensible were the adjec-
tives those features spelled. But
! V. ]. understood. For him there could
be only frank friendship. He reso-
lutely picked I'D the book for the clos
ing chapters.
And just then Dana opened the
door and tossed into Marcia's lap a
large envelope. 1T came this after
noon while you were out, she ex-
planned 81 thought you had It,"
"Who in the world is sending me
valentine of this sort?" exclaimed
Marcia, picking up the fimsy, fancy
envelope "Oh, / know It's Dickey,
Mrs. Ashton's little boy. I was over
there yesterday, and he was valentine
crazy. Don't you want to see it?"
V. ]. leaned over as Marcia drew
out the valentine; and then there fell
thick and sudden silence. From a
setting of lace paper, rose-hued hearts
and plump cupids. there looked up at
him his own face, the familiar college
caricature, beneath which In letters
which seemed clamoring to be read,
we're the words:
'T am your valentine.
Will you, sweet maiden, not be
mine?"
Marcia's face was flushed and an
cry. Those silly girls!" she ex-
claimed. Il do not think girls of that
age"
Her voice broke as she began to re-
place the valentine in its envelope.
V. J. put out a restraining hand and
took the picture. 1T looks to me-"
he observed. "as If st. Valentine has
had some odds and ends left when
he finished his yearly assortment and
had thrown them together to save the
scraps. An old fellow Of his expert
ence ought to know that an incon-
gruous mixture of the comic and the
sentimental is never successful"
But Marcia did not laugh. 81 know
all about that picture" she said in
dignantly. Mrs. Ashton told me yes
terday how happy it made your
mother one Valentines day. Gwen
should be thoroughly ashamed of her
self"
To V. ]. there was something won
derfully sweet and intimate in this
mention of his mother by Marcia.
Certain resolutions melted in its
warmth. There was a moments ST.
lence. Then, Il am waiting" he re-
minded.
Marcia looked up inquirngly.
There is a question, you know.
couldn't ask it myself, but this
young fellow has had the audacity to
ask It for me. You haven't answered
it yea"
And the answer must have been
satisfactory, for V. ]. never, as he had
sworn to do, destroyed his mothers
valentine. Something in a nature full
Of sentiment forbade his doing so.