The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-03-08

grinning boy wi hdraw from the
room, Then, "Confound the name.
anyway" he exclaimed
! If V. j ever wavered in a deep
sentiment of reverence for his mother
it was when he thought of the name
she had given him. At home there
was a series of valentines, pictures
taken on his successive birthdays, by
which she had emphasized the names
absurdiy. 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
youth in his teens, of which fastidi-
Gus regard for dress and a senu-
mental pose were conspicuous fea-
lures How delighted his mother had
been with this particular valentine!
lie arose and walked to a mirror.
It's freak of a face he declared,
surveying his reflection sternly and
critically. 1T looks" he said, as if
it had repented at the last and tried
to do something in the beauty line.
Could anything be more narrowing
and inharmonious! No sane girl
could ever bring herself to the point
of accepting the wearer of such
face" He would never make fool
of himself by asking it. No! The
matter was settled definitely, finally
and forever. he declared
I, IN nj hnnppFnrf1
seemed, however, 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.
1t 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
a 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 up the book for the clos
ing chapters.
And just then Dana opened the
door and tossed into Marcia's lap
large envelope. 1T came this after
noon while you were out" she ex-
planned. Il thought you had it.
who in the world is sending me
valentine of this sort?" exclaimed
Marcia, picking up the flimsy, fancy
envelope "Oh, | know. It's Dickey,
Mrs. Ashton's little boy. | 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
a thick and sudden silence. From a
/
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,
were the words:
II am your valentine.
VIII you, sweet maiden, not be
mine?"
Marcia's face was flushed and an
CRY. Those silly girls!" she ex-
claimed 81 do not think girls of that
age"
Her voice broke as she began to re-
place the valentine in it's envelope.
" ]. put out a restraining hand and
took the picture. at 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. Il 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. j. there was something won
derfully sweet and intimate in this
mention of his mother by Marcia.
Certain resolutions melted In its
warmth There was moments ST.
lence. Then, 81 am waiting" he re-
minded.
Marcia looked up inquiringly.
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 yet"
And the answer must have been
satisfactory, for V. J. never, as he had
sworn to do, destroyed his mothers
valentine. Something in a nature full
of sentiment forbade his doing so.