The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-14
THE EVENING STORY
His Mothers valentine.
! BY E. L. Henderson,


on the 14th Of February; his mother
had named him Valentine, and he bore
the outward semblahce of one-one,
moreover, of that offensive type popu-
larIy known as comic.
No one knew what V. J. Vincent.
as he Invariably signed himself, had
suffered from this combination of cir
cumstances. Hair of unmitigated red.
a nose of unconventional length, IL
quiring eai 8 and a dimpled chin were.
| he told himself, heavy enough burdens
to bear, without the necessity of sTnil-
ing cheerfully at the endless jokes TO
which he submitted on each recurring
18th of February. He heG learned to
accept the hair and ears and nose
with resignation, but the dimples, per
petually laughing at the rest of his face,
were still a sensitive point; and in q
beardless era. when fashion demanded
glaring honesty in chins, a conspicuous
enc. He could only fall back on an
unfaiIing sense of hunol f'r support.
". Us name was appropriate IN
more thln che respect. In the lace
trinme., Cupid adorned creations dls-
played in February, there is usually
found, hidden under a heart-shaped
leaf, little apartment warm with
sentiment In V. Us being, there was
Il similar recess, but SO cunningly con-
ceaic.1 that few suspected us existence
It's sentiment was, however, bubbl1liS
up on this particular morning u the
14th of February as he passed the Mer-
lill home, bound Oficeward. He mai
hoped to see Marcia Dillon at tho WIN
dow. Instead, he caught q smile frtin
her young cousin, Dana Merrll. ForJ-
1lnately, he did not catch the remark
that followed it: Doesn't Val Vincent
look like a comic valentine?'
His face is rather an intelligent
one for a comic valentine, responded
Marcia He has good eyes.
"Oh. yes but eyeglasses are not be-
coming 1 wonder if anything would
be very becoming to Val?'' laughed
lie has a fine forehead" Marcel
spoke in the manner of one detef-nlped
to see justice done to an unpromlslrs
subject.
proving right along. Actually, Mar
ella. I believe Val Vincent is getting
bald. and he isn't so awfully old either
not near thirty yet"
Marcia looked up with the amused
and tolerant glance OF twenty-five ol-
rected toward young sixteen
Dana ran on lightly. "Of course
no one could help liking Val. He's
bright and witty, and as good as ne
is funny looking. He was devoted 10
his mother, and I'd be willing to nave
a comic valentine for brother my
self. if he'd treat me as Val does that |
harum-scarun Gwen. She has two |
GIRLS visiting her now, ana the |
whole bunch depend on him to enter
tain them, as if he were OF h1gh school
age too. The girls all like him, even
if they do regard him as sort OF a
io1re I'm glad you're such a good
friend to him, Marcia
"He's by far the cleverest man L We
met here asserted Marcia
"Oh, he has brains ali right
agreed Dana.
Cou1d V. J. have heard Marcia
defense it might have sugar-coated /
.tbe annual dose of witticisms he was
called upon to swallow AS 1t was
growing conviction that ne mao oeeti
INDUCING in some very 10 looii Isl.
dpeanS of late, was eiiP-
He sat in his office in the after
noon smiling rather wanly at a
feeble Joke from the ot1lce poy eiiae
hinged on his unfortunate coz lgi nOiai9i'
ssIJe isn't exactly an Apollo nlnlSell,
1,a tho11ght as he watched the lank'
grinning boy withdraw from tle
room. Then, "Confound the NAME
anyway" he exclaimed. - deem
If v J. ever wavered IN uSep
sentiment of reverence for his mother
ii was when he thought or the nanle
she had given him. AT nome titSl
was a series OF Vaieh'l il'sa3., doN-s nv
taken on his successive birthdays, oy
which she had emphasized the name >
absurditv. They ran UP to thlrleen'
when the subject had rebelled- Ihen'
after an interval. there was one ~
semi from a distant college, poorly
3inisoed staring caricature of a
youth in his teens, of when Iastlu
ions regard for dress ana senu-
mental pose were conspicuous led |
tres How delighted his mother had
boan with this particular valentine;
Could any other woman, ne 90 90 80
himself. ever overlook MS uelects aS
she had done? ,-
.eTt,s a freak of a face he declared,
surveying his reflection sternly ana
critically ut looks" he said. as II lt
had repented at the last ana tIleu "
do something in the beauty line COulu
anything be more narrowing anu IN
acrimonious! No sane girl could ever
hrino- herself to the point of accepting
tI7a Iyearer of such face" He would
never make a fool of himself by asking
it. MOI The matter was settled cen
niteIy. finally and forever, ne decIarea-
The role he was to play henceforth
saarned however, a tame and colorless
one as he sat that evening IN the Mef-
TilI library talking to Marcia. He de-
laved taking up the book they We're
reading together
It had been a dangerous experiment,
+ha reading of that book. An interest
in it had led to regular meetings, dur
ing which Propinquity had been busy
after. the manner of that efficient ally |
of Cupid.
In Y. 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 10 /
ono could look at her mouth and chin
and not gain hint as to her charac-
fer Sane, sweet and sensible were the
adiectives those features spelled But I
Y 7 understood For him there could /
be only frank friendship He resolutely
picked up the book for the closing chap