The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1912-03-17
.6;h:''e'>.Square
Envelope ::
A Valentine That Came on
the Wings of the Wind

BY HOWARD FIELDING

along under the scurrying clouds that
graZed the tops of the houses. and al
the windows We're aIight. 1t was !
picture of a rainstorm without rain
Not drop had fallen
Among the tall buildings the wine
rioted in gusts with GREATNESS calIS
between. Hats were skipping merrili
in every direction, but the worst place
was the edge of the new triangular
skyscraper. the Anderson building
From the leeward side of this struc
ture came forth Mr. Reginald Forres
ter. very carefully dressed, as usual
but i'll ii quiet style BETTING the eX,
IRENE modesty Of his disposition. He
carried some legal documents rather
loosely in his hand with a rubber band
around them. and he might have borne
a lighted candle without it's being ex
iinguished. for there was no more wind
where lie walked than in closed room
He passed the edge of the building,
and in an instant his hat was snatch
cd from his head and the papers from
his hand' The hat struck an urchin
who reeled at the blow; the documents
We're pasted upon the broad back OF
poIiceman", ..,r:-
AT the same moment a young woman
was propelled against Forresters
shoulder. with considerable violence
and raromed fortunately into the lee
of the building, where she stood pant
ing FORESTER turned to beg the young
lady's pardon. but she was winking the
dust from her eyes and did not see
him '-' .-..- ia .r.es "a
: The policeman reached fat hand
around and pulled the. papers from his
back ;is if they had been plaster
aud the -Irehin recovered Forrester,s
hat and also u large square envelope.
This isn't mine" said Forester,
with The envelope in his hand.
faint mine. that's sure" said the
boy. accepting coin and promptly
vanishing upon the wings Of the gale. =
FORESTER stepped back into sheltc,
and glanced at the envelope, which
was. addressed to Mr. William e, Lang
don in Il script distinctly feminine.
the writing of cultivated woman
The inference was easy that the inclo-
sure was a valentine.
Th. human mind under proper con
hitions is a marvelousIy rapid machine.
Within a few seconds there passed
through Forrester's field Of conscious
ness y series of memories covering IA
eonsidera Bile period. a number of sepa-
rate differences. including Judgment
Of character. and upon the top of this
an argument as to a very delicate Gues-
ton of conduct He knew William f
I.anedon The address upon the on
velope fixed the Identification beyond
doubt As : lawyer he had had Ger
tain dealings with L.angdon and li.ti
declined To have any more. Upon tbs
issue he had broken OFF a partnership.
his former associate persisting in coi
Timing as Langdon's legal adviser
F'0rrester knew the man to be not only
promoter of dishonest corporations
n trickster and a swindler. but onr
whose fate was snre. his exposure only
!, matter of time. his punishment not &,
he evaded except by successful flight.
Moreover. I.angdon, was creature of
low moral standard all the WAY
through. college bred crook. the gen
tIemanly" villain of the stage.
II seemed probable that this envelope
had been dropped by the young woman
who still stood i'm the lee of the build
Jag Ifany one else had let it fall that
individual would have been visibly e1i
gagged i'm searching for it. but the gi,'i
had something in her eye and WAS Civ
ing all her attention to that.
She was very pretty. and the charsn
OF youth and innocence was declared
in every line of her The indefinablr
beauty of maidenhood. the despair of
all the poets.. glorified and made her
sacred and the thought of her sending
token of affection or even Of remeni
brance to such man as Billy Langdoii
was Il proper subject for the tears Of
angels There was nothing obtrHsive,y
angelic about young Mr. Forester. but
! will ask you to believe that he was
I'm honest man and Il respecter of w0
tIietl anu QUE tHdi HttHl HiIfSt'iI IT. WY
strict account
But what could he do. The girl
was Il stranger 10 him He had never
seen her before. and 1t was highly
probable thar the scheme of destiny
id not include another meeting br
tween them In this world There WIS
a i-crk lpssness of fate in the way they
had heen hurled together. IA seeming
talious Indifference Whatever chance
may be. il is certainly not a gentle
man and has no chance of DISCLOSING
Itself in the opposite character. Yet
iit,t. many rude folk in the world. it is
often the instrument of good. How
could ii he made so in the present in
stance
Forester could not scrape acquaint-
ance with the girl for the purpose OF
telling her that Langdon WAS n rascal,
hut there must be some proper way %
accomplishing the same end He mtist
find it. and time pressed
The. girls eyes were free of dust +,
now. She turned toward the window