The Washington herald., 1914-02-14
Daily Short Story
A VALENTINE WITH
A VENGEANCE

text James Frederick Randall could
manage to call across the garden fence.
And upon each occasion Lois Martin In
variably murmured to herself, ITS very
strange that, man. as smart al he IL
supposed to be. cannot understand re-
burr"
He wished to tell her about doing up
her rose bushes for the winter In the
latest approved manner. He wished ad-
for the long bed. Would she let him
send his colored man round to spade mp
her garden? And would Miss Martin
come for walk to Sunset Hill?
Lois placed more old carpets than usual
about her rose bushes in defiance Of the
latest approved methods. She could not
think of troubling his man to spade her
garden And most emphatically she would
rot walk to Sunset Hill
For be It known that Miss Martin had
rearranged the curtains at her east win
dows the day her new neighbor moved
into the house adjoining. Were going
TO miss the morning sun<dreadfully." she
confessed to Thomas Christer. the gray
cat. II never did like curtains hanging
over window. but can't run the
chance of seeing a Randall every time i
lift my eyes from my sewing.
1T isn't as IL he worked like any other
around all the time. 1t has always SEEM
ed dreadfully trifiing to me for man to
write books for a living"
She did not wish to be friends with
him. She remembered when the Ram
dalls. an indiscriminate crowd Of them,
lived in a shabby house back of her
parents Immaculate establishment. She
remembered how in their youth-the re
membrsnce still sent flush of NORTH
faf ~ har cr,irifod fona-fhfc Tiv,,R
dali, minus the eyeglasses and the emf
hence and with freckles in abundance.
had ventured to make love to her-a
Martin:
1T is a mystery to me. Thomas Chris-
ter" she said in evaporation, when
that man ever writes. 1 was up this
morning at the first streak of daylight
to see IL 1 could get an hour to work
unmolested in my own garden, and IL
he wasn't out mulching the rose hedge"
Thomas Christer yawned impolitely and
sauntered over to the dividing fence.
You're a nice, friendly cat" observed
the man in a shabby coat and eyeglasses.
But / suspect" he added in his quiz
zical way that always gave Lois the I'M
preston that he might be secretly laugh
ing at her, that you are just a common
cat. and not a born Martin
He meant that for me-" said Lois. in
L IL HtNcT speak " dSdlll
as long as I live"
Lois devoutIy hoped that the closing
in OF winter would relieve her of the
presence of her neighbor. 1t
was. therefore. something Of a shock
when she found him standing before ner
front door on the evening of Thanksgiv-
ing Day.
you ate your Thanksgiving dinner
alone?" he inquired, when she had re-
&,~l t., H. v,1A ,,.f
Tor. $50 did L 1t wasn't very pleasant,
was it? I've been thinking about It all
day. Can We not arrange to have Our
dinner together next Thanksgiving? In
fact. have all our dinners together, Miss
Lois?"
Have dinner with your Lois rose in
her excited dignity. why, do not even
wish to be neighbors with you, Mr.. Ran
dallr'
sTve noticed that and the man
laughed out as IL the circumstances were
amusing instead of annoying in the ex-
IRENE. "Still, isn't that rather foolish for
two people who went to school together?
Don't you think? I'm going to give yJu
time to think this over, Miss Lois"
To her relief the succeeding four weeks |
we're peaceful ones |
II thought he had given up being so
foolish" she exclaimed on Christmas |
SldHultS doofc hiiC WA - &As0e 4
nificent roses that had just arrived. "Oh. |
they are beautiful; no one ever sent me
such roses as these-but don't want his |
roses"
Was the Christmas dinner a successT
ne inquired that evening, sitting serenely |
in her most comfortable parlor chair. II
ian tell you 1t was pretty lonely in the
next house. tried putting up Christmas
green's. but II did1't work out right some
way. 1t takes tw o people to keep Christ
mas properly, Miss Lois"
Two are sometimes worse than one"
she answered severely.
Grown wise from experience. Lois Mar
in did not answer the ring Of her door
bell on New Years eve. In the morning
she found a card slipped under the door.
Another lonely holiday. / wish you
would let me try to make this a happy
New Year for both of u.s." She tore the
,ard across impatiently. and then
placed the two pieces carefully in her
1eslx.
Apparently, after that he tired of her
Lois began hearing Of him
socially; he was a decided addition to the
mail festivities of the little town.
Never before in her life had Lois Mar
in experienced the excitement of antici-
patton on the 18th of February. She
would not admit to herself that she felt
when the mail brought
nothing but the morning newspaper. and
he doorbell remained silent 1t was
when she had lighted the lamps, after .
ruthless day, and the curtains were safe
y drawn. that she opened her desk and
oieced together those torn fragments of
mis- card.
Unexpectedly there came from her