Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-12

bulky. Inere was no cleW TO the
sender on the envelope.
She tore open the message and be
held a trunk key folded within a type
written note which said. 'This is the
key to your valentine"
The inside of the trunk was spacious
and composed of many trays and Sec
tons. and as the girl opened one after
another her color deepened and great
tears rolled down her cheeks.
One by one she laid on the couch and
chairs all about her the most exquisite
OF garments. from satin slippers of her
W size to a wedding gown of creamy
satin. In her widest dreams in the
days when she had been engaged to
Bob Saunders, in those happy days be-
make her own way in the world, she
had not fancied anything so beautiful.
And who but Bob could have done 1t?
1t had beer at a Valentine party -four
years ago that she and Bob had be
come engaged.
She was startled by a third knock at
her door, this time a gentle, feminine
knock. "Yes?r called Violet, drying
her eyes.
Its Katie, Miss Sargent" came In
the soft brogue of the maid.
Come in. Katie."
The girl opened the door and closed
it behind her. She spoke in an W
stricken voice. and her eyes grew wide
with wonder as she beheld the Devil
dering array of unmistakable brides
finery lying about the room.
"There's-there's a lady and gentle
men below. They want to see you"
announced Katie.
"Who are theyT' Violet asked, trem-
bling from head to foot.
"They said you'd know and-Miss
Sargent, I-they came in a big automo-
bile and-and it's standing outside wait
ing for them now. The lady whisper
ed to me to have you dress in-in your
new clothes before coming down; that
they would wait"
For a few moments Violet stood
looking helplessly about her, the maid
staring. AT last, impulsively, she look
ed up.
katie she said. ''please close the
door and help me to dress"
Yes. ma'am. l will" said Katie.
1t took half an hour to select the
dainty clothes and don them.
Nov, Katie, will | do?" asked Vio-
let. flushed and happy. AS she dress
ed she had reasoned it all out logically
in her mind, and the situation seemed
% onnuanffoto1 oC - che had nluruus
known this was to be her wedding
night.
Katie. IL haven't said anything
about this to any one. 1t isn't best in
a boarding house where you know no
one, but-I'm going to be married. L
I'll return and arrange everything with
Mrs. Jordan, but meantime will you
straighten my things and pack this
trunk and my own with all but my
garments to wear?"
When Violet reached the foot of the
stairs there stood Bob, his eyes de-
vouring her. He knew by the length
of time she had taken that she had un-
derstood and was coming down to be
his bride. He took the little gloved
hand she gave him and led her to the
dingy parlor.
.Violetl' cried Bob's married sister.
II have been nearly SHAKING to death
with nervousness l heard of
such a mad. romantic thing in all my
life. Bob has the temerity of a briga-
der general. Now let's hurryr'
And Violet was hurried off with her
si~ster-in-law and husband to be to the
little church where the minister was
in readiness to make her Bob's wife.
Il knew you'd be more apt to marry
me in this mad, unconventional way
than you ever would in a sane and
digniied fashion," said her husband
hours afterward. "And l couldn't bear
to think of your working here in New
York alone any longer, even though
you declared to me you loved it and
probably-would never marry me-"