The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-11
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HEARTS DESIRE
BY IZoLA FORESTER.


Ted arrives 1875 a. m Please
meet STURDEVANT.
The telegram was handed to Knapp
at the desk when he got in from the
club little past twelve. He looked
at it in surprise and some bewlder
ment. Sturdevant? That was one of
the bunch of Californian cousins who
had entertained him during his visit
to the fair last summer. He couldn't
recall any Ted
The Overland Special pulled in on
time. There were few passengers. He
stood with couple of other persons
watching the stragglers come along
the platform until a girl stopped be
fore stout, gray-haired old chap next
to him and exclaimed
Don't you know me. Cousin jack"
II believe that I'm Cousin Jack"
said Knapp. lifting his hat and look
ing down into the brownest eyes he
had ever seen. Il was looking for
boy"
For boy" She laughed. 81 sup
pose you did get us all mixed up. I'm
Theodore, but they call me Ted
We're the Santa Barbara cousins
Knapp couldn't remember any Santa
Barbara connections.
Are you going to school here?" he
asked
Not here. In Boston" She
stopped short, staring up at him
blankly.
They told me what you ought to
look like, and you don't at all Hair
rather gray and little stout, and eye
glasses. Are you sure you're Cousin
Jack Knott?"
I'm Jack Knapp and live at the
st. Ambrose, and surely have cousins
in California" He remembered there
was a Mr. Knott at the hotel. He
called up. Mr.. Knott had gone on a
southern trip two days before. He
broke the news to her with twinkle
in his eyes
I'll have to be a proxy Cousin Jack.
Now, listen Your train leaves nj S: 10.
That's a long while to wait | en-
gagged room for my boy cousin, bur
he hasn't turned up I'm going to
call up my sister, Mrs. Durant, and
you'll so up there
"Oh, ! couldn't" she faltered "In.
deed, ] couldn't. You're very kind.
but IL don't think I'll leave the sta
ton
Then we'll stay right here"
1t never occurred to either of them
that it was already st. Valentines
day until while pacing back and forth
through the terminal they came face
to face with large display of valcn-
tines. 1t seemed years since Jack had
ever even remembered st. Valentines
day. Somehow, now he found himself
telling her of his rather lonely child
hood, brought up in a boys military
school, sent later on to technical
preparatory school, and finally to col
lege.
Then what happened?" she asked
eagerly.
Nothing except that | came in for
too much money and failed to follow
my good star She caught at the un-
dercurrent of bitterness in his words
but you're not old"
"Thirty-four."
Suppose you live to be eighty four,
and find out you've wasted ffty-four
years just looking down your nose and
wishing something had happened
that's different? You said you had lots
of cousins, too, boys and girls, aren't
they? IL | were you, I'd send them
valentines tonight, checks, you know
call them hearts desire valentines. I"
"Will you direct the envelopes"
asked Jack. "Ill write tho checks il
you will"
Surely it was the oldest kind of a
Valentine celebration.
Those are precious old aunts,"
Jack explained, bit sheepishly It's
all kinds of fun, isn't it? VIII they
understand"
go pick out Valentine postcards to
go inside" Ted told him, writing bus
lily. IT'S after four already. Doesn't
the time just fly?"
Jack went after the postcards. II
anyone had told him he would spend
the night at the Grand Central termi-
nal in company with Ted of Santa Bar
bara. diligently sending Valentine
checks to all neglected relatives, he
would have called it a fantasy. Yet
here 1t was-a lark, but surely the
happiest he had known in years
by Jove. begin to feel bewitched,
he told her. Can | send you valen-
| tine, proxy cousin? ct me send vou
one to your Boston address, can't ~"
Not the same kind don't need
any, kind sir" Ted teased. You may
send me a proper sentiment, though"
After the express pulled out he
started up Forty-second street. A flor
lists shop was just opening
81 want about half bushel of VIC
let's sent to Boston on the next train.
Have you got a very small box can
seal and inclose?"
While the violets were being packed
he slipped ring from his little fin
ger. 1t was one he had worn through
school, before wealth had hit him. He
had told her of it as they sat side by
side, told her he loved it because il
seemed to stand to him for all his boy.
hood hopes.
To my Valentine" he wrote on his
card.
| copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate)