The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-14
EVENING STORY
Miss Marcia's Valentine.
BY HILDA MORRIS.

she had "adopted' him, this unknown
boy who was encamped somewhere in
PARKWAY Texas. She had done it i'm
pulsively at Red Cross meeting of
the Ladies' Aid. All the other women
were adopting god-sons, even women
who had tall sons and grandsons of
their own. If they had a right to
mother strange boys, how much more
was Miss Marcia entitled to this priv
ilege, Miss Marcia who had no family
at all. not even nephews and nieces.
TN take one she had said rather
eagerly. This name here Peter Bird.
Peters a nice name, L think. 1 had a
brother once named Peter. a little
So Miss Marcia had spent her eve
nings, after her days sewing out, in
knitting for Peter. She had sent him
a helmet and a pair of wristlets, and
in a letter she had assured him that
sweater was on the way. She had
written several letters to Peter, and
sent him a picture post card of the
Oidport Public library and another of
the Presbyterian church.
In return had come boyish epistle,
full of thanks and amusing descrfp-
tons of camp conditions
ITS mighty nice to have a god
mother" Peter wrote. Most all the
fellows have them. Only I wish
could see you and take you to a movie
L
get awfully lonesome for some nice
girls. I'm sending a kodak picture OF
myself. Have you got one to SEND
me?"
The picture showed a stalwart
young man in uniform. He was
twenty-one years old at most, and
there was a boyish something about
his smile that won Miss Marcia's heart
at once. He was certainly a nice
boy, her Peter! But as for sending
him kodak picture of herself that
was out of the question In the first
place she didn't have one, and then 1t
would be a dreadful disappointment to
Peter to see what she looked like. a
thin-haired specialized spinster of
forty. Why. he thought she was a
girl!
For some days Miss Marcia specu-
| lated over the ethics of deceiving
Peter into thinking that she was
young girl. It was more pleasure for
him to think so, and it was pleasant to
get letters which were written, OBJ
viously, to an magined pretty girl of
eighteen. And yet, perhaps, it was
her duty to write and say: Il am
forty"
However, after much thought on
| the subject. Miss Marcia did not write
it. She sent him candy, socks,
fountain pen and even cigarettes, but
no picture of herself. She wrote let
| tiers which unconsciously sounded like
the letters of a young girl. After all
that was what Peter wanted, so what
| was the use of disappointing him?
Before the month of active corre-
spondence had passed Miss Marcia be-
gan, in some strange way. to feel
younger. Perhaps it was because she
had more to live for. letters to watch
| for, letters to write. Perhaps it was
because she began to imagine herself,
| now and then, young as Peter be-
| lieved her to be. And when she wrote
! she cast aside all worries. all the fet-
| tiers of wrinkles and gold-rimmed
spectacles, and wrote like a girl of
| eighteen. One cannot play at being
young without recalling something of
| the feeling and being affected by 1T.
| The first person to notice differ
ence in Miss Marcia was little old Mr.
| Horne, who had recently come to Old
port to open a book store. Marcia
used to pass his store every day, and
| now she stopped in quite frequently to
buy stationary and an occasional
magazine to send her soldier. She
| bought fancy stationery. such as the
| young girls used, and her last install
ment was even tinted with pink.
| THAT Miss Carew." Mr.. Horne re-
marked to the boy who was his sole
assistant. shes getting kind OF chip
per LOOKING lately. amt she? no
| ticed today she had on pretty hat,
looked like new Any one counting
hes that you know of"
Nav, returned the boy, with en-
phasis. why she's old enough to
a'bin my first grade teacher, and then
some Gosh, nobody'd court Miss
Marcia
I Mr.. Horne, however, continued to
notice Miss Marcia's comings and go
| ings with interest. He had been de-
| cidedly aware of Miss Marcia ever
reason he was more keenly observ-
ant of the change in her. And there
| was a change lighter step, perhaps,
pinker cheeks, something indefinable.
One bright afternoon Miss Marcia
| came into the shop to buy a valentine.
1t was for Peter, of course, and re-
| quired much thought in its selection.
/ She. told Mr.. Horne about Peter, and
he, much interested, finally helped her
to select a wonderful creation on
| which the flag, surrounded with much
paper lace. seemed to vie with Cupid
for the center of interest.
| That's just the thing for Peter"
Miss Marcia agreed. "Only you don't
suppose it's. too--affectionate in what
| it says, Go you. MIR. Homer
| Goodness no, valentines is the
place to be affectionate. he assured
| her. You can say a lot of things
! in valentines that you'd be afraid to
say any other way, leastwise 1 can"
He looked at Miss Marcia rather
stra NICELY as he said this and for some
very strange reason. she blushed. She
had no idea why she blushed, nor any
idea how becoming the blush was But
she avoided the bright eye of Mr..
Horne. and hastily taking her valen-
tine. she left the shop.
1t was only the next day that her
own valentine arrived, the one from
Peter 1t was a very beautiful valen-
| tine, adorned with pink and blue roses,
lace paper and innumerable cupids.
The verse it contained was so affec-
| Tomato that Miss Marcia, reading it
over and over again. felt first a thrill
| of delighted embarra ssment, and then,
at last. sort of wietful sadness. After
all the verse was not for her, not for
| wrinkled, 40-year-old Marcia Carew
| 1t was for the girl that Peter imagined
golden-curled. probably red-cheeked,
dimpled and laughing. He would new