The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-21
Eoening Story
Mended Hearts.
BY ROSE MEREDITH.

/ BY ROSE MEREDITH.
Elspeth brakes sharp eyes watched
Lieut.. Thorne's straight young form as
he wandered about her little specially
shop, and she noted his stern face as
he bent over the hand-painted vaien-
tines set out on the tables. She had
known him since he was a small boy
| in his first knickerbockers, trudging
off to her sisters private school for
/, children; she had watched him grow
up to young manhood, worried about
him when he fought in France, cried
when he came home safe and sound
and now she worried about his love
! affairs.
| AS for Lieut. Richard Thorne, he
only knew and respected Elspeth as
the elderly sister of his old teacher.
| and he had wondered why some nice
chap hadn't married her. she was SO
| sweet and pretty. even in middle age.
| Elspeth saw him frowning at a heap
Of dainty missives, picking up first
one and then another and then dis
tcarding each one. At last he selected
| a beautiful heart-shaped one-pale
pink, with a trailing spray OF forget
me-nots, tiny letters OF sold-'Win
you be my vaIentine?' a wee painting
| of a cavalier laying his broken heart
at the door OF some unseen lady in
| one corner. There was a great bow
| of pink ribbon on this valentine, and
Richard lifted one corner of the rib
bon and wrote something with his
fountain pen. Elspeth thought 1t
looked like, viii you forgive me?"
She watched his intent face as he
she gave him, affixed stamp, and
then paid her, with some absent
minded remark about the fine weather.
| Elspeth murmured assent-really, it
| was showing hard that night! He
went out of the shop and stood on the
| OF a
uncertainty in his hand. She knew
that he was in doubt whether to mail
it or not. Suddenly he came to a
decision. He tore the envelope across
and across again and, re-entering the
shop, dropped the pieces on the coun-
please put those in your fire, Miss
Elspeth," he requested. 81 have
| changed my mind and before she
could utter protest he had vanished,
the door closing behind him with
finality that seemed to say: In this
way closes the love of Richard Thorne
and A1ine Allen
| Dear heart," fluttered Elspeth, not
/, -leaning the valentine at all, as she
gathered up the torn fragments and
| took them to her desk behind the
screen in the corner. What has that
reckless boy been doing now?" She
pulled out paste pot and a roll OF
gummed tissue for Tnending torn pa
per, and she spread the torn envelope
and the jagged pink heart pieces be-
| fore her Then she peered into the
pastepot as If for inspiration. and not
finding 1t therein. took counsel of her
own heart, which beat high in SYM
pathy for all lovers, be they young Or
old.
envelope together, but it's human.
she muttered as she moistened and
stroked the gummed tissue. At last
| W a p
constructed picture puzzle, lay before
| her with the address standing out
| boldly enough in Lieutenant Thorne's
| handwriting, and she shamelessly read
it: Miss Aline Alien, II Ivy street,
city,
II felt it was for that poor, child"
so1iloquized Elspeth. II knew they
| had quarreled weeks and weeks ago
and he wants to make UP, only he's
too proud. Well, don't look any
sedate but it's never too late to mend"
she chuckled. "Aline's going to have
that valentine. It's hers-he bought
it for her and + expect he's sorry now
| that he destroyed it: Elspeth. you're
lost to all sense of honor. but you're
going to patch up that poor heart and
send it along so she gets it in the
morning"
Elspetch patched up the torn heart
with the delicate bits of tissue,
1
guiltily read the plea for pardon, in.
closed it in the mended envelope, put
| that one within a larger one, penciled
that one, Destroyed by mistake" and
| inclosing all in a very large, for
! midable envelope addressed it to A1ine
and personally mailed 1t in the post
box at the corner. Then she returned
4 to the business of selling valentines to
/ lovers and would-be lovers, to married
sweethearts and embryo sweethearts
| nd @n + ni-
1 lating library to old folks who like to
| read about love and young folks who
| wanted adventure stories, but there
must be a bit of love in all OF them.
| Elspeth was very happy that night
and the next morning she was happier
still in the knowledge that Aline would
| get the torn valentine, would under
stand, and communicate with Richard
| Thorne.
Things did not happen exactly as
| Elspeth had planned.
| About nine o'clock, shortly after the
! shop opened for business, the door
| opened and in marched Lieut.. Thorne.
| He was very stern looking this morn
| ing, tho he vouchsafed a faint wander
about the tables and look at the vaIen-
tines that were left .-at last he turned
to the quivering little proprietor.
You don't happen to have another
valentine like the one I bought last
night, do you Miss Elspeth? It was
all pink and blue-er-you know" he
explained.
THAT was the last one, Richard"
she said soberly, tho her eyes danced.
Here's a pretty blue one. tho"
"No-no-she would like pink with
a touch of blue-that is. would like
It. you see,' he f1oundered, turning
very red.
| THAT was the only one-it was the
I prettiest one I had"
| II was fool to tear it up" he said
dismally enough, when the door opened
and who should come in but Aline AL
len. She did not see Richard, who
| dropped down to a seat on the huge
high-backed settle and was quite hid
den from view. It is safe to say that
Lieut.. Richard might have practiced
this maneuver in the trenches-af
least it served him well now.
Aline went directly to Miss Elspeth