The Press., 1922-01-19
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Amateur Matchrnakers
By GRACE SEWELL


 l@, 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.) The fire in the grate burned hap oily, purring away just as II coal didn't cost somewhere around $l9 ton in KenbOrO, and Lucille watched the thin blue flames that quiVered over the top of the fire like dancing furies. Roger Frear watched her adoring- ly, They had only been engaged d short time and each day he discovered new and entrancing beauties about his betrOthed. He offered her bright penny on the end of his finger and she dipped it away and turned bright, seri- ous eyes upon him.
 I'm thinking about Aunt Barbara" she said. She's not so old and she is still sweet and pretty ill her own way and she ought to get married.
 Of course she could if she wanted to-" agreed Roger, who was in the state of mind where all of Lucile's relatives shOne in the girls reflected glory. T heard my Uncle Don used to be sweet on Miss Barbara
 "Really?" gasped Lucille, "I believed was the only one who guessed there was an old attachment between them. wonder what parted them?
 Perhaps he was scared stiff at the idea of proposing to a girl, and 1t died a natural death," said Roger, wise In his own recent experience.
 Were you afraid to ask me, rirI hUI
 He shook his handsome head. You helped me out a bit, you know" he confessed.
 Lucille stiffened into hauteur and moved to the other end of the old sofa 'I was unaware that l helped one teeny bit," she protested. Are you sorry that didn't discourage you-or refuse you? It is not too late now! '"
 Roger slid along the sofa until his arms went around her proud young form. Darling, you were perfect y he said, and she knew he meant it, ::'but don't let us quarrel over some foolish word, and perhaps be like Miss Barbara and Uncle Don, lonely and unhappy
  eagernesS. You are right, dear, our love Is great and we must not fail to measure up to it. How can we help those two old young people to be happy? You really, really believe Mir. Trevor cares yet?"
 Seems to, somehow. BarkS out something now and then about her be- ing fine woman, and even said you did not measure up to Miss Barbara s beauty when she was your age-rOt like that!'
 Its not rot and you know it, Roger Frear! 1 am proud to look like Aunt Bab and 1 should love to grow into a sweet middle age like hers. Suppose you send her a valentine and I'll send him one-they might think-you know
 "Fine-let us go down to Mir. Potts shop now" Bundled in furs the lovers walked briskly down the village street to a tiny stationer's shop in the cen ter. Mir. Potts shop had stood there for forty years, and the little old man had dispensed valentines and writing paper dnu OlHCE SldIlOu0Fy aGO ScNCIdI generations of his fellow townspeople. Lucille and Roger found the old sta tioner all alone amid his depleted stock of valentines.
 ''The choicest have been selected, MT. Frear," he explained.
 Haven't you got any old ones in stock? Not last years or the year be fore that, but twenty or thirty years back-those dear old lace paper things?" asked Lucille with a winning smile.
 MT. Potts became thoughtful. Il dessay I have" he admitted. Il don't sel. out every year and there's a big box up in the loft here with hodge podge of valentines and greeting cards and such; there's cards with silk fringe all around. real beauties!'
 Let us see the box" said Roger "Tll fetch it down, MT. Potts
 You'll get considerable dusty" said the old man, 'but you're welcome to pull it down. Go up that ladder in the back rOOm."
 Presently Lucille and Roger were boring over cardboard boxes filled with old valentines which had not found d customer. The different lay