Year: 1870

birds could wish tor mating in; promise of
roses in its sunshine Though, to be sure,
the boughs were bare rs yet, and there were
no green things growing, save in the pots
which Ethel Romer had been putting out up
on the broad windowsill to catch the sun
shine. The thing that savOred most of Spring
was Ethel Romer herself as beautiful wo-
man an artist ever painted, or poet sung Of
Within, near the fire, sat DR.. Ralph Romer
himself. Spring had left him long before. If
Winter fIMStS were not upon his head, Au-
tumn had thouchcd it with Gray


Ethel's musing was interrupted. The post
mans rap did it. An envelope, with pretty
border and tanciful seal, and her name upon
it, was put into her hand. At the sight she
blushed rosy red, knowing well what lay
Within and went back to the fircside with the
thing in her hands.


''For me ?'' asked Ralph.


NO. she said, "for me-"


If he had only shown some curiosity then
If he had only looked at her jealousy had
there been some shadow of the lover in his
face or mien, all might have been different ;
but he went on with his book, and she carri-
ed her valentine to her own room to read it
there in quiet.


Yes it was 4 valentine. Three times had
that day returned since she married Dr.
Ralph Romer, and each time had it brought
Just such passionate lines upon the page with
in, written in the same fcigned hand. Again
and again she read it over--again and again
Just as she had the others, and thought
oh, how bitterly what s beautiful thing life
might have been to her, blessed with such
glowing love as this-life that must be cold
and wintry having only the calm, quiet,
commonplace affection which her gray-hair-
ed husband gave for all the wealth of golden
Spring-time warmth that she felt within her
soul-tor all the beauty that many an ardent
youth had coveted in her girlhood.


Could it be the fair-haired student who sat
near them in church orthe dark-eyed soldier,
with an empty sleeve, who passed their gar
IN impression, while he whose life she shared,
had silly ideas on abstract subjects, and need
ed much sage advice and counsel


Her poor heart ached, as her head did. She
felt wicked and ashamed, and very, very mis-
cradle; she forgot how time was flying, and
how her housewife duties pressed upon her.
until the sinking sun reminded her of them


Even then she took one look in the glass
and thought, if she did not say it, thata great
deal of beauty had been cast away on quiet
unfortunate Ralph Romer


After tea they walked out together, and
saw the goldfish in its depths; and he told
her Of the general habits Of goldfish. The
writer of the valentine would have spoken
so thought Ethel--of her golden hair. The
stars came out, and he spoke of them, not of
her bright eyes.


She wanted to turn upon him, and say
"What are ali things worth compared with
warm and living love?" She longed TO ask
him why he Gagged the heart he did not care
for. Any woman could have made your
tea, and listened to your talk Of astronomy
and natural history were the words on her
lips. II was made to love, and to be loved
again


But she said nothing. lie saw her beside
him, a little palcr and Il little Sillcr than of
yore, that was ALL


But from this time forth, the little happi-
ness that had still fingered in Ethcl's life was
at an end. She grew desperate, aud seized
upon the only possible relief to the monotony
OF her life. Very beautiful, very lively. mucl,
courtcd by the village c0terie, she found no
difficulty in becoming that most destestablc
of crcatures--a married tlirt.
1 Ralph Romer never sought to keep her at
home, but he seldom went out with her.
More than once the golden-haired student or
the dark eyed soldier had found it the most
natural thing to act as escort home after some
social meeting, and no harm was done, only
there were too many bushes too many
smiles, too lingering clasp Of parting hands,
when one remembered that Ethel Romer was
q wife. Home was neglected; but Ralph did
not complain.


SO the long year rolled around, and Nalen-
tines day came again Ethel had watched
and waited for its coming-not quite the same
pure hearted Ethel. Thoughts She dared not
utter had crept INTO her soul. The soldier
with the great, black eyes and soft voice,
who made his empty sleeve only another
charm to win heaus-who had told all he
dared with his tongue, and more with glance
and sight-must, she had long ago de-
cided, be the writer Of those valentines 50
full of love and pathos, so tender, so differ
ent from anything that Ralph Romer felt or
uttered.


She had given him Il hint, and if it were
he, then Ethel Romer knew that it would
have been better for her never to have been
born; for the sake of him who wrote these
love-poems, she was willing to torsake home
and husband and wifcly name and fame,
and be the scorn and tlount of all the village.
TO be so loved for a little while and then die.
was all she asked.


of ii comes to that she said, answering
her own thoughts, chow my name will ring :!


'ii''i po bltChCl tilstll odt:tll. 10 UlleV Know
those, proper, frozen village women, who
will scon me so--what it is for a loving wo-
man to lead a loveless life? 1t withers one
as cold and neglect have withercd those poor
flowers there


For Ethel had set forth no tlower-pots in
the sun to-day, nor many days. That morn
ing she had watched her husband ride away
on his great brown horse-thinking how
grave and serious he was-how old he was in
all his ways-how old-manish was his grey
overcoat, and his broad brimmed hat-saying
to herself, eff | was to leave him, and he
were to find the house empty, he would 90
on reading, or comfort himself with new
insect, or a new planet. No need to wonder
how he would take it,


And since then she had watched ut the
window guiltily and miserably for the valen-
tine, so sure she thought, to come.


At last she saw a figure coming straight
and fast towards the house, and the blood
flew to her cheeks and her heart beat fast /;
but it was not the postman-only a neigh
Dor, with blanched face and frightened eyes,
that told her some bad news before his lips
had uttered it.


She went out to meet him, and they stood
there looking at each other for moment.
Over the hills a little crowd was coming
slowly something in its midst


ttnon1t bp too t, Ubtona1 NJ,c Do,,o,