Year: 1875

take Cupldl say /. I've never suffered
as have this winter"


The very next day his enchantress ap.
peared again. Always in the same dress,
with the same companion, and always
provokingly unconscious of the Senator's
glances; but If she was unconscious her
companion was not. The Senator soon
perceived that he had drawn the atten-
tion of the latter to himself, and dared
not look again.


But something must be done. The
Senator desperately beckoncd page TO
his side and, drawing five-dollar bill
from his purse, inquired briefly, IN sup
pressed tones


Would you like to earn this?"


20 yes, sir, certainly" was the non
chalant reply.


"Very well. You see that lady in the
front row of seats in the gallery, next
the rallied inclosure above the platform
The lady in the brown cloak, mean. !
want You TO find out quietly where she
lives. When you have discovered that
you can come to my room and get the
bill. And, mind you, keep this to your.
self"


The boy nodded, and laughed as he
turned away. He was hardly gone before
the inconsistent Senator would have
| givena deal to call him back. He felt
as if he had done mean and ungentle-
manly thing, and he left the Capi ol
thoroughly out of humor with himself
When he reached home he was amazed
to find the page awaiting him.
| Well?" he said brusQuely.
well, sir, the ladies took carnage,
and hung on behind. They came along
the avenue, and turned up Thirteenth
street, and then into this one, and they
stopped at the next house but one to
this"


The boy paused, expecting the bill, but
got nothing from the surprised Senator
save the question,


whats the name?"


"The name on the doors Carver, sir"


The next morning at the breakfast
table the Senator plucked up his courage,
and inquired of his landlady, under cover
of a general conversation,
Do you know the family of Carvers
on this street?"


| know little about them. / know
they're wealthy and aristocratic, and
there's an invalid father and one maiden
daughter. They come to Washington
every winter"


" Maiden daughter! / shouldn't say
she was more than eighteen" said the
Senator, incautiously.


' You shouldn't, sir? She looks near
thirty to me-"


"You're sure there are not two daugh-
ters?" the questioner proceeded, waving
the point.


"Only one, sir. don't believe they
see much company, the father is such an
invalid. They're very reserved people"


After this the lady who had attracted
this distant worship appeared every day
at the Capitol. Rain or shine she was
sure to be there. But so far from MOTTO
ing the Senator she never looked at bim
except when he was speaking. Her COM
panion, however, appeared SO much
more interested as decidedly to embar-
rass the Senator. He was afraid he had
been rude and that the lady with Miss
Carver was endeavoring to check his
forwardness by constant espionage. He
was annoyed; but, after all, the real
grievance was that his ideal Marguerite
would not look at him. He could have
borne annoyance philosophically if he
could but have won glance of interest
from her.


"Oh, turn those eyes upon me" read
the Senator from the back of valentine
that lay invitingly exposed in the win
dow of bookstore. He was coming
from the Capitol on rainy afternoon
when this met his eye, and he said to
himself with half laugh as he closed
his umbrella and entered the store:


" wish she wouldp


There's Senator - looking at val
Cntines," whispered clerk in the back
of the store to one of his mates. And as
the whisper spread the Senator soon
found himself the object of such general
attention that he waited to make no pur.
chase but left the shop


However, he went into the next one
and there searched for valentine that
should be fit to offer Miss Carver. Such
a valentine was hard to find. He read
sentimental rhymes by the dozen, looked
patiently at Cupids and flowers and mot
toes, and again finally found himself the
center of all eyes.


" "Confound It'll" muttered the Senator
as he again rushed into the street. al
wish nobody in the city knew mer


He went the length of the avenue,
growing more and more disgusted with
every fresh collection of valentines he
looked over, and more annoyed at the
notice he himself attracted.


"l want" he said at last, pausing be.
fore the twelfth salesman in a kind of
despair: &C want a sensible valentine. 4"
And the clerk responded, with a covert
grin aL one OF ms associates:


"That, sir, is what we haven't got"


But by dint of perseverance the Sena-
tor at last found very prettily illumi.
mated, tiimsy affair, containing verses that
commenced thus:
s. Haste, messenger OF love, and Ry


Unto the one who holds my heart" etc.
With this he went home, feeling extreme
ly silly, but without at all wavering in
| 10 int Of I,a efAa
The day being the 18th OF February, it
was mailed that evening. But before
sending the audaeious Senator had writ
ten within the wreath of pansies that
ornamented the last page, Love thy
neighbor as thyself."


lie was a little nervous after it was
sent, but, expecting no results from it,
soon recovered his complacency. But
two days after he found upon his desk
in the Senate Chamber tiny, scented
note, almost lost among heavier docu.
ments. Opening this, he read, to his
surprise and amusement, this quotation,
written in a lady's hand: And who is
my neighbour"


There was no name signed, and moth
ing on the sheet but this. The Senator
was fairly puzzled


"How ON earth,n he asked himself
"cOuld she have found out that 1t was
who sent the valentine?n .tHr


The Senator was unsettled completely,
and half pleased and half displeased by
the reception Of this note. She had
made it possible for him to write to her,
and perhaps become acquainted with
her, but he was conscious of a feeling OF
disappointment that she had done it,
His ideal Marguerite, although he would
not have acknowledged it, lost a little of
her charm in his eyes.


But of course he answered the note.
The merriest smile that his face had
known that winter danced over 1t as he
wrote his answer, in which he made an
other profane use of the Scriptures;


Have / been so long time with thee,
and yet hast thou not known me2"


To this, as in duty bound, he signed
his name. To say that he was curious
about the answer would bat family con-
yey an idea of his state of mind. 1t came
| In dine time Anothar Iinv acanted sheet