"Sure there are, lace paper and Cupids--lots of that sort. But there's
only one Harold Valentine, and now you've got him pinned to the wall!
I'll tell you what I'll do, Barbara. I'm a real friend of yours. Always
have been. Always will be. The chances are against the Familey letting
him get this letter. I'll give it to him."
"GIVE it to him?"
"Why, he's here. You know that, don't you? He's in town over the
holadays."
"Oh, no!" I said in a gasping Voice.
"Sorry," he said. "Probably meant it as a surprize to you. Yes, he's
here, with bells on."
He then put the letter in his pocket before my very eyes, and sat down
on the corner of the writing table!
"You don't know how all this has releived my mind," he said. "The poor
chap's been looking down. Not interested in anything. Of course this
explains it. He' s the sort to take Love hard. At college he took
everything hard--like to have died once with German meazles."
He picked up a book, and the charred picture was underneath. He pounced
on it. "Pounced" is exactly the right word.
"Hello!" he said. "Familey again, I suppose. Yes, it's Hal, all right.
Well, who would have thought it!"
My last hope died. Then and there I had a nervous chill. I was compelled
to prop my chin on my hand to keep my teeth from chattering.
"Tell you what I'll do," he said, in a perfectly cheerfull tone that
made me cold all over. "I'll be the Cupid for your Valentine. See?
Far be it from me to see Love's young dream wiped out by a hardhearted
Familey. I'm going to see this thing through. You count on me, Barbara.
I'll arrange that you get a chance to see each other, Familey or no
Familey. Old Hal has been looking down his nose long enough. When's your
first party?"
"Tomorrow night," I gasped out.
"Very well. Tomorrow night it is. It's the Adams's, isn't it, at the
Club?"
I could only nod. I was beyond speaking. I saw it all clearly. I had
been wicked in decieving my dear Familey and now I was to pay the
Penalty. He would know at once that I had made him up, or rather he did
not know me and therefore could not possibly be in Love with me. And
what then?
"But look here," he said, "if I take him there as Valentine, the Familey
will be on, you know. We'd better call him something else. Got any
choice as to a name?"