Old Valentines / A Love Story

mately to their visitors. Mr. Rowlandson's gained by its setting-at the corner of t

ws, or four, of books-and a few old prints-may be examined from the front; these whet the appetite. But two other rows are so set in the window as to necessitate sidelong inspection, and tempt the observer to take two steps around the corner. Here, to be at ease, one must sta

f these descending stairs returns not to its f

his iron-gray hair, and his firm, tender, and melancholy face,-you will never visit Samuel Rowlandson's s

ggesting a purchase. Yet he is a shrewd dealer. Not for Samuel Rowlandson is the fairly marked price on the fly-leaf; nor even hieroglyphics representin

books; big folios and little duodecimos, ragged books and books clothed by Rivière and Bedford. Once he thought a Roger Payne binding had found its way to the shop, an inadve

Johnson, of course, but Blackstone's "Commentaries" also; Plutarch's "Lives" and Increase Mather's witches; all of Fielding in four stately quarto volumes;

andson, "that ever put me to s

n Jonson, rubbed at the joints; Spenser's "Faerie Queen," with marginal notes in a contemporary hand; the "History of the Valor

e-breasted. One must never assume a volume is not in stock because it

ish Men of Letters.' Not there? H'm. Well, I must have sold him, then. Oh, no. You will find him in that row of old

s too diversified. The moderns are there, too. Thackeray and Dickens; Me

from one hand to the other. "The saddest true story i

Ogilvy: A Memoir. By her Son." "But are you sure it is by Barrie?"-they ask. He has sold more than four hundred copies. Once a year for several years he has written a letter

vel around the picturesque, if unheroic, figure of Fran?ois Villon. "I am keepin

next to Stevenson's, significantly. He has a high regard for Arthur Christopher Benso

calf bindings give the shop its tone,-and its faint odor, to

the shop; and in its lowest drawer, oftener than elsew

rough his post, which consisted chiefly of book-catalogues. Having laid these aside, he opened a bulky parcel the post had b

the Year 1848.' So, you have finally come to light, old hide-and-seek! Sir Peter Oglebay will be pleased. Fr

or and stood, for a moment, watching Se

oes," said he. "Tha

traightened a row of books. The bell tinkled, and Phyllis, in her br

son?" she as

Mrs. Landless. I have seen you bef

"And yesterday I took advantage of your invitation to see the pretty things in

they pleased you. A foolish fancy, Mrs. Landless; a foolish fancy fo

them," said Phyllis. "Where in

the Continent must have been ransacked for them. It is very interesting. But the scattering of a collection is the sad part; saddest when books are dispersed. Only the other day I saw an autograph letter of De Quincey's,-the opium-eater, you

hyllis! It was even more difficult than she had expected.

your way to Mrs. F.'s," continued Mr. Ro

Phyllis. "We have yo

o direct the current of our lives. I say they seem to, Mrs. Landless, for it may be only se

attracted Phyllis's attention. Sel

name for a cat?" she

d he began to quote, straightway.

a lofty

's gayest a

flowers,

of the ta

ve Selima

the lak

berry Hill, his country-seat, when Gray visited him there. Gray's first book was printed privately by Hor

ed the q

e gaz'd; but

orms were s

i of the

y armour's

est purple

a golde

s Nymph wit

first and

y an ard

in vain to r

heart can

's avers

of Gray that no other poet entered the portals of fame with so slender a volume under his arm. He wrote very little

Phyllis, stooping to stroke S

y verge her feet beguil'd, she tumbled head

emerging fr

to ev'ry

edy aid

came, no Ne

Tom, nor S

te has n

in those days realized their obligation to so

right blue they were; frie

ye Beauties

se step is ne

ith caut

tempts your w

hearts, is

hat glist

The task before her was still difficult, but she felt she had

you, also, for having directed Mr. Landless to Farquharson's house. But there was something else,

of her wish. "I shall recommend something of B

eated?" ask

our pardon Mrs. Landless." He seated himself on the third step of t

lis. It was dreadfully hard to go on. Her eyes were brim

t her face; and then at the parcel again. She was not the

this for you?"

ed; she coul

l. Mr. Rowlandson laid them on a little table and looked t

. The profession of poetry, inspiring as it is, is not-not exactly remunerative; not-not in a large way. No, I fancy the returns are not what you would call-well, say, generous. Things are not going quite so

is's handkerchie

added, "I fear

y out of the window

y to confine my purchases strictly to books. My me! Yes, strictly to books. If you h

. "It was very silly and wrong for me to come to you. I c

" said Mr. Rowlandson. "An invariable r

Landless's income is quite sufficient for our modest needs." A sudden thought made her heart beat rapidly. "Oh, Mr. R

en, with a little appealing

s offered to issue it if he would pay the cost, amounting to about fifty pounds. They wanted the copyright, too, but they have yielded that point. Farquharson told me you said that my uncle paid nearly two hundred pounds for my valentines when-at the time of my father's sale; an

the step of the ladder, gazing absentl

he line of trade. Fortunately you thought it over, for a minute or two, while Phyllis turned her pretty eyes away, to hide the tears that filled them. Be careful

that collection of valentines. They are worth one hundred pounds, at the lowest figure. Now-if you would not take offense, and you should not, I am

ghted eagerly; th

-you know-businesslike, would it? I shouldn't like to do any

wallowed somethi

in the strictest, legal terms," he said gravely. "And I should charge you inte

e with serious eyes; Mr. R

ble half-yearly; on

ular," she said. "Are you certain you can spare so

YOU CAN SPARE

I always have a little ready money laid by-waiting for

ook hands with the old bookse

y difference? And, tell me, Mr. Rowlandson, how can th

fire in the shop it would really be a favor to me if you would let th

nkled. She was gone. In her purse were five t

them,-samples of the wares she brought to market. He wrapped them, tied the parcel neatly, and carried it back to his desk. The square, black vo