THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN. PORtlAND. FEBRUARY 9, 1913.
6 . -
fMovees of The 1915 ValenTme '
' Paijfeplace 0glj feces xBQonoYe '
I? fc--siv.f-" 1. 5 1 U AS&ii II - t Jys' Xlis liA!! - Zk 1 to "My Dearest," whose. address fs
t J : "wsammsm
I A- m: J
you. "has offices everywhere" and company and the receiving number is
giveii "service to afl the world." St. "2CT," the time filed. "I after I" and
Valentine is "general manager" of the the check "4XS." The message is sent
WANTED:
SWEETHEART.
TAG.
YOU'RE IT!
IN letters of blood red on a plain card
with a red border the 1913 sweet
heart thus salutes his heart's desire.
Bold and blunt, without poetry or ten
derness, without Cupid's arrows or
turtle doves, lace paper or filigree oC
any- sort, the up-to-date lover an
nounces the presence of the tender pas
sion. His grandfather would have heart
failure over the audacity, the self-assurance,
the utter lack of dissimulation,
(f he could see the missives that bear
the 1913 stamp and contrast them to the
sugary messages of his day which,
hidden behind layers of lace paper, pro.
tected by cooing doves, when opened in
lecret conveyed such heart thrillers as:
6, wetheart.
How my spirits rise
When I reed the loveHfht
In your eyes.
Or the following:
Say my heart you'll not decline,
Say you'll be my valentine.
Or:
I love my love nnd chali be true,
For naught but her love do I sue.
The changed conditions of society re
reflected in the Valentines. The cynic
of today who says, "No man regards
himself as safe from women. He en
joys the excitement and danger of
skimming through a lovo affair, with
out being grazed, too much ever to be
willing to settle down ' to perfect
safety," puts it no more roughly than
do some of the modern Valentines,
which depict woman as the pursuer and
man the pursued.
ONE of the- typical Valentines of the
season shows a pretty girl with co
quettish smile looking over her shoul
der and saying:
I'm tired and dull as 1 can be,
1 hate conventionality.
You are not alow at hints, I hope '
It must be great fun to elope.
A tiny detachable suitcase, of folded
paper and duly plastered with tags of
European hotels dangles from her hand.
Shades of her grandmother! What has
become of her womanly modesty, where
is the shrinking, timid violet at whose
feet the beaux of the day poured forth
their tender yearnings?
In the language of the village orator:
U'There ain't no sech thing."
Instead of coyly peeking from behind
her fan, the lassie of today is shown in
Sis Hopkins garb urging the little red
headed kid around the corner: "Go wan
and coax me I" Perhaps a philosopher
might be able to make deductions anent
the reversal of the chase and its effect
on Cupid's business. If he worded it
ever so wisely he would be able to point
his moral no more effectively than does
one of the season's postcards which
shows Cupid as a chestnut vendor, sit
ting in a pensive attitude while under
neath runs the legend: "Trade's Dull."
But, whatever the general trend,
however great the Inroads of commer
cialism upon romance, love is still the
thing that makes the world go round
and each 14th of February brings op
portunities for lovers of all ages to de
clare the tender passion. No matter if
you are five or fifty you will glow over
the thought that you are supreme In the
life of some one else (always, provid
ing he or she is the right someone
else), and the three words: "I love you,"
will continue through the ages to be
the most cherished music that human
ears listen to, and Saint Valentine, who,
according to tradition, held no nearer
relation to lovemaking than that he
was tortured before he met his death
as a Christian martyr, will continue to
be the most popular saint on the calendar.
ONE of the newest notes In 1913 Val
entines is the illuminated Valentine
letter, similar to the Christmas and New
Tear letters that hundreds of thousands
of overburdened holiday givers found
such a source of relief. Couched In
well-chosen language these breathe all
degrees of love from that of friendship
to the most ardent expression of the
heart's desire. If the case Is more ur
gent there is the night letter of 50
words, sent by Dan Cupid's Telegraph
Company, which, so the blank assures
Lovers' Lane, Heartvllle. The mesaag
runs something like this:
"Three words can well my love ex-
press, and yet with heart's consent, I'll
make It fifty and no less. The money
is well spent, and so I'll tell iron onoe
again, if fifty words, by wire, that
Cupid's dart has brought me pain the.
pain of love's desire.
Signed "Tour Valentin."
ANOTHER Christmas reflection la la
the great prevalence of Dutch fifr
ures In the decorations. The little
Dutch maid of the Zuyder Zee with her
flaring cap and wooden Babots and her.
little brother with the fur cap. volum
inous trousers and weoden shees, both,
smile alluringly from hand decorated
cards done In Delft blues and Implore
the recipient to "Be mine leetle love
or "Be Just only mine" or "Aoh da
Lieber."
There are hundreds of noreltiee Id
the cut-outs, many of which would
make charming place cards; sunben
net babies, umbrella boys and girls, the
goo-goo-eyed children, whose eyes will
respond to the pull of a string and some
of the popular children, of the comlo
supplement series.(
Quite the newest novelty this year Is
' (Concluded on Fa 7-
"J
I VST finished in time," said
Shultz. snapping his watch
nervously and noting that it
was almost 10 minutes after 3. TVal
sprecht. the inspector of his district,
looked up mildly surprised. He was a
heavy sort of man who seemed to
think only of business.
"There's a carnival down by the riv
er," said Shultz, "and I thought we
would walk down there. Nothing much
In a small town like this to entertain
you."
The firemen's carnival had been in
full awing for five days. It was called
the firemen's more as an excuse for
existing, although part of the profits
of the various Bhows were set aside
for them.
There was the usual fat lady and
the thin man; the merry-go-round and
the Ferris wheel; a shooting gallery
and a dog and pony show. Any and
everything that a small town populace
loves. But the great drawing card
was the wonderful 75-foot dive into
a shallow water tank. which took
place every afternoon and evening.
Cultured women and savage chil
dren reveled in the nerve-racking
danger and felt irresistibly drawn to
it- In fact the more one knew of the
diver's history, the' more interesting
one was to local society that week.
By the fifth day it was generally
accepted that the fair Hilda Smith
be either Is or 3, neither more nor
less; that her father bad been a pro
fessional swimmer and that several
members of the family had been killed
in this very act. Like her age, the
Blse of the family varied.
SHULTZ and Walsprecht joined the
steady stream of people to the
street on the river bank, where the
long line of waiting machines an
nounced that the carnival was near.
It was early as they stopped with
the entering crowd at the first booth
where taking & chance promised ex
citement. "The little dog goes to the gentle
man." shouted the barker when the
wheel had stopped and Walsprecht
held up the lucky number. His sober,
bashful face flushed a dull red as the
showman handed the toy white dog
to him and commenced his sale of
chances for the next round.
"Take It home to your kiddie."
laughed Shultz, "they are crazy about
them. Had to pay 15 the other night
before I could get one for my boy and
the blasted things are worth about
fl.50. But you cannot explain that to
msmall child."
haven't any children." said Wal
sprecht sharply, shoving the toy into
a surprised chtld's hand.
"Yes. yes," panted Shulta, realising
that something was wrong n he fol
lowed the tall German out into the
moving crowd.
"Let's go in and seo the fat lady.
Generally these carnivals are not much
good, but this show is pretty fair. We
mustn't miss the high dive at 4:30,"
he added, pulling out his watch ner
vously. Shultz was anxious. It is so hard
to make an impression on a person, es
pecially when it Is necessary that you
should, and Walsprecht was his chief.
"Lost, your little boy?" he asked
sympathetically. '
The perspiration trickled down
Shultz' face.
"No offense, no offense," he mur
mured. "I knew you had married the
little girl we met In Wisconsin, and
she looked so domestic," he blundered
on, "I thought you would have a
family."
Walsprecht pulled his hat down over
his eyes.
(C HCLTZ, you are no better judge
O of women than I am. Here I
have been on the road for 15 years and
I thought I knew all the kinds that
there are. She seemed so sweet and
home-loving after all the painted,
near-stylish women I had seen. But
she was vain, Shuls, vain. Not about
clothes, not at all. She never asked
me tor a thing, and I always took her
some new fixings every week-end. It
was her swimming, Shultz. She could
go farther than any of the men up
there, and she would show off.
"Well, I ought to have remembered
that she was young, but I didn't. One
week I went up a day early and found
her down at the lake racing with a
young fellow from Madison. All the
crowd were betting on her. Gee, I was
8 ore.
"When she came in I took her up
to the house and I told her she could
cut out the water stunt or she could
leave. I didn't mind her bathing
quietly with my sister and the other
ladies, but to make an exhibit of her
self in a swimming match would not
go with me.
"She left that afternoon. It was
just jealousy. I know that now, but I
couldn't see it then. Women are nat
urally vain, Sirultz."
Sboltx nodded assent.
"You bet your life. Walsprecht. Mine
Is the same way. Let some women
have a better car or go on a longer
trip and she goes right up In the air.
Every one of them is full of vanity, but
It strikes them differently."
They bad gradually worked their
way In front of the diving stand and
it was too late for Shults to take
Walsprecht away without making the
reason too 'evident.
The diving tank was surrounded by
a cauvas railing which hid the water
from the crowd in front of It, but not
from those who stood on the little hill
back of It and outside the show
grounds.
It was 4:30. The band came over
from the trained animal show and took
Its place by the side of the small dress
ing tent, over whose doorway a small
hand had given the signal to commence.
The battered barker took his stand
on the soapbox and announced through
the equally battered megaphone the
name of Miss Hilda Schmitt, the great
est shallow water diver In the world.
There was a moment's pause. Then
she came out from under the tent flap,
hitched ber dark blue military cape
about her, shook the few flaxen curls
which had slipped out from under the
bandanna tied tightly around her head
and made a little joke with the woman
who had helped her dress. Her red
stockings and white shoes peeped out
from under her cloak as she went up
the ladder to the first dock. Then as
the barker gravely announced the
first dive she loosed the wrap, threw
It over a projecting arm of the scant
ling, and pulling down her black jer
sey over her red tights, straightened
the bracelets on her plump arms and
poised her body for the dive.
She looked lige a girl of 16 as she
stood indifferently on the stand. Wal
sprecht was too far back In the crowd
to get a good view of her face, but
her almost boyish figure as it trem
bled on the edge of the diving stand
fascinated him. There was the back
ward dive, the side dive, and then the
wily barker announced the "biff," a
special feature complimentary to the
firemen of the town. The girl started
as in the forward dive, clasped her
knees with her arms and fairly sat I
down in the water, so that the most
eager of the crowd were well splashed.
There was a rush, a scramble to
get out of the way of the water, and
as the crowd moved back Walsprecht
saw the girl's face as she rose out of
the tank and looked at the dejected
looking men.
It was Gretchen.
His face grew white. He clutched
Shultz arm for support. The nerves
in his face tingled, then the blood came
rushing back.
But Hilda had turned her back indif
ferently on the crowd and was again
standing on the diving board, while the
husky barker was describing ber last
and greatest feat, the 75-foot dive. He
commanded the crowd to he silent j
while she made the fatal step and dared
death.
Hilda settled her bracelets, pushed
back her hair and smiled down reaa- j
suringly at her companion. Then as
the barker paused and the band began
a waits she carefully wiped her hands,
and, turning her back on the audience i
' m l i 1
SW. T- -sk. J.:-r T "V : ir-sl
&i S3
.-rS
1 mmLmiGLy '1T1.JLJ"U..
SHE WAS K SILHOIETTE AGAINST THE) BLEB SKx
began her elastic climb np the big
ladder. Standing out against the sky,
when she had reached the small plat
form, her arms at right angles as she
breathed, she looked like an early saint
suffering glorious martyrdom, and afj
indifferent to the ctowo.
WALSPRECHT watched her dully.
He was dazed at seeing her again
and was trying to puzzle it all out. His
surprise had gradually turned; to ab
horrence as he thought of her prefer
ring this cheap life.
He looked at her again. She stood
calmly gazing out on the winding river
and breathing steadily. Now she was
moving her fingers to loosen the joints.
His eyes followed the motions involun
tarily. He saw her move her hands
back to her body and kiss the plain
gold ring on her third finger.
No one would have noticed It if he
had not been staring as Walsprecht
was, regardless of the hot, burning Bun.
She knew her danger, and she eared
cared for him. Both thoughts came to
him at once, and he trembled violently.
Now her hands were pressing closely
together above her head. Her back
was rigid and the start was almost im
perceptible. But the slight body, stiff
.-h firm, via slowly inclining for the
straight drop. Walsprecht shook as in
terror. He gasped, ana tnen cauea
wildly:
The slight figure, poised now at an
angle, was outlined clearly against the
sky. As the name rang out the back
bent convulsively for a moment, then
straightened, lost its position, gained
Its rigidity and fell into the shallow
tank.
Like a wild man Walsprecht pushed
through the crowd and tore madly at
railing, then clawed
the Iron netting, trying to break the
thin wire with his nerveless unjeri.
Realizing the hopelessness of it all he
. j ..-.a a... thrnuirh. the stupid
crowd and outside the carnival grounds
to the back ol me aiving uiuu.
But the old barker had been before
. . j t.i th crirl into the dress-
nim aI-u n
ing tent. He bad laid her on the shawls
and was now ai me ooi
doctor and ordering the crowd back,
-n.-i hiMiahAf". bv him and
noiBliicbiii - -
knelt beside the heap on the blankets.
She opened ner eyes y -wbispered
Gretchen for the hundredth
time.
ttt. notnr tnnk her out Of
m i x m
1 his arms and worked over her vig
orously. At first he thought it was
. i v v two watar that had
only iu3 ouwt " .
stunned her, but. as he lifted her arm
it fell so crooaeoiy " "
SDrecht and the barker knew that It
was broken.
The old weather-Deaten mau
at her symathetlcally.
"Well, I guess that puts you off the
circuit. But you might have died the
way your father and brother did in
the profession."
Gretchen turned her eyes toward her
nUSD&ua ttuu oiuiitu. - " -
wet bandanna handkerchief from her
head and caresseo. tne yeuow uair ten
derly.
"You care," he whispered over and
over again.
"Always," she wnisperea. jauro,
much more, than the swimming. But
1 loved the applause. My father was
. . . ji T ). n ,1 rnv.lcH
I II e great iiei aim .v.
with him until he was killed, then I
. . . . A ... r. t vnil T hnVA
went in my auiu .www j --
been so homesick for you, llebchen, but
I did not think you would love me
when you knew."
HHlHpirCill 1' . v. nu. u.o ........ . . .
The ambulance was clanging down the
roaa. tie iixiea nis wne
xuiiy mm I 1 1 - -w. ...... -
smiling Shultz waved bis hand to him
as he passed.
A
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