Fwd: A Valentine story for all you hopelessly romantic people! (fwd)

[jean l delacour]

Hi- From a couple of hopelessly romantics--

Jean Delacour
University of New Mexico
Parish Library
Alb, NM 87131-1496
delacour at unm.edu


>>John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform,
and
>>studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central
Station.
>> He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't,
the
>>girl with the rose.  His interest in her had begun thirteen months
before
>>in a Florida library.  Taking a book off the shelf he found himself
>>intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled
in
>>the margin.  The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and
>>insightful mind.
>>       In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's
name,
>>Miss Hollis Maynell.  With time and effort he located her address.
She
>>lived in New York City.  He wrote her a letter introducing himself and
>>inviting her to correspond.  The next day he was shipped overseas for
>>service in World War II.
>>       During the next year and one-month the two grew to know each
other
>>through the mail.  Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart.
A
>>romance was budding.
>>       Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused.  She felt
that if
>>he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
>>      When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they
>>scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station
in New
>>York.  "You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be
wearing
>>on my lapel."
>>      So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart
he
>>loved, but whose face he'd never seen.
>>  I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:
>>      A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim.
Her
>>blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were
blue as
>>flowers.  Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale
green
>>suit she was like springtime come alive.  I started toward her,
entirely
>>forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose.  As I moved, a
small,
>>provocative smile curved her lips.  "Going my way, sailor?" she
murmured.
>>     Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I
saw
>>Hollis Maynell.  She was standing almost directly behind the girl.  A
woman
>>well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat.  She was
more
>>than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes.  The
girl
>>in the green suit was walking quickly away.  I felt as though I was
split
>>in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my
longing
>>for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
>>     And there she stood.  Her pale, plump face was gentle and
sensible,
>>her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle.  I did not hesitate.  My
>>fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was
to
>>identify me to her.
>>     This would not be love, but it would be something precious,
something
>>perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and
must
>>ever be grateful.
>>     I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the
woman,
>>even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my
>>disappointment.  "I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss
>>Maynell.  I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
>>     The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile.  "I don't know
what
>>this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green
suit,
>>who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat.  And she
said
>>if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she
is
>>waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street.  She said it
was
>>some kind of test!"
>>     It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's
wisdom.
>>The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the
unattractive.
>>"Tell me whom you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you
are."
>>
>>
>>Send this to 3 people....  You will have good luck for an entire day.
>>
>>Send this to 8 people....  You will have good luck for all of next
week.
>>
>>Send this 11 or more people...You will know your true love and be
happy for
>>a long, long time.
>>
>>Send this to 20 or more people ...  You and your true love are going
to be
>>happily married forever after.
>>
>>Send this to nobody...  You will have bad luck for at least 5 years.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>


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