St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-04-14
WHAT'S IN 4; KISS. I
II '5JVsf As.1aIr HAPPENED. 7 .
THE FIRST

/
A TALE OF TWO vALENTINEs. !
i :'":..' : :s<.' THE FIRST. .. i4i>, l. !
II was not a genial February in the coun-
try; perhaps notvery genial in!tovn either,
but then to town-bFed,"psople, the country
in dull weather. is, absolutely ,iptolcrable:.
So Ut least il, appeared to the young lady
who; sat, this eve Of Saint Valentine, on :
couch Of crimson velvet; by the freside,
and counted tho dAss fill her country visit
should be over. Better 9 London; fog
than this; eternal mist and drizzle,p' was, her
verdict, as she walked to the window and
looked out. I'm the country one should
have sunshine and green fields, waving
trees, summer flowers, and singing birds,
whereas to look ont here -" ~ .4*I
The solitary brown Leaf. she had been
watching on its bare branch swirled round
in = sudden blast Of wind and rain-drops,
and fell to the ground. l., -! ..,...l s.;.
ode there!'' said the girl, shivering !;
'the fttest thing to do such days as this.
I wonder where everybody is. - ~,'1.>-
T She turned as the door opened, and a
rosy urchin of some fve winters bounded
towards her and clutched the delicate folds
Of hereseniug dress in his sturdy fste.
"a horse, horse:"- sang out the urchin,
"Aunt Milly's horse my horse-gee""
But the moment was unpropitious.-7
Aunt Milly only extricated her dress and
put the rebel fingers aside. .'::.. = ~ e
"Csrl, where's mamma -, }.
'::Don't know. ., Making. Berthe say his
prayers ,. =. +:
:, 4 slight curl stole. Il 10 the ycung lady's
lips asc she went back to the fire and sat
down again on the couch of crimson velvet.
Making Berthe say his prayers! In other
words. putting bin to, bed. So: that was
what her sister-in-.sw did in the country
by way of relieving its mon otony-made
herself into nursery1maid, ,...
She gave an distinctive glance round the
room in which she sat, and in. which every
article was standing witness to wealth
and taste, q standing protest, against the
dull weariness which oppressed her. What
business had the mistress of such house
as this to, make q; nursery maid of herself?
Was it expected that all wives and mothers
in the country should do 80; and why p
Her eyes, travelling gradually from curtain
to picture, from picture to table and couch,
fell upon Master Carl rolling himself from
side to side on the rug ct her feet. He
stopped rolling when he saw her look at
him. He got up, put his chubby little fist
once again on her light dress, snd stared
up at her, grinning. ~. -
''Nurse says if we say our prayers We
shall go to heaven, but don't want to co.
"Don't yout" ...
''No: not till I've worn this new frock 4
bit. Doesn't it look nice? And I've got .
watch, only it wont tick; and trumpet !;
and shall have a valentine tomorrow :;
shall you,E', ;. =: ~. =,
t'No. Hush, Carl" said Millicent, per-
emptorily, "What was that?" !, ss
She had heard the drive gpte ewing back:
wards and forwards with click each time
the fastening failed to catch, in passing,
and now she saw a gentlenan's hat above
the shrubs. and had a shrewd suspicion
that she knew who the owner Of it was.
Fer one moment she bent her head down
towards the fire and a softened expression
came over her face. A little while ago she
would have hailed the coming Of this Wis
itor:-any visitor-as blessed break in the
monotony Of the dsy, > but pow=-
!, 1"welb5"she said, signing, ttit will be a
change at least.pI, ;,4.:ayj, =; ~
/ When she, raised her head al trace Of the
momentary softening had passed aHaay, and
there was nothing but her usual look Of
cold Indifference. She rose TO- greet the
visitor when he came in; she put out her
hand to him in regal sort Of way, and
seated herself with an air that graciously
permitted him to sit also in her presence.
<i:"Ao dull day: Mr.. Stuart Aa gil days
seem to be n here, at this season." 9fli
Mr.. Stuart responded. If he had no
ticed her air he did not seem Is feel It,
Carl was already at his knee, and his broad
white h.nd stroted rsiye,low curls and
kept the boy quiet. On. one of The. fingers
IF that hand diamond glittered, and Mil:
licent noticed that the hand, considering
that it belonged to . country gentleman
apd . sportsman, was very white. She
thought tooo,, as ii She Had thought before,
that II Is ono a could possibly can MI: STU
Art handsome man, neither could any one
honestly cali him Ugly. He was not old;
nor, seeing that he was past thirty, very
young. He had . SQUARE white forehead,
black hair and whiskers, pair Of eyes
whose keen, steady light softehsd wonder
fully when he spoke, and 4 stniie which
Millicent acknowledged to herself made
him look almost handsome. - taa3a
81 .Your visit: is drawing to close ~ said
Mr.. Stuart, interrogatively. i, boa