Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-03-17
CUPID ASrRAY.

behind HIM as he pOKed the valentine
under the. front door. Had he not been
to flustered to look around, he would have
seen him, and had not the doctor been
deep in medical reverie about Jane
Todd's collar bone, he must have spled
the dapper figure as it darted away. Blu,
as it was, he fumbled for his key minute,
and then rang the BELL and while doing
so. sowing something white under the
door, he picked it up and tore it open.
Tore it open! that letter with all its Law
ishment of border and blue seal that let.
ter over which Bob had sat up till two q.
IN. rounding his periods and curling the
tails of his P's and Q's. Was it for this
that he bestowed 80 many slaps on his
forehead? 0 Fate!
Bridget, that faithful servitor, answered
the bell, charged with message which
she was bent on delivering with the least
possible delay
"If you please, sir, Morton. Jones' wife's-
sisters been here, and little Johnny's a.
fell through the loft and took up for dead,
and they'd like you to come this minute,
and two Irishwoman called and baby,
and there's a little boy with fayver 1t is
an Long Lane, and Miss Usher's sent this
note"
"Long Lane must watt" muttered the
doctor. as he threw his instrument case
and the letter on the table, and took the
note Bridget held out "Morton Jones,
tneyg He's that man on the Flats isn't
he?"
"Yis, sir
"Tll 90 at once. Hum!" (skimming
the dainty notelet in his hand, Dear
Doctor So nervous and depressed my
old foe neuralgia upon me again-come as
soon as you have leisure, please, and mean
time send me that prescription which did
me such good last year Prescription |!
Yes, of course, she longs to be dosing her
Madeline Usher That comes of being
alone and fanciful. If she had one earth.
ly thing to do she'd be well woman. I'll
see she gets nothing to hurt her" And
earring a scrap from his pocketbook, he
penciled some cabalistic signs.
"Here, Bridget Fetch sheet of paper,
will you ?-or, stay, this will answer"
And selling Bob's valentine, the uncon-
sscieus doctor wrote upon its back as fol-
lows:
My DEAR FRIEND: | send something
which think will suit you better than the
prescription you ask for. 1t isn't exactly
medicine, bvt will do you more good than
if it were, and be a great deal better for
you at this season Of the year. Be sure to
take brisk walk after it. You know !
always told you more than half your bad
feelings come from loneliness and want of
occupation. wish could make you feel
this half as strongly as do. I'll drop in
this evening if possible. Yours faithfully.
IL. RAYMOND"
"Poor girl" he muttered; "she puts
me out Of patience sometimes, bat she's
good creature. Bridget, see that this goes
to Miss Usher as soon as Willy comes from
school. I'm in great hurry" And he
huddled the papers into an envelope, and
was off with bang of the door, leaving
the note in Bridget's custody. The pre-.
scription lay upon the floor, where it had
fallen unperceived.
Miss Usher, sitting in her parlor by her
bright fire. pale, detected, wrapped in a
shawl was not little amazed when, two
hours later, the missive was put into her
hands Dr. Raymond had written her
notes before, half professional, half friend
ly, but this was something unexampled.
Silver doves, a Sinking cupid, with one
pink wing and one blue one, roses, eglan-
tines, and what-not round the edges these
,1owery lines enclosed:
"Ohl say not II is wrong to love,
To love, to worship thee:
The sea yearns for the stars above,
The stars look on the sea.
The hot moon woOs the scented gale,
The parched flower the dew
Their love. their longing does not fail,
And why should mine FOR You!
s'Like bird all spent with wandering,
All weary must rome,
Until feel my restless wing
In the dear nest OF Home.
But what were home without thy face,
o iairest love OF miner
Then deign that humble home to grace,
And bless your Valentine"
It was really not SO bad-considering
that but eighteen short summers had
passed over Bob's head, and that for some
time back his "restless wing" had been
"furled" in the large dry-goods shop
round the corner, which he hoped some
day to adorn as a partner. Whether the
to Kitty" that baby" as he called her
is questionable. But Miss Usher quite
glowed as she read. 1t was 50 poetical,
q SO sweet" The little confusion Of pro-
nouns in the first verse escaped her notice
altogether She read and re-read, and
then turned to the more prosaic second
page.
man! Much better "suited to this season
of the year," Oh! very much? Dear,
dear What could it means But there was
no doubt about Mat-it could mean only
one thing! "Lonely!" Yes, indeed
Dear, delicate little Miss Usher had often
felt so, but. there seemed no help f. IT,
There was nobody in particular she wi d
30 have live with her, and no one to marry
suited to her taste. DR.. Raymond, to be
-sure-he was so superior-so good: but
then she had never thought he would
marry again-he was SO devoted to his
first WIFE, And thinking how fond she
had once been of that wife, and how fond
she still was of that little Kitty and Will,
and what lonely life it was, after all, for
a man to try to keep house for himself,
Miss Usher fel. her cheeks flushing, and a
glow and stir coming into her heart, which
quite made her forget how i'll she had
fancied herself just before.
That same becoming flush lit her cheeks
as she made her toilet for the evening
after the "brisk walk" recommended,
which had sent her home with an appetite
for her simple dinner. What with the
cap of muslin and blue ribbons on her
head, and the dainty apron, and the bit of
work in her fingers, and bright fire, and
all, she was pleasant picture, the doctor