The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-05-30
.sWhn,s this for nncle ~ 9

wy no LnlS TOT, uuClc
"Tnat be for me, roared the old man
II shall be thinking myself young man
again. Salem, doest the hear | ha' got
ten valentine. Hand it here, lass"
/ Promise to let me see it," said the
merry girl, holding it temptingly between
her fingers, just out Of his reach.
There's q Jew! remarked Jabez, adj
miringly.
"Jew, or no Jew she said Il shan't
give you your valentine, unless you let
me zee it, and read it, too"
), "You be mortal cruel !" said the old
man, eiemhre1y..
mo, I'm not !" tantalized Nellie.
"Well, promise" tE@
Nellie surrendered the letter, and took
up the next. "Mr. Salem Bretherton I"
she read.
$50 the girls be a.taking notice of you,
ell ?" said the farmer. Il don't wonder
at it. He's likely chap, amt he Nellie ?"
Salem nodded his head knowingly, and
screwed up one side Of his round, rosy
face into queer twist, meant for a facet
ious wink.
"And another for Miss Nellie May" she
continued, pretending not to notice him,
and holding up clumsily directed let
ter. with border of forget me nots, paint
ed in vivid blue and green, around it,
That's all.
"What hast thee gotten, Salem?" said
Jabez, twiddling his own missive about
nervously, as though he was half afraid
to open it, There's fat little boy on
the seal Of mine; | wonder what that
means? It's what folks call Cubit,
amt it, Nellie ?"
Eyes, uncle" she answered, lifting q
rosy face from the contemplation of a
dainty valentine, all silver and lace, with
an opal and gold ring secured in the cen
ter by white ribbon. ut means you
have gotta love letter"
"Do it, thought be said. "Ha ha !
Salem, she says the cubit means love
letter p and he laughed until his sides
shook, and the tears rolled down his hon
est face.
Salem was intently regarding Nellie,
with wislful look in Ais eyes, and ner-
vous tremor about his mouth.
She took up the forget-me-not envel
ope, and slowly tore it open.
Every vestige of color fed from the
young mans face, and he bent forward,
and leaned his elbow on the table, and
his head on his hands, utterly forgetful of
the fact that he had never locked at his
| letter.
Nellie burst into q silvery laugh.
ooh, uncle -Salem-just Iook-just
listen !" she cried.
Salem gave one hasty glance, then COW
cred his lace again Ba
Nellie was holding up in one hand a
long blue ribbon necktie, with butterfly
in gold silk worked on either end In
the other was an embossed sheet oil paper,
with bunch of flowers painted at the
top, and a strange looking scrawl be
meath it.
That's pretty ribbon" said Jabez.
"You'll keep that for Sundays, I sup
pose. But what's the vaientine about, |
should like TO know %
Nellie laughed again.
OTIS an offer of marriage, think" she
said "and it is all in poetry, too"
so are most valentines, believe, D
mused Jabez, II had one once, about
roses red, and violets blue Perhaps
that is what is writ under that nosegay.'
mo, it's something better than that, y
she replied. Iii ten )" and in tone OF
ridicule, she read aloud the following:
81 culled bunch of fairest flowers,
And tied ribbon round EN-,
That you might, in your lonely hours,
Think of the lad as bound 'em.
"Then take this bunch of fairest flow.
ers,
And take the ribbon round 'em;
And take, to cheer your lonely hours,
The faithful lad az bound 'em."
every pretty" said Jabez. "Now
that's what | call delicate way Of pop,
ping the question don't you, Salem ?"
The young man, howsver, did not no
tice him. He ha0 turned aside, and was
fumbling with his own letter.
'Now, uncle, for yours" cried Nellie
II declare, you have never opposed it!
"No,' he said; "pm afraid OF spelling
the Cubit on the seal"
Nellie, however, took knife from the
table, and deftly cut it across the upper
fold, drawing forth scent bag, with .
verse on satin affixed TO it.
"a wish p she said, reading highly
flown specimen Of that class Of poetry
"There, what do you think of it ?"
The old man applied it to his nostrils
and shifted It suspiciously.
Il say, T 1t smells uncommonly like
that black -ght you had for me from
the doctors snop last week." he said al
last. And he laid it on his knee, and re-
garded it wonderngly.
Its from Miss Pringle, at the end Of
the lane" remarked Nellie. II met hel
going to the post last night. Uncle ia
bez, she has made up her mind to marry
you p -.
HAS she ?" he cried. "Well, I'm much
obliged to her. Isay, Salem, Nelly says
Miss Pringle has-why, the lads gone, I