Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-02-25
had kindled as any other sleepy man on

| as a neat way of making the offer OF his
neart and hand gracefully and accepta-
| Oily Accordingly he bought splendid
sheet, garlanded with roses and garnished
at top and bottom with two fat Cupids.
one dressed in the simple drapery of a
red and yellow bandana handkerchief
| about his middle, a very bent bow in one
| hand and scroll in the other, while his
brother was attired in an insufficient
American flag, and held portly CULVER,
bristllng with arrows and another scroll
| inscribed with a legend like that above
the hrst verse being at the top, the other
below:
| There is but only one
| And am only he.
| Who love but only one,
And thou art only she.
| Requite me for the same
| And say thou unto me;
- love but only one,
| And thou art only he"
But lest Melindy should consider this
declaration as merely conventional and
uncertain John inserted in the small
garlanded space between the scroll
bearers q terse but comprehensive SEN
tenee of his own, in good set terms:
DEAR MELrsDY--I mean il all as true as death.
4
know. fonr Valentine, JOHN PERKINS.
SO morning came fraught with fate.
Dir. Griffin's head did not ache, but he
was cross unspeakably. The fire burned
bright in his CRATE, his toast was crisp,
his coffee clear, but he growled and
| snapped like real live bear" as Me
| Indy said.
However, poetic justice overlook Mr..
Griffin then and there. Melindy had
gone on to the roof to take down her
clothes, chiefly to keep out of reach of
that bitter tongue; so he himself took in
the letters. Judge of his rage when he
beheld only two valentines. Unmistaka-
bly-plump doves and forget-menots in
the corners and even shameless Cupids
cumming down the flaps. One was
directed to Meiindy; one, although
blurred ana blotted and apparently re-
| directed, to himself. This was adding
| insult TO injury. He had laid matters in
such train the day before that he fully
expected his ten-tbousand check by post
| and in lieu of il he got two paltry, dis
gusting Valentines! Rage entered into
his soul and the fire burned clear before
him. On to its bright surface went both
| epistles in one second from his entrance.
| He did not stop once TO consider till the
| flames had curled about them, devouring
| them utterly, and the light cinder floated
| upward. Then Mr.. Griffin put on hat and
coat and fled down town to his office, so
| disguised and vexed that IL gave him q
certain savage pleasure TO think that he
| had burned Melindy's too; for what bust.
| ness had she with such foolery? First
one knew she would be marrying some
idiot and he should have TO board again.
Well he knew how much more comfort
able and quiet his home was under her
guidance than Mrs. Blivins' house had
ever been; and, as he had kept estimates
down pretty well, now it was nearly as
cheap. An angrier man he was when he
got TO his office than before. His clerk
gone without word of explanation and
postal card in his letter-box announc-
ing the failure OF his poor debtor, whose
creditors had taken the alarm from Mr..
Griffin's own unconcealed anxiety the
day before and all closed in upon him.
Let US leave him and go to Melindy.
All the morning she watched for the
postman, but he did not come. In the
afternoon he brought only circular.
Melindy's heart sunk. She did not
know before how she had set 1t on the
valentine. She hardly knew how much
she had set it on John Perkins. But she
was bitterly disappointed at this sudden
fall of all her day dreams, and went
about her work with choking in her
throat and heat in her eyelids that
made this saints day anything but a
holiday TO her. Nevertheless, her work
was done faithfully as ever--the dinner
cooked and served to her grizzly and
mr.. ylx aofn nd I,o hpl
aud her kitchen made bright and neat as
ever before John Perkins came; but
when he did come she turned upon him
the coolest of shoulders. She was a
woman who had no acting about her her
thoughts paraded on her face for general
review always, and she had not brooded
all day on her disappointment and
Johns shortcomings for nothing. SO he,
little conversant with the ways of the
sex, was hurt past speech. His simple
soul took her curt manner for manifest
rejection; he was cut down utterly, and
made but short stay, leaving with the
remark, flung back through the closing
door, that he did wish she'd have thought
better of itp'
81 don't know what had to think bet
ter of ~ flouted Melindy, with a jerk OF
the 0tau. 4 men sUc UuuB ucI dpIou
over her face and had hard cry, forgot
to turn off the water, though the night
was down in the Zeroes, and went to bed
a miserable woman. ] don't know what
John did do; but know Mr.. Griffin used
very forciblc language the next morning
when Melindy told him the pipe had
burst, and how furious he was to have
to stop at the plumbers on The way down
and send John up for repairs. also
know that John went about noon and
found Melindy sobbing SO hard she did
not hear him come in. Like a good
many soft-hearted men, woman's tears
washed down all his defenscs. He fell
10 co1soling her at once. The lost val
entine came out, and he mastered cour-
age to recollect and repeat all its con.
tents. am afraid Melindy was effect
ually consoled, for John forgot the
water-pipe for an hour, and her checks
were much brighter than the dying Goals
in his little brazier when at last he put
il down and went 10 work. But great
was her curiosity about the lost treasure;
and at last they both concluded Mr..
Griffin probably had il in his pocket,
having forgotten TO deliver IL.
But what words shall paint the hapless
mans rage when, finding his clerk re.
turned, he demanded explanations and