The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-27
whose valentine Arc You:

1t was night-Tuesday night after Val
entine's day (says the Kansas City Tines
and the night winds lifted up the dust
on the streets, aud-Mhisked it in the faces
Of four pedestrians. These four were di.
vided into two couples, and each couple
consisted OF one male and one female.
They walked closely and rapidly, com.
mencing their tramp on the corner oil
Fifth and Main streets, and striking u bee
line toward the south. The two men were
married. but they had left their homes An
hour before to attend meeting OF their
creditors, and their wives remained at
home to solve the problem as TO how The
expenses OF the family might be cut down
in order to meet the stringency Of the
times.
The four pedestrians continued their
tramp. AT the junction one OF them
turned away. Where they went no one
can guess now. The other two kept on,
their faces turned southwark. When
they had arrived at the corner OF Twelfth
and Main streets they paused in the
shadow OF church spirc and he said:
"Whose valentine are you"
And shc put her head on the lapel Of
his coat and said in n low, sweet way,
"YOurs.'
He didn't say anything for minute,
and then when the minute had vanished,
he did. He said:
"Come to the masquerade next week.
Look for the Heather Chinec. will be
And she said, az will be the peasan,
girl, coming through the rye"
And he said, "Won't it be NICE"
And she said, az hope so,7
And he asked her again, saying, "Whose
valentine are your
And she said, II am your valentine"
She never got any further with the sen.
tence. She went away rs il she had
been hurt. He put both Of his hands up
to his eyes and wiped the contents OF
three or four egg.shells out OF his eyes,
and combed his hair with his hands.
Then when he looked around he was
alone. He walked off as though mira.
Gle had been performed, and looked
around the corner to see II he could see
anybody he ever saw before. Then he
went down town tO-the river, and washed
his face. Then he went up town and
took drink. Then he tried to persuade
himself it was all dream. Then
he went home cautiously, and when be
got at the gate he whistled to wake up
the dog, to make sure he was at the right
place. The dog wagged his tail and the
master went in. He kissed his own babes
as they lay in repOse with the angel smile
upon them. He looked around to see il
his wife was asleep, and she was, so far
as he could see. Then he warmed his
toes, disrobed, and crawled silently into
bed so as not TO disturb the partner OF his
joys. Just as he was going to sleep, he
put his hand cautiously over her side Of
the bed to satisfy himself she was there.
She never moved. "That's all right" he
muttcred to himself, and Strengthened
Then she got up, quietly. She went
into the pantry, and came back, She
had something in a basket, She turned
up the light. He turned up his face, and
she hit him between the eyes with an epg
He put his arm up and said, "Dearier
what's the matter?" And she turned uT
the light little more, and threw another
one. Itcaromed on his nose. He lodged
under the cover and held it down. She
went to the foot Of the bed, lifted 1t up
and "bifI7' went another egg. He jumped
out Of bed, and said, "Why, darling, what
ON earth-" Then she put her hands
on her hips, and looking him in the face,
said, with emphasis on the first word
"Whose valentine are you, anyhow?
He sat up the remainder Of the night,
rocking the children, He knows who
threw The eggs at the corner Of l2th and
Main street. And he won't so to the
masquerade, either.