Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-04-01
WHOSE VALENTINE ARE YOU? ?

1t was night, Tuesday night after St.
Valentines day, and the night winds
lifted up the dust on the streets, and
whisked it in the faces of four pedestri-
ans. These four were divided into two
couples, and each couple consisted of one
male and one female. They walked rap
idly and closely, commencing their tramp
on the corner Of Fifth and Main streets,
and striking bee line toward the south.
The two men were married, but they had
left their homes an hour before to attend
a 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 to meet the
stringency Of the times.
The four pedestrians continued their
tramp. AT the junction one couple turn
ed away. Where they went no one can
guess now. The other two kept on, their
faces turned southwark. When they
reached the corner of Twelfth and Main
streets, they paused in the shadow of q
church spire, and he said
"Whose valentine are you ?"
And she put her head on the lapel of
his coat and said, in 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 mas
qucrade next week. Look for the Hea-
then Chinee. | will be that one"
"And she said, 81 will be the peasant
girl coming through the rye"
And he said, "Won't it be nice ?"
And she said, 81 hope so."
And he asked her again, "Whose val
entine are you ?''
And she answered, "I am your valen-
tine,
She never got any further with the
sentence. She went away as if she had
been hurt. He put both his hands up to
his eyes and wiped away the contents of
three or fouI egg shells, and combed his
hair with his hands. Then, when he
looked around he was all alone. He
walked off as if miracle had been per-
formed, and looked around the corner to
sec if he could see anybody he had ever
seen before. Then he went down to the
river and washed his face. Then he went
home cautiously, and when he got at the
gate he whistled to his dog, to be sure he
was at the right place, trying hard to
persuade himself it was all a dream. -
The dog wagged his tail and the master
went in. lie kissed his own babes as
they lay in sweet repose with an angel
smile upon them. Then he looked round
to see ii his wife was asleep, and she was,
so far as he could see. Then he warmed
his toes, disrobcd, and crawled silently
into bed so as to not disturb the partner
of his joys. Just as he was going to sleep
he put his hand cautiously over to her
side Of the bed to satisfy himself she was
there. She never moved. "That's all
right he muttered, and straightcned
out.
Then she got up, silently. She went
into the pantry, and came back. She
had something in basket. She turned
up the light. He turned up his face and
she hit him between the eyes with an
egg. He put his arm up and said, "Dear-
10, what's the matter ?' And she turned
up the light little more, and threw an
other one. 1t caromed on his nose. He
lodged under the cover and Leld it down,
She went to tho foot of the bed, lifted it
up, and "bfF' 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,
and rocked the children. lie knows who
threw the eggs at the corner of -th and
Main streets. And he won't go to tho
masquerade either.-Rd'tsaS city Times.