The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-04-13

y
beheld him, and turned TO living statues
on the spot.
A year and nearly three months had
passed away since Winifred Trueax
found her old school friend at the baby
show, and it was st. Valentines Dav.
The postmen, with twenty times their
usual loads, were hurrying from house
to house, leaving hearts, and Cupids,
and posies, and true-lover knots, and
doves, and sweet verses, and some
verses anything but sweet behind them.
But at the door of one small cottage
on the outskirts of the city rang spe-
cial messenger this Valentine morning
before any of the mail-carriers were
about-so early, in fact, that the valen-
tine he carried was handed in with the
bakers breakfast Vienna loaf.
A snug little cottage it was. And
the parlor, which faced the south, and
around whose walls still hung some
Christmas greens, was the contest,
brightest room you could possibly i'm
agine. In one corner, on a crimson
lounge, covered with an old-fashioned
star quilt lay a handsome old woman,
her still bright eyes dwelling with
look of fondness on the golden haired
two-years-old girl who sat in her little
rocking-chair softly singing her Santa
Claus doll to sleep.
And by the window, the bushes COM
ing and going in her happy face, stood
Daisy Mulgrove re-reading for the
twentieth time. the verses that came in
with the morning bread.
"What is it, Daisy?" at last asked
the old woman, turning her eyes in the
direction of the pretty reader. ga
valentine? May see it, dear?'
"It's something of the sort" an
swered Daisy, with another blush; " but
if you don't mind very much, grand
mamma, I'd rather not"
Agentle knock at the door interrupted
her.
"Pull the bobbin and the latch will
fly up" called out Daisy, laughingly,
sinking into chair and hiding the val
entine behind the window-curtain.
"And, reversing the old story, the
latch flew up and in walked the WOLF"
said John TrueaX, as he came into the
room, where he was Immediately
clutched around the leg by the baby.
"Such a terrible, terrible wolfr'
laughed Red Riding-hood.
$50 terrible that he feels as though
he could eat you this moment" says the
wolf, showing his strong white teeth.
Then unclasping wee Daisy's hands,
and putting huge sugar-plum in
each one, he went to the side of the
couch on which the old woman lay
her wrinkled face lit up with pleasure
at the sight of him-and laid bouquet
of fragrant flowers on the starry cover
let.
Then returning to the young mother,
who had taken her little one upon her
lap, he asked: +" Did you receive a val
entine this morning?'
81 did-instead of pat of butter"
"And what did the writer of it say?"
"You could never guess"
"That is the reason ASK
"He says'-speaking slowly, and
with a bright smile dancing on her lips
and in her eyes" that he loves my
baby, and thinks her the prettiest baby
in the world"
Anything else?'
"And that, not content with having
shamed her far-away cousin into giving
her part of what should have been
her fortune, he wishes to share his own
with her if"
"If?"
Her mother will consent to be sister
to darling Winnie and mistress of his
beautiful home"
"Do you intend to reply to that val
entine, Little Red Riding-hood?"
81 do, Wolf
"Then reply immediately
She put the prettiest babe off her
knees, gave it kiss on its sweet red
mouth, and whispered, but not so low
but that Jack Trueax caught the words;
Darling, go give that kiss to papa. -
Hdrper'S Weekly.