The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-02-14
MISS vEsTA's VALENTINE.

MISS vESTA'S VALENTINE.
There is one who indeed loves you WELL
you wish who It IL you may know.
search these lines; they In silence DO tell,
iconfess the initials do show.
These lines had laid undisturbed for
many years at Mr.. Gridley's, in q rude
miniature chest, along with other girlish
relics. They were written in o bold
and youthful, but evidently pain: taking
hand, and had been carefully folded and
sealed with patch of red wax. They
lay at the bottom of the little chest
under the till, and had for company
several old letters from I" friends and
well.wishers," number of tickets for
good behavior al school, q lot of silk
piece-work which had once been de-
signed to blaze a. Q " STAR" but whose
light was yet in undeveloped chaos,
schoolgirl keepsakes of iDgeniously
cut paper and twisted locks of hair,
with the motto "When this you see,"
ETC., and a few printed ballads and
child's books. This chest had been
made ard given " To Vesta Gridley by
her friend Hugh Plunkett," Is was in
Dictated on the cover in large capitals.
He had long been her fathers hired
man, and had never failed to share the
family admiration for the abilities of
Miss Vesta. To hear her rattle off the
multiplication table, and wade through
the authorizations without "balk, :"
seemed to him nothing short of genius.
And when growing into a young lady
and beginning to accept attentions from
the neighboring young men, Hugh
looked on with q jealous eye, for he
was sure there was no one of them
"smart" enough for "Vesty."
In coming through the village one
winters day he had called, as request
ed, at the Post-office for the weekly pa
per, and was handed with it q missive
addressed to Miss v. Gridley," with a
"Paid' in one corner, and a rather OBJ
scure post-mark in the other. Hugh
gave it bis careful scrutiny, for it was
not often that letters came to Vests, and
finally spelled out the town of l..
"Whew!" he 'whistled, as that fact
became established. eyes, SIR, it's
l.! Must be it's from that Hux-
ford! And I'll bet it's a valentine, tooi''
"That Huxford" had met Vesta fire.
quently the past year, and had paid her
polite attentions. He was uncommonly
fine choking, was already "fixed " for
college, and the presumptive heir to
large estates. What more could even
Hugh expect in q beau? Chuckling to
himself at the fair prospects of his ia
vorite, he gave his mind to the matter
on bis way back, and before he reached
the house had planned about how s'big"
q wedding the occasion would demand,
and already in fancy saw Vesty /" the
mistress of the kingdom of the Hulk
fords, and the glory of them. "John
Dexter has alwa, had a sneaking notion
after her, but guess this here in my
pocket'H settle bis hash. WAL" he
concluded, "I've always said there
want nobody in this town good enough
for her!"
Hugh watched for private opportu-
nifty to deliver the important document
into Vesta's own hands.
"Guess what I've got for you?r he
asked, his face all alive with anticipa-
ton.
But Vesta had no basis for a guess.
Well, what day of the month is it
n,wp"
"Why. the fourteenth of February,
int itp'
Yes, that's it, and got q valentine
f)r ye at the Post-office," he grinned as
he carefully drew it from his pocket.
"A valentine!" she repeated in as
punishment, for she had never yet re-
ceived one.
.'Taint boughten one with Cupids
and such like on the corner, as Two seen
'sm, but 1 bet IFS a nice one inside. -
And as Vesta was inspecting the dim
post-mark, he added, with a wink and
nod, It's from L., don't you see!''
Yes, Vesta did see, and she began to
tcemble with an al most painful excite
ment At first, the handwriting SEEM
cd familiar, but, no, it was better than
John could write. And then the post.
mark settled the point-she knew no
one else at l., it must be from Rich
ard HuxfOrd, and what If it Uos q real
valentine! Concealing it in the folds of
garment upon which she was sewing,
she hurried to her own cold chamber to
learn the true inwardness of her letter.
Breaking the seal, her quick eye soon
ran through the lines, yet, ere she fin
lshed. the carelessness of girlhood had
left Vesta's heart. She had hitherto
persuaded herself that Richards at
tentions bad been only out of regard
to his cousin Fanny with whom
she was intimate. Surely she
had never considered them as strictly
complimentary to herself, and all the
lnsinuations of others to the effect had
been offensive. But here it was that he,
s'indeed, loved her we'll" For who
else in b knew her to love her, or
could name her to praise7 Agreed.
BILE as he was as an acquaintance, and
as good a 'match" Is her parents could
possibly desire, Vesta recoiled from the
idea of viewing him as q lover. Why,
she could not exactly tell; but as she
slowly folded the sheet and thoughtfully
descended the stairs, she felt herself
newly burdened.
Had her brothers not been SO absorb
ell in games that evening, they might
hsve noticed what q dull sister sat
q nongst them. And Mrs. Gridley, did
s1e ever know her sprightly daughter
t. answer 'I don't know" and 81
guess so," in such an abstract way?
But Vesta was keeping these things to
herself and bordering them in her mind.
Hugh watched her with critics eye as
heOled his boots around-the kitchen
fire for his next days campaign. His
manner to the rest of the family betok-
ened the superiority of s'knowiDg some
thing that you don't know.'' But this
was ~ unnoticed as the others unusual
quiet and deep self-interest. ssShouldn't
wonder if the weddin' come off fore an
other winter" thought Hugh, for the