The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-01-02
Whose Valentine are You?
That's What He Asked His Darling and
That's What Made All the Trouble.

1t was night, Tuesday night after
Valentines day, aud the night winds
lifted up the dust on the streets and
whisked 1t 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 walk
ed closely and rapidly, commencing
their tramp on the corner of Fifth and
Main streets and striking bee line to
wards the south. The two men were
married, but they had left their homes
an hour before to attend meeting vi
their creditors, and their wives re-
manned 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 nc
one can guess now. The other two
kept their faces turned southwark
When they had arrived at the corner Of
Twelfth and Main streets they paused
in the shadow of a church spire and be
said:
"Whose valentine are your
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 vanish
ed, be did. He said:
"Comc to the masquerade next week
Look for the Heather Chinee. l will
be that one"
And she said: 81 will be the peasant
girl, coming through the rye"
And he said: "Won't 1t be nice?"
And she said: al hope so."
And he asked her again, saying,
"Whose valentine are your"
And she said: 81 am your valentine
She never got any further with the
sentence. She went away as if she had
been hurt. He put both of his hands
to his eyes and wiped the contents OF
three or four egg-shells ont of his eyes.
and combed his hair with his hands.
Then when he looked around he was
alone. lie walked off as though mir
ace had been performed, and looked
arouud the corner to see If he could see
anybody he ever saw before. Then he
went down to the river and washed his
face. Then he went up town and took
ii drink. Then he tried to persuade
himself that it was all dream. Then
he went home cautiously, and when he
got to the gate he whistled TO wake up
the dog, to make sure that he was at
the right place. The dog wagged his tail
and the master went in. He kissed his
own babes as they Law in repose with
the angel smile upon them. He looked
around to see if his wife was asleep,
and she was, so far as he could see.
Then he warmed his toes, disrobed and
crawlcd silently in bed so as not to
disturb the partner of his joys. Just
as he was going TO sleep he put his
hand cautiously over on her side of the
bed to satisfy himself she was there.
She never moved. "That's all right"
he mutterred to himself and straight
eued out. tfa r
Then she got up silently. She went
into The pantry and came back. She
had something in a basket. She turn
ed up he light. He turned up his face
and she hit him between the eyes with
IN egg. lie put his arm mp and said:
"Dearie, what's the matter? And she
iurned up the light little more, and
threw another one. 1t caromed on his
n"se. lie lodged under the cover and
held it down. She went to the foot of
the bed, lifted it up, aud "biff" 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%
lie sat up the remainder of the night,
rocking the children. He knows who
threw the eggs at the corner of -th
and Main streets. And he won't go to
the masquerade. either Kansas City
Times. -l.af