The Red Cloud chief., 1882-03-16
NAL'S VALENTINE.

. 80 49, ''i'
luu'a long Tor -I;Up.r. luyIu~ s. ryirc stall.
JOS jaUtc 4. 'Is-. IA Bp-'gH Trprs-IfD'.
VAL'S VALENTINE.
Mss Yalcntia Wharnrlilc was the
nam" on her new card plate. and she
could not help thinking il looked quite
like the name in a novel. whether she
looked like Il heroine there or rot. She
WAS pretty enough lera heroine. though.
If that Were ali a, pretty a little piece
of flesh and blood ~ cycrtrod the streets
"f Boston. And if you challenge me on
that, ] shall have 10 ask Nou if great
startled brown eyes under that tan@ic of
golden haIT. only whose clgr was 10 be
seen beneath the black fox turlban hat;
ii q straight It'll" nose; cNguI~liciV cut
lips, WHOSE dimplrd smile showed teeth
!ihc a COW Of pearls; a velvet skin, all
snow and blush; a pink, soft chin. half
hidden AGAIN in the black fox wrap that
hid The round slender shape If there
wa, #nyihinm but beauty in ali that
dallljnw combination. For that iSprcttv
Val Wharnclinc a. She paused on the
steps 81 her fathers mansion, and
Glanced up and down the street for the
carriage, while abSentiy opening hen
wallet.
She had Just come" home to her IA
thor, after Il ten Years S]oi"Urn Al her
~rAn"l- and finishing ~S"rninaricS, having
-,yu him "uiN in 4 icw OF her vacations,
aud only Just enough to foster an i'm
mrI~c awe and admiration, and an in
t"u~c desire 10 stand we'll i'm his eyes.
l!c had los; his wife ten wears AFRO. and
had lived abroad most oi the time since
then. He was - silent and 50 grave
that She dared address him none of her
tuuiiiaritIcS. feeling ~ if he were sitting
in Judgment on her. and seeing where
The fell short ol her dead mother per
tcriionS; and vet lac was - gracious, SO
handsome, so learned. 80 Grand in her
eyes. that she simply ador"d him.
She mad on her mothers beautiful
fur> now. given long since 10y a rich old
uncle who never gave anything else.
She did not exactly know whether her
father was rich or not that is. for the
lie they led. He had made her his
hnu~rkr"ncr. and told her there WAS ne
cr>>jty of exercising care IN the place:
ami She had not quite understood
Whrthcr for the sake of economy or for
the sake of making her a good house
keeper; and She WAS thinking whether
the purchase she WIS about 10 make
were quite warranted; and opening her
wallet. had taken out the card aud the
hunlrcd-dollar bill Just given her for
the party outfit, Ia pat them away more
neatly. when a ~uSt of the sharp fcbru-
ary wind came ruillin% round the corn
cr. and Snaichcd il from her fingers,
and whirlcd il away into the air. and
cut of SIGHT. all in an instant. She gave
an involuntary cry, and dartcd after il.
hut To no purpoSc-hcrc, there, every
where. it had sailed far over the house
tops. and there an end. She burst into
Tears aS The horses camc prancinw To the
door. sent them away, and went back
into the house.
VIVA, under the heavens Wa she to
Gu2 Tell her father: Not for the
world. He would probably never trust
her with another cent He would nat
urally bring hack that horrid old Mrs.
Pln-hyn. and put her over her head
a~ain for hou>ckccpcr. He would new
cr look al her without thinking of her
indifference Ia his wishes. of her care
l~r>>nc>S when he had 80 particularlycn-
Joined care upon her. He would say
She WAS Just q child a~ain-She. seven
teen wears old and had better put of
balls and parties and a debut till she
WAS old enough la take care of the mon
- given her 10 buy a GOWN with. And
ANYWAY she dared not tell him. And
once up in her wv room. she tore OF
her things. threw herself down, II
cried till cycS and face were swollen
pas, recognition. and a blazing head
ache TOOK the place of the days expect
ed pleasure.
And how was she 10 conceal the thing.
ANYWAY? WAS the sentence that kept
hUzzinr through her brain like a bee
with a sting. Pinch on the houSekeep-
inr? Winter would be over long enough
before she could save half of the sum
hl any such do;ngS As shutting off but
ter and eggs and Su~ar, and making
SuScttc boil the coffee Overs second day
allowing that she could persuade her
father 10 think that the coffee was fresh
by hUying second cuts of beef, by
making entrees of what they usually
gave the poor FolevS. Even if she dis
missed the iable-girl. and got along with
Martha. the houSe-maid. under the plea
that she could not suit herself vet with
another, that would not give her any
part of the money in season 10 use 1t;
she mus; have il to-day. or not at all.
She had nothing TO pledge for any
money. for her father had not Yet
giyca her her mothers Jewels, not
thinking Jewels proper 10 a debutante;
and if he had. she could not have so be-
trayed him As TO let his daughter do
such a thing. Nor, for his sake, could
she have borrowed ii. had there been
any one Of whom TO ask the loan. ANY
one? The throb that her heart gave
Just then did her aching head no good.
Well. what could she do? Nothing but
lie still, and let her bursting head throb.
and let Martha put hot water on it. and
tell the story of her old mothers blind
ness. which she heard Ike some one in a
dream. while visions of her fathers con-
tempt for the heedlesSneSS. for the van
ity, that sc occupied her thoughts that
they could not even remember common
caution, moved before her own eyes like
the figures OF a nightmare.
But sleep came to her relief at last;
and when she awoke it was dark in the
room. and her father vas sitting beside
her bed with his hand on her head; and
she took down the hand. and held it TO
her lips and kissed 1t, while her tears
silently welled forth again; and pres
emily Martha had brought her hot tea
and toast, and before long she was asleep
k-tla -,-H