Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-02-25
A VALENTINE.

From the Springfield Republican,
81 shall wear n sunfower in my hair,
| tell yoU.
"How queer you will look"
II shall look we'll
81 beg ,your pardon, but it is impos-
sible."
Impossible for me to look we'll ?"
"Heavensl no. Impossible to look
well with great horrible weed on your
head
"We shall see"
81 shall rot see. l am going out of
| town."
Cannot you get back ?''
81 am afraid not.
every well. You will hear, then"
There was a silence. EVA, dear, -
said the young man at last, ''don't make
guy Of yourself.
~ am sorry if my taste doesn't please
yen, the girl replied. "Otbers may be
less dificnlt. We can easily find people
to go with us.
Doubtless. And you will give them
the sunhower from your hair in recon-
pense. Well enjoy yourself, Good
by"
They parted in anger, the young man
| shutting the street-door hastily behind
him and walking eff without single
backward glance, though Eva stood in
he window Watching under her long
lashes for some such siQr Of repentance.
The wicked little creature knew well
enough why Phil was SO angry. When
he was ont of sight she left the parlor
aud went siO|,T M stairs 10 her SISTERS
apartment Mrs. Kent was indGlging
IN headache, winch meant a wrapper.
a shawl, and seelusiou with novel and
the morning papers,
"Nr. Egerton did not stay long, she
remarked languidly, as Eva entered.
"No. / am afraid he has shocking
temper 1t is all for the best, no doubt"
said Eva, mysteriously.
"Child, what has happened ?" ex-
claimed Mrs. Kent, dropping her book
into her lap. "You have quarreled with
Philip! Oh, you foolish Eva!''
"I don't agree with you. 1t is quite
too soon to begin to dictate about my
dress. ! shall never be willing to give
in to that extent"
"About your dress! How could that
be. my dear ?"
"Well, Helen--l suppose / must tell
you. OF course | don't care about sun
flowers, lilies or dandelions especially,
but / consider that | have right to
like them if / want to like them, and
Phil objects to them and ridicules them
and sneers at certain colors-for reasons
of his own-which ! like. Now that is
| going too far, as you must acknowledge,
| Helen, and it makes me little indig-
nant. Finally happened to say that /
would wear an olive-preen dress at the
! st. Valentines ball and a sunfi0wer in
my hair. OF course | was only joking,
but he took it up seriously and assured
me ] should look horrid, and-iust
fancy !-declined to go with us on the
transparent pretense that he was going
ont of town, He could not endure the
sight of me with a horrid sunfiower in
nv hair. Goose where did he suppose
/ was going to get a sunflower in Feb
ruaryl"
"Oh, see. He thought it was for
Mr.. Maynard. Poor Phil, he is jealous.
How can you trifle so, Eva 2"
"Trifle, Helen? 1t is no trife now, I
/ promise you. If there is q sunhower
| to be got before the 18th, / will wear
that sunfiower in my hair at the ball. :"
Mrs. Kent began TO laugh, but, look
! ing at her siser's face, she suddenly
refrained, not without some effort. and
said mildly. lyon will think better of
it by that time. my child. .
Poor Phil Egerton, walking swiftly
down the street, setting down each foot
with a fiery and determined stamp, met
a tall, pale young man who nodded and
then stopped to speak. II know yon
come from Mrs. Kent's," he said, slow
" and softly. ''Do tell me if the ladies
are at home. 1t is so chilling to stand
and ring and meet blank denial"
"Aliss Wilmarth is at home Mrs.
Kent is ILL.," Egerton answered briefly.
''Ah thanks, then / will go on, 3"
murmured the ether, but Phil had hur-
ried past.
"Maynard has gone to read poetry
on sunfowers to her." so he thought,
and despaired, rejecting on his own
lately expressed animosity to that harm
less vegetable. 'AIl girls are alike. p"
mused the unhappy oung man, wild
whether il is in dress or poetry or peo-
PIE. " tlNd iiitttiS tt+io WAY ltdiu ~
me. and tries to become - absurd as he
is by the grace of nature Well, can
bear the parting if it comes to that;
better that than the other alternative "
And be strobe proudly ON to his office,
where he made lite miserable TO his sub
ordina'es all that day.
eva Wilmarth,' said Mrs. Kent,
when they were putting on their bon.
nets to go shopping, with view to
their dresses for st. Valentines ball,
lyon dou't really mean to stick to your
sunhower?"
eyes, | do mean it, replied the young
lady, tying a very determined bow under
her chin as she spoke. "Never, Helen,
never will give mp on such a subject
as that to the best man that lives. We
have few rights, and mean to defend
them" she continued absently, ''to the
- hannAt--a -atrinos- Helen, do