The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-02-10
VALENTINES VALENTINE.

VALENTINES VALENTINE.
On cross street, just off an aristocratic
avenue, stood row of tenement houses.
In one of these lived widow and her
daughter, having only lately moved from
q better part Of the city.
The autumn before Mr.. Dayton had
died, and Mrs. Dayton, never strong, had
been a complete invalid ever since. Now
winter had come, and Rose was watch
ing the snow grow deeper and their
means grow less with an anxious heart.
Her name was Rose, but Lily would have
been better suited to her delicate beauty
and slenderness of form; but under the
fragile exterior dwelt a brave heart and
q vast amount of practical good sense.
She stood by the window, one day, watch
ing the storm drive past in white whirl-
winds, and, as she was engaged in re-
touching the pictures of frost with the
point of her scissors, her mind was busy
planning how she could increase their
slender income. Suddenly she turned
away, and said, quite decisively for day
dreamer, Il have an idea, mamma"
"Have you, my dear, just one?" asked
her mother.
.'Only one, just now" she said, land
it's this. Do you remember the verses
used to write for poor papa, and how
he praised me, and called me his little
poet, and said 1 would be famous some
day?'' She smiled pitifully, remember
ing every word he had spoken in those
happy days, and contrasted them sadly
with the loneliness of the present. Ill
I have any talent in that direction" she
continued, I'm going to turn it to some
use now. I've heard of professional let
ter writers-people who write letters for
other people for money, you know, and
I'm going to write valentines. There S
only a short time now before Valentine
day, and we must get my sign ready"
Mrs. Dayton helped her with sad
heart, she, too, remembering how it had
not been necessary once for her to puz
zle her brains over ways and means.
By the first week in February sigr
appeared upon the street door, and Rost
was busy devising rhymes of the sort il
which loves and doves, flowers and bow
ers and happy hours completed the coup
lets. She was very scrupulOus in tn
matter of authorship, and the verse
were always of her own coinage, and a
original as the inspiration of such
threadbare theme could make them.
Her customers had been numerous
principally shop boys and girls and peo
pie of the neighborhood, with whom sh
had some acquaintance; among the res
one or two elderly victims called, whom
she found the most difficult to suit il
their selections. of verses.
Valentine Day had come and her littl
couplets of sentiment were flying in a
directions over the city, and she wa
thinking that she might as well bring i
her sign now, when it attracted the eye
of two passers-by. valentines Write
to Order" exclaimed one. Il declare
Val. here's a chance for an adventure
Let's 90 in and get some verses-th
writer of them is spinster; know Jul
how she looks-elderly, about forty, sd,
tall and thin, and wearing cork sore
ringlets; undoubtedly she has for con
pany cat, and a canary. and geraniul
plant. Suppose we interview St. Valel
tines Laureate; I'll get her to VIII
some verses for me to send to Fan, but
don't know who you can send yours t
poor boy, for you're heart-whole. III
one thus compassionately addressed r
piled that he guessed he could dispose
them in some way. So the two your
men, Valentine Clark and Frank Yves
rang at the door and were as much su
prised at the beautiful young girl tn
admitted them as if an apparition hs
confronted them on the threshold, b
there was no retreat now, and after the
had made known their errand with CO
siderable embarrassment in place OF the
usual nonchalance, she asked with an
sumption OF. professional dignity in
wonderfully musical voice: ''What wou
YOU like for the subject of your vale
tines?', Frank was the first to reccv
his self-possession, and said, "You NAL
mine the Last Appeal, something ab0
Cupid's darts and bleeding hearts. 81
looked at him half doubtingly, but pr
ceeded to search among her papers, al
make selection therefrom, which 81
offered him. He read it over and pr
nounced it capital s.Now for Val, -
exclaimed, ..give him declaration
first something modest and ret
inp." She searched Cupid culver aga
and found stanza which she thong
might be appropriate. 1t was the be
of her stock-indeed she quite prid
herself upon it as a metrical compo
ton. which fact, had he known
would have been q delightful piece
fattery. so,,,,. .h.+
me- - said Frank, as he named the prit
and he carelessly gave her dollar, "a
Tm Lnow where to come when want
verse or two on blighted love, or tral
ferred affection, if this shouidn pr
successful. Come, Val, he added nc
go and send our valentines now.