The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-02-15
"A VALENTINE DONE IT,

-
ST hadn't neUer oughter been a lone
woman; l warn't cut out for one," re-
narked Miss Parminter, who kept a little
stationery shop, to Jane Miller, the
dressmaker, who rented the second floor
back. 1t was the LIST of February, the
valentines had just come in, and it being
evening, Jane had time to step down
stairs and help in asserting them accord
ing to price and according to sentiment.
"Walentines always takes a holt of
me,n Miss Parminter went on. "Listen
to this:
%, what is life without q heart
To bear of all our Joys a partr
I've often felt jiist that way myself.
90 maiden. seize the summer day,
Take love and SUNSHINE While you may.
The hours grow dark, the way grows cold,
And lovers come not when you're old
Lord-a-massy! but that's true!
These little Loves 'twixt you and me
Bear tender words continually
And all them Cupids flyin'. What a
lovely idee! Dear! dear! Now, Jane,
where ever is them ten cent onesp Put
'em i n a pile to the left. Now them five
cent lace papers. So. Why, there's
somebody comm in. Sure's l live it's
- Now. Jane, them lace papers is
all muddled up. Sure's l due it's MIR.
Eugene Brackett!"
The bustliAg old maid hurried to the
front of the shop, and gave a friendly
greeting to the landlords son, MIR.
Bracket, a very good-looking young
a His skin was clear, his eyes were
dark, his hair was black and curly, his
eyebrows were cleanly marked, his nose
straight, and every hair of his mustache
twisted in a proper twirl right or left.
Is it any wonder that a little dressmaker,
who had seen the world only from the
rickety windows of the second floor back
in a mean city neighborhood, should find
her ideal in such ~coloriDg and such
curves? Not at all, and Jane Miller's
heart was filed with love and reverence
as Mr.. Bracket leaned on his walking
stick in a pose that made him look some
what askew, but that was to Jane so be-
wilderingly graceful that Miss Parminter
had to call out sharply: Snow, you air
a-muddlin' up them lace papers. Do
take care"
ssWhat's new in valentinesp" asked
the young gentleman presently, loung-
ing toward Jane, and after touching his
hat. settling it perilously aslant over his
left ear.
ssNothin' much" she answered, with
a poor attempt at being unembarrassed.
Miss Parminter, following him closely,
suggested:
1--WE thought you might have dropped
in with somem message from your father,
about rent or suthin' though dear knows
me and Jane is paid up square"
so no." he drawled out; 1just called
in a friendly way"
s.Did youp Really! If we'd'a know
that, we'd "a been dressed up for you,"
she answered, with that distribution of
emphasis entirely her own, and capable
of conveying the mDst subtle shades OF
sarcasm or suspicion independently OF
the normal meaning of her words.
20. 1 don't care for DRESS" said Mr..
Eugene, watching James homely little
face, framed in its pale hair, and not
looking at all pretty even with her
evident emotion. "Dress is nothing,
beyond"-here he pointedly surveyed
the poor girls washed and turned and
much made over brown merino-''be.
yond neatness."
Jane flushed, and hid her face in q
large box valentine, that, like a prophecy,
represented a young man in full swallow
tail regimentals leading a yelled paragon
of loneliness toward a most hymeneal-
looking piece of architecture.
Miss Parminter began to busy herself
spreading certain lengths of cotton cloth
to preserve the s'stock" from dust; and
low and then s~henervously fingered the
wisps of gray hair cultivated by the side
of he face and called by courtesy curls
This was a habit she had when disturbed
in mind. Then she muttered to hersel
at intervals: .What aver is he up to,
wond srP'' and by dint of keeping one
eye alid one ear on the young people, JUS
as Eu gene rose to go. she heard him say
t'The Paramount will return in twelve
moEtds at least twenty times the invest
ment-"
sis it's it a silver miner" asked
Jane.
eyes, in Nevada; IMMENSE"
"Could-could as little as five hundred
dollars worth be bought" Jane ven
tured, very timidly.
"Well," answered Eugene, with good
natured condescension, 1--WE are onll
buyinglarge blocks-ahundred Thousand
dollars at a time for heavy capitalists
butt he added, in a low and tende
tone, '.I'll get you the five hundred dol
lars worth, and you shall make you
twenty thousand or more, my it'll
Jeanette, with the best of them"
"'How good you are!" exclaimed tn,
dressmaker, looking up into his fac
with her large gray eyes. All this plail
little woman's life was in those weary
honest eyes. They told of a poor
pinched childhood in their unsatisfiet
eagerness, of al early o~rphanage in thei
confirmed sadness, of hard work in thei
lack of luster and the premature line
about them. Since her tenth year-an,
she was twenty-six now-Jane had bee
battling with poverty, sustained only b,
her industry, thrift and a romanti
longing after something more genial an,
more lovely than life had yet shown. b,
suffering positive privation she had con
trived to put away five hundred dollar
blood money every penny of it, wrun,
from a natural young heart that re
nounced every little dearly priced pleas
ure and luxury before the dread of com
ing sickness Dr. want.
Bracket bent low over her slight
STOPPING form, saw the grateful tears O.
her cheeks, pressed for an instant tn
thin fingers, pricked and hardened b
the needle, then whispered softly: '.rl
see you again soon. Good night, littl
Jeanette"
Passing out, he jostledi in the doorwa
against a great form that seemed littl
inclined to make way for him, and a
Eugene walked down the street the forr
came into the shop and and Miss Pal
minter greeted it with, Hello, Josiah
real glad to see yer"
Josiah jackson, plumber, owned thos
heavy shoulders and owned the spare
square, low-browed face that looked GU
above them. 1t was a workman's fac
audit was aworkman's form. Plumbe
was written all over him, from his dust
matted hair TO his stained hands an
fattened thumbs that showed Josiah
''days off, were very few. He wa
skilled in his trade and often called il
as an expert in difficult jobs. Even nov