The National tribune., 1883-02-08


and he finally took his departure, promising to
/ call again.
/ Reckon Priscilly was too busy to came in, !"
! he thought. consolingly, as he rode of on his
. sorrel mare It's too bad she has the whole
/ house to tend to; but she shan't have it to do
I long. il ! can help it." he added, with look of
decision in his cray eyes.
! wonder if he cot the valentine" thought
Priscilla, rs she finished pairing and quartering
/ the apples. If he did, he will see that | know
who sent II to me"
ON the same afternoon, Mirandy Srrigs was
doing up her fTlZZeS on bits of tin, which she
kept for the purpose, being. as she thought
more eilicaciOus than Curl-papcrs.
90 want 'cm to friz right nice fur tomorrow
night she commented, twisting one of the tins
till il nearly brought the tears TO her eyes
Mcbbe Mr. CheeseborO III ask me to 20 TO
mCetIn' with him. If he don't, I'll 90 alone,
an most likely he'll fetch me home, like he did
from singiu school last week
I've got ahead o Prisclly Quisenberry,
anyhow she added, with a look of triumph
IN her black eyes, and I'm a-gOin' To keep it.
She'll be mad As hops to find I've cut her out.
wait till | git to he mistress O Felix
Checschoro's big house, though. Won't ! show
the folks? III turn up my nose at them stuck
up QUisgnbcrrys too.
An that sassy Indy III hev to step around
mighty lively, b tell her; fur | don't low
to DO a lick O work myself
" Mirandy." grumblcd her mother, from the
kitchen. what on airth are You a-doin there
50 long? Come along out here, an see what
Enochs bruug you from the store. It's in a
b;S square cuvcilop, an' my hams is in the
dough, so't / KANT open it."
Nrandy hurried out to the kitchen, twisting
Un her last triz as she went.
d" Ii must be a vOluntine," she cried. snatch
inE up the envelope
And tearing il open, she jerlled out-the old
maid. of course.
"Why-why, it's nasty ole comic one, an
Jest know Priscil QuiScnherry sent il TO me,
sprtutul ole thing. Shc'Sa ole maid herself, an
/ low to tell her So, first chance l git and
Miranda flung the obnoxious valentine into
the ti-y. and fDUnccd out of the room in huff
"Whcrs Miraudy?" demanded Enoch
shutting into the house, after putting up his
horse in the stable.
Il dun know" said Mrs. Sprigs, smiling
q" She Jest bounced of someIs, mad as a wet
hen. about that ere voluntine you fotchcd her"
Was it a ugly one?" grinned Enoch
"Wher's ii at?"
She slung it in the fire, an burnt it up
Yes twas ugly as git out. She thinks Priscil
QUiseubcwy sent it
"Priseii didn't send it, then" declared Enoch
." fur ! was a-stannin' back by the stove, in the
post-oitis. an | see Felix Cheeseboro put If in
the envelop hisSclE An then he backed it,
al PUNCH "a III lllt bbA. an Eiti on.
AN 81 Sturdy tuck il out O the box, an
scz 10 me: Here's somcthin' fur your folks,
now he sez, an | put il in my pocket, an
fotchcd il home"
wal! that is GURUS" said Mrs Sprigs. cut
ting out her biscuits with tin ycast-powder
box. Il wouldn't hev thought he'd send
Mirandy picter of an old maid"
"OIe maid?" cried Enoch staring did it
hey red hair an long peakid nOse?"
Yes If did The rpliast hair ealz
nose / ever see"
WAL cried Enoch. delighted. It's the
very one | sent to PTiscil Quisenherry sure
enough. But it heats me to know how Felix
Checscboro got a-holt Of it. Mehhe she give it
to him. though, to send TO Mirandy," he added
Allranda's 1rzzeS were as crisp as her heart
could desire, and her eyes shOnc with antic-
Patcd triumph, as she repaired by herself to
the meeting on the following night For
she had refused TO accept Enochs version OF
the valentine, and persisted III believing that
Priscilla sent il.
But the expected triumph was not realized;
for, TO her veXatiOn, Mr.. ChceseborO walked up
to Priscilla, after services were over, and de-
liberatciy requested the pleasure of accompany
ing her home. Which request was granted,
rather Coldly.
Did you get any valentines Miss PrisciIly?"
asked Felix, after some moments Of silence.
"One," she returned, shortly.
why, that's odd, now. | got one, too"
Mr.. Cheeseboro was quite elated at such a
remarkable coincidence: but Priscilla was rot
SO much surprised as he had expected her TO be-
What sort of IA one was yours ?" he in
quircd, cOnfdcntialy. Pretty or ugly? OF
course, twas a pretty one, though" he added,
ycnturlng 2 very faint pressure of the hand
which rested on his arm.
"Of cOuISc il wasn't pretty one" retorted
Priscilla, severely. at was the one you sent
M tfh.,-.l,,rn
u? The one | sent you? stammered Felix,
greatly amazed.
For the first time. Priscilla began to doubt
whether he really had sent it, after all.
You don't mean to say YOU didn't send it?"
she quercd, auXiouSly.
Indeed, | did not" returned her escort,
earnestly. I never sent one to anybody only
the one got, and ! sent that back to Mirandy
Sprig5; fur | thought she had sent ii to me"
Then the mystery was out and Priscilla's
heart was light putfball, when she parted
with Mr.. CheesebOro at her door.
Mrs. Lucinda Quisenberry was sitting by the
kitchen fire, limp and slip-Shod as usual the
next afternoon when Priscilla came in from
milking the cows. She set down two gallon
bucket, brimming with the toamy fluid, and
brought out the shining milk-pans from the
pantry.
"Mr Chccseboros in the settin' room with
your pa" volunteered Lucinda, Imply knit
ting away at yarn sock, as she sat over the
fire
The sea-shell pink in Priscilla's checks deep
ened to a poppy-red, as usual, under her sister
in-aw's sharp eye.
oval, l declare snapped the querulous
woman, Grossly. "Your cheeks are a-gittin'
as red as cloyerbObs. | don't reckon it's you
Mr. Checseboro's after. | heerd 'em a-talkin'
bout the red heiter; reckon he wants to trade
fur her.
'''Tain't likely poor girl like you is a-goin'
to git sich fore-handed man as Felix.
why, the Cheeseboro farms wuth a hundred
dollars an acre, every foot of il. An there's
forty acres in medder-grass alone.
The girl that gifts the owner O that farm II
be a lucky one, tell you.
An, any way, reckon you're cut out fur
an old maid, Priscilly.'
Priscilla strained away the milk in the bright
tin pans, without deiguing reply to her sister
in-law's TRADE.
"Helo," cried Farmer Quisenberry, coming
out to the kitchen in his home-gpun coat and
blue ducking" overals. What Eye reckon
Felix wants, Prisclly?"
Priscilla hesitated, blushing deeper than
ever.
$50 long in, Priscilly," he said az reckon
you know what he wants, and you know best
whether he kin hev it, Or not"
And Priscilla smoothcd down her red-brown
tresscs, and went shyly in to meet her lover.
While Mrs. Lucinda stared in amazement,
nd ad I, J..