Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-27

"why not?" she said indifferently.
cause he couldn't
Cant he run?"
| "No.n
"Has he broke his foot?'' LADY AIMS
tone had slight touch of sympathy.
NO." sud Billy as he took up the
reins, "but he is sick. When folks lock
their doors on their own children, and
then swallow the key, it most general
ly makes 'em sick"
"Bilyl' exclaimed Lady Ann, "has
grandpa swallowed keyp"
"Yes. and it lies heavy" said Billy,
Sand good enough for him. Rich as
The is, no one will send him waluntine
to-day, Lady Ann"
''Say, Billy"
But the red pung with its heavy bells
had gone onits way.
Left alone Lady Ann gave up the
spelling and kept thinking to herself;
BILLY says my grandpa has swallowed
key, and no matter if his pocket is full
of money nobody will send HIM wal
untine even if he IS sick!'
Looking through the snow-laden
trees she could see the great house
where her grandfather lived. She OPEN
ed the valentine, smelt at once of the
painted roses, and kissed the-t doves
that looked out at her. Simple little
Lady Ami At the same moment there
came into her thoughts the few words
her mother had taught her to say every
night in her prayer for her grandfather,
whose hand she had never touched.
"He shall have a waluntinel'; she
said. firmly, and the stubby little boots
started up the hill aSfast as her fat baby
legs could propel them.
''Dost thou suppose, Peeree, that
yonder horrid hoy can call that music?"
said Peedee, as the birds flew back,
after the red pung was well out of hear
ing.
''BiIly's ears are so big" said Pee
rec, that a fine, bird-like sound might
be lost in travelling through them; but
his heart moves us quickly as a birds.
| There would have been no valentine for
little Lady Ann to-day if Billy had for
gotten her."
''See!" said Peedee. ''The Lady
Ann is trudging fast away, and she has
not thrown us a crumb."
"And hast thou earned thy crumb,
Peedee? Come, let us fly fast before
her and tell the hOuse-dog she is COM
ing. that he may have care of her"
"Why need we haste, Peedee? Short
legs travel but slowly through deep
snow."
AYE; but warm heart breaSeth a
path ike the sun, Peedee."
By the time Lady Ann reached the
great house, her breath came very fast,
and she was obliged to sit down on the
stone steps to rest. AS she sat there, 4
huge dog came and rubbed his cold
noise on her red cheek and wagged his
tail most politely. When she was rest
ed, she walked up and down the wide
piazza and looked in through the long
windows, There, at last. the house.
keeper saw her, came out, aud told her
gently to go away. "Are you not little
Ann?" she said. ''The Squire is in
pain to-day, and If he should see you he
would be very angry"
1.-The key hurts him very much"
thought Lady Ann. hut she said: ''IIere
is'a waluntine for him, will you put it
in his hand?"
81 dare not, little Ann" said the
woman.
"Why?" said Lady Ann, in wild as
tonishment. Don't you give him a
waluntine, big though you are! Then
let me go in.''
'Well, then, come in said the house.
keeper, kindly, adding under her breath,
''may be, good will come of it,''
With the house-dog close following at
her heels, and her ''waluntlne" so
tightly clutched that the doves and
flowers within were sadly mixed, Little
Lady Ann, for the first time entered
her grandfather's house.
In great chair before the open fire
of his own room sat the Squire, with his
head back and his eyes closed.
This is Mary's child" said the old
dog, coming in before Lady Ann, as if
he felt called upon to introduce her.
And then he thought within himself.
This child's mother fed me when I
was pup. Should a dog remember
better than his master?"
1t may be the Squire understood him,
for he raised his cine high in the air
and cried sternly: 'Begone, sirl" But
when he saw the round little figure of
Lady Ann he dropped the cane, pulled
down the gold spectacles from the top
of his head and stared at her without a
word. And as she advanced and placed
the vanentine upon the old mans knee
the house-dos followed close behind her,
wagging his tail slowly.
"What is this?" demanded the crusty
Squire, knitting his brows.
"a waluntIne," said she, not without
a small pang, as she thought of the
beautiful doves and flowers, now lost
to her forever.
"What's waluntine?" he asked,
looking down at her bright little face.
ga waluntine is softener," )" she said
instantly, rather proud that she had not
forgotten Billy's definition.
"a ,Chdt?" exclaimed the Squire,
frowning fiercely.
ga Softener," said Lady Ann; not at
all afraid, and sure that the word must
mean something very nice. And then
she added, in coaxing tone: "Read
lt.n
God seldom closes every channel to
an old mans heart. Proud, unforgiv-
ing, even cruel sometimes, the old Squire
still had a rare sense of the ridiculous,
and he read aloud:
81 VIII not part from thee, l viii not LEI thee
free,
TIL thou dost promise me my Valentine TO
be.
When he had read these lines, and
looked over the top of the valentine,
and when he SAW the small Lady Ann