Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-02-14

grandpa swallowed key?'
"Yes, and it lies heavy" said Billy,
land good enough for him. Rich as
he is, no one will send him waluntine
to-day, Lady Ann"
Say, Billy"
But the red pung with its heavy bells
had gone on its 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 q
waluntine even if he is sickr'
Looking through the snow-laden
trees she could see the great house
where her grandfather lived. She
opened the valentine, smelt at one OF
the painted roses, and kissed the two
doves that looked out at her. Simple
little Lady Ann! At the same moment
there came into her thoughts the few
words her mother had taught her to say
every night in herprayer for her grand
father, whose hand she had never
touched.
He shall have a waluntine"' she
said, firmly, and the stubby little boots
started mp the hill as fast Us her fat baby
legs could propel them.
''Dost thou suppose, Peeree, that
yonder horrid boy can call that music?''
said Peedee, as the birds few back,
after the red pung was well out of hear
ing.
"Billy's ears are so big" said Pee.
rec. that fine. bird like sound might
be lost in travelling through them; but
his heart moves as quickly as a birds.
There would have been no valentine for
little Lady Ann to-day if Billy had for
gotten her.
Sect 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 4 care of her."
"Why need we haste. Peeree9? Short
legs travel but s.owiy through deep
snow"
AYE; but warm heart breaketh a
path like the sun, Peedee.H
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, a
huge dog came and rubbed his cold
nose 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. and told her
gently to 90 away. ''Are you not little
Ann?' she sal = 1.-The Squire is in
pa n to-day, and if he should see you
h. would be very angry
1.-The key hurts him very much. -
thought Lady Ann, but she said: &" Here
is waIuntne for him; will you put it
in his hand?"
81 dare not, little Ann" said the
woman.
"Why?' said Lady Ann, in wild as
constituent. Don't you dare give him
a waluntina, big though you are! Then
let me 90 ill.,"
well, then, come in," said the
housekecper. kindly, adding under her
breath. "may be, good will come of it. -
With the house dog close following at
her heels, and her waluntiEe'' so
tightly clGtched 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 aud 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 l
was pup. Should dog remember
better than his mastcr?'
1t may be the Squire understood him.
for he raised his cane high in the air
and cried sternly: "Begone, sir" But
when he saw the round little figure of
LAZY 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 advan ed and placed
the valentine upon the old mans knee
the house-dog followed close be nind her,
wagging his tail slowly.
What is ths?" demanded the crusty
squire, knitting MS DrOWS
"A waluntine." said she. not without
small pang, as she thought of the
beautiful doves and flowers, now lost
to her forever.
whats waluntine?' he asked,
looking down at her bright little face.
"A wa!untine is softener,' she said
instantly, rather proud that she had not
fOrrOtten Rillv'S definition
"A what?" exclaimed the Squire,
frowning fiercely.
"A sOffencr." said Lady Ann, not at
all afraid, and sure that the word must
mean something very nice. And then
she added, in eoaxing tone: ''Read
it,
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:
" will not part from thee, will not let thee
free,
Till 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
sitting before the fire, he wondered if
she meant to sit there until he had
promised. He thought he saw pa
tient determination in every feature.
not excepting the stubby rubber boot
which persistently pointed at him. on
account of its owner heing obliged to
hold it up across the other to rest the
little short legs which hal trudged SO
far to give him pleasure. He never
could tell Just how it was-he only
knew he laughed as he had not laughed
for years, which opened the one chan
mel to his heart so wide that, almost be-
fore he knew il. the little Lady Ann