Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-02-19
Mr.. Jonquil's Valentine.

"There goes Mr.. Jonquil, a riding by
in his new cutterW cried Mrs. SeIepta
Fothergay, as string of sleigh bells
jingled out on the frosty air. Look,
Rubyw
Ruby left the wooden bowl of salad
she was chopping, and went to the win
dow, at her sister ln-law's behest.
Il wonder whore he is going?' she
said, with slight pink flash tinging her
pale cheek.
"Golng? Wher' do you 'spose he's
going? To the Widder Tallman's, OF
course! Folks say he's courtin' her"
whats that, Serept,? Jonquil a
courtln' the Wldder Tallman? John
Fothergay had brought an armiul of split
wood into the kitchen, and stood rub
bling his ears by the fire THAT beats
me- Whyn't you set your cap FUR him,
Ruby?"
"Wal, John! The idee of Ruby settin'
her cap tor him" Uttered Johns wife,
much amused. you hev hit 1t this time.
Men don't marry poor girls these days !"
81 dom care" persisted John, stoully
"Ruby's better look n than the widder.
An q Fothergsy is good enough match
for a Jonquil, any day"
"Pooh, John! He wouldn't look at
her" retorted his wife. Besides bein'
poor. Ruby amt SO young as she hes bin,
an she don't fix up an wear bangs and
frixzes. like the widder does. l tell you,
he's goin fur her certain"
Ruby chopped away at the cabbage
salad, without word, though her ear
nnsled at her sister-in-law's contemptu-
GUS speech.
Mr. Jerome Jonquil got up from the
breakfast table in very bad tumor, in
deed.
IL do wonder if Hubby Lopez won't
never learn to bake her griddle cakes
without burnn' 'em all to a crisp" lie
muttered discontently, as he piled fresh
wood ON the fire, and stood warming
himself by the cheerful blaze.
Huldah Lopez was the woman who
@'did for him." as she expressed it, COM
ing in the morning to cook his meals and
do the work; tor Mr.. Jonquil was a
bachelor, and help of the right kind was
hard to get.
"And as for the Coffee" he went on,
81 could make ii better ny self, il l knew
how to make it at all!'
vex alton, but Immediately repented, and
stroked her into good humor again.
Poor Tabby faint your fault, if the
vittles are spled in tie cookin' Is il? he
muttered, remorseiully, while Tabitha
purred her forgiveness about his legs
and then FAT down to wash her face con-
tentedly before the fire. "Wal, there's
no use TO set here a-waitin' fur huldy to
clean up" he concluded. Reckon I'll
take the cutter an 60 down to the store
awhile. This here sleighin' won't last
forever"
MIR. Jonquil returned to his own fire.
side few hours later in rather differ
ent mood from that in which he started
out.
The truth is Mr.. Jopquil had received
o Valentine. 1t was q most charming
Valentine, in which lovely, pink satin
heart was represented as transtixed by a
cruel looking, yellow dagger. The whole
design, which was on the finest of rice
paper, being encircled by a wreath OF
brilliant and altogether unk nown flowers
such as would make the fortune of the
flower botanst to discover.
Beneath this very suggestive picture
was gilt verse, containing the astoupd.
ing information that the pink satin heart
was the property of Mr.. JoDQuils I'M
dying Valentine, and the cruel yellow
dagger decorating it had been sent by
Mr. ]. ]. himself.
Jerome was at once surprised, delight
ed and panied. Surprised that he had
been guilty of piercing lady's heart,
delighted that she was his "undying