Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-02-15

| "Who ara the ten girls you are going to
send valentines to-" asked Philip suddenly
and ignoring all personal illusions. hope
and pray that they are good friends"
! ''rhey are just superb" cried Nathalie,
| searching for an adjective strong enough
for her feeling. ''They are true as STEEL
and they will love me all the better for my
valentines. o, youth seep'
| Who are they2' asked Philip, curiously.
"Mary Gay, Helen Hamersley, Louise
Rice, Caroline Plympton, Trixie Hyde,
Be'h Morris, Flo Williams, Lucy and
Maria Smith, and, Of course, my-our cous-
In Sue. They are all just perfectly splen-
did, you can't deny that; and they are de-
voted to me-"
eco ahead, if you are determined to-"
| warned you.''
She had already begun to Ego ahead"
just as his last words reached her, being
occupied in scaling the stairs en- route to
| the valentines, wrapped up in dainty
package, as they had come from the
stationer's, and reposing in her upper
| bureau drawer.
Philip rubbed his head, thought bit,
| pushed aside his book, scrubbed OF some.
| thing that looked very much like ten
| names on q bit OF paper, then, with a
smothered laugh, hurried himself into his
| cap and coat, and took himself of to that
| region that always engulfs boy when he
is not to be found-"outdoors."
Nathalie, although publicly sneering at
Loves devices, had privately lent herself
! to them, buying largely Of most attractive
Cupids and blazoned hearts, gilt and lace
| bordered flowers. and all the seasons be-
witchments that could be put into ten val
entines.
II hope they will like Them" she said,
spreading them out daintily over the
bureau top, Though they do look awfully
silly. Still, one must keep in fashion with
the day, so think they're all right. Now
I'll give the biggest Cupid and those pink
roses to Flo. That is rather the prettiest,
and want to ell her that have noticed
that her tinger.nalls aren't so perfectly ex-
quisitely nice as they used to be; and that's
hard thing to say to girl, especially
when she had a manicure set given her
only last Christmas. However, must do
my duty" Nathalie brought up, with q
sigh.
The biggest Cupid" soon smiled down
benignly at these words, encircled in
wreath Of wonderfully pink roses.
DEAR FLO.-I think ought to tell you that
I saw spot OF ink on your middle finger last
week. in geography class rand only two days ago
1 thought you hadn't polished your nails as you
might, now you h we that cunning little mani
cure set your Aunt Grace gave you.
This is all written in love by your Valentine,
''NArHAILE CARR"
''That really looks quite kind and NICE"
declared Nathalie, regarding it with salts
faction. "What a splendid idea it is to
send the notes on St. Valentines Day! The
girls will be so surprised. Now I'll write
Maria Smiths next She's everlastingly
saying amt and got when she don't need
any thing besides I have didn't realize
before how she has annoyed me. It's really
dreadful" So Maria's sweet valentine
read this wise. folded into the protecting
embrace of a bunch of violets as surprising
IN their way as the roses were:
"DEAR MAR1A-I want to tell you that think
we should all be careful what words we use
and not say amt for aren't or am not and
as for got, it's perfectly dreadful to keep say
ing + have got any thing when I have any
thing would do just as WE'LL
with the greatest love, your Valentine,
''NATHALIE CARR"
ut looks little harder than Flo's," COM
muned Nathalie with herself. when she had
finished, ''but had to say it, and I guess
the violets will make up; they're lovely.
Now I'll get Trixie's off my mind-she's
always shutting subsequently,. Ideclare,
when think OF it, l wonder Pve kept 80
long from telling her of it. I'll give her
this girl going down to the spring with O
basket of flowers; it's too pretty for any,
thing. l don't know why I should hate to
tell Trixie she snuffs almost every word
she says: ever 80 many of the girls COM
plain of it," So Trixies st. Valentine mes
sage ran this way, written by pen getting
quite In spirit with the idea of keeping a
sharp lookout for the failings of friends:
DEAR TRIx1E-I know I ought to tell you
that you are getting worse than ever at SNUFF
fling. The other day, when you tried to tell me
about Flora Briggs new dress, you kept that
disagreeable habit up every ten words. Here
Nath lie, considering herself not quite truthful,
changed the ten" to "fve".] And If don't
tell you Of it you'll just 60 on snuf11ng and snuff
hng until you get to be young lady, and that
would be perfectly horrid.
with the most devoted love, your Valentine,
NATHALIE CARR"
When Nathalie turned her back upon her
ten completed Valentine messages of love,
it was to carry an exhausted face and man.
ner to the family supper.table. Philip cast
glance Of ordinary interest at her as she
took her place, and, beyond the silent pity
of father and mother, who thought their girl
studying too hard, the pale cheeks were
unnoticed.
ut is a very hard piece Of work to do"
whispered Nathalie, as she passed Philip
the bread, "but know they will thank
me. Pm sure I should If were in their
place."
Jump said Philip in his unresponsive
fashion, and then he began to talk about q
new toboggan slide the boys were making
on Collins Hill, directing his conversation
al efforts 10 his father, so that Nathalie,
left out in the cold, fell back to listless
replying that she did not want any thing
to eat, to all her mothers attempts that
were now set In motion toward that end.
"You must be sick, daughter" at last
said Mrs. Carr, land can't think OF any
thing better than for you to get into bed as
early as possible" All the pleadings that
Nathalie now began being Of no avail tho
sturdy writer Of the ten st. Valentine epis.
ties was ignominiously set free from the
supper-taole. emily to be put to bed at seven
o'clock like child.
It was probably this, however. that made
her arise betimes the next morning, bright
as bee AID bonny as bird, with rare
delight in the new idea so successfully
worked out the previous evening, and Just