The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-11

anu pray JndJ Uuey are SOOu lrIeHuS'
''They 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, you'll seer'
"Who are they!" asked Philip, curiously.
''Mary Gay, Helen Hamersley, Louise
Rice, Caroline Plympton, TriXie Hyde,
Beth 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-"
$50 ahead, if you are determined to-"
cried Philip. SONY remember than l
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 a dainty
package, as they had come from the
stationer's, and reposing in her upper
bureau drawer
Philip rubbed his head, thought a bit,
pushed aside his book, scrubbed OF some
thing that looked very much like ten
names on a bit Of paper, then, with
smothered laugh, hurried himself into his
cap and coat and took himself off 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.
81 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 l think they're all right. Now
| I'll give the biggest Cupid and those pink
roses to Flo. That is rather the prettiest,
and l want to tell her that l have noticed
| that her fingernails aren't so perfectly eX-
| quisitely nice as they used to be; and that's
a hard thing to say to a girl, especially
when she had a manicure set given her
| only last Christmas. However, l must do
my duty" Nathalie brought up, with
sigh.
The biggest Cupid" soon smiled down
benignly at these words, encircled in a
wreath of wonderfully pink roses.
| DEAR FLO,-I think ought to tell you that
| saw a spot of ink on your middle finger last
week, in geography class and only two days ago
I thought you hadn't polished your nails as you
might, now you have that cunning little mani
cure set your Aunt Grace gave you.
L LIS 10 Ill NI4LLGu III lONb Ny YOUR V dlenJlnc,
| ''NATHALIE 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 Phi write
Maria Smiths next. She's everlastingly
| saying amt and got when she don't need
any thing besides 4 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 q bunch of violets as surprising
in their way as the roses were:
'DEAR MARIA-I want to tell you that 1 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 4 have got any thing, when L have any
thing would do just as well.
with the greatest love, your Valentine,
NATHALIE CARR"
at looks a little harder than Flo's" COM
muned Nathalie with herself. when she had
finished, "but 1 had to say it, and l guess
the violets will make up; they're lovely.
Now I'll get Trixie's off my mind-she's
always snuffing so disagreeably. Ideclare,
when l think of it, wonder I've kept so
long from telling her of it. I'll give her
this girl going down to the spring with a
thing. don't know why should hate to
tell Trixie she snuffs almost every word
she says: ever so many of the girls COM
plain of it." So Trixie's st. Valentine mes
sage ran this way, written by a pen getting
quite in spirit with the idea of keeping a
sharp lookout for the failings of friends
'DEAR TRIxIE-I know I ought to tell you
| that you are getting worse than ever at snuff
fing. The other day, when you tried to tell me
about Flora Briggs new dress, you kept that
disagreeable habit up every ten words. Here
Nathalie, considering herself not quite truthful,
changed the ten" to "fve"l And if I don't
tell you Of it youll just go snuffing and snuff
fling 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 valentino messages of love,
it was to carry an exhausted face and man.
ner to the family supper-ta Philip cast
a 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.
sit is very hard piece of work to do"
whispered Nathalie, as she passed Philip
the bread, "but / know they will thank
me. Pm sure | should if were in their
I
place."
''Ump' said Philip, in his unresponsive
fashion, and then he began to talk about
new toboggan slide the boys were making
on Collins Hill, directing his conversation
al efforts to his father, so that Nathalie,
left out in the cold, fell back to a 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, "and 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 the
sturdy writer of the ten ST. Valentine epis-
ties was ANONYMOUSLY set free from the
supper-table, only to be put to bed at seven
o'clock like a child.
1t was probably this, however, that made
her arise betimes the next morning, bright
as bee and bonny as bird, with rare
delight in the new idea so successfully
worked out the previous evening, and just
as soon as the hearty breakfast was over,
that tasted so good after her fast of the
night before, she few into her sack and hat,
grasped her ten missives with confident
hand, and started to drop them, with st.
Valentine pull at the door bell, at the house
of each friend.
HEninU 10 no tho 1attar- carriar2J1 criad