Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-03-15
An OLD VALENTINE.
BY vELuA CALDwELL-MELv1LLE.

ooh, mother isn't it lovely?" cried
pretty bit of femininity as she held
up wonderful creation in flowers, lace,
notices, etc
"Ralph's valentine" she added, turn
ing her blushing face aside.
at is indeed beautiful thing" was
the reply, and so different from the ones
sent in my day."
did you ever get valentine,
mother?"
"Yes, dear, many a one" Had the
young girl been less occupied she would
have noticed an unusual flush on the
withered cheek, and far-away look in
the kindly blue eyes. AS it was, she
thought of naught but the dainty thing
in her hand and the lover who had sent
it.
Late that Valentine eve the same
gentle-faced woman softly turned the
key of an old trunk in remote closet,
and putting the lamp down beside it,
lifted the lid.
Ever and anon she glanced furtively
about her, as with faltering fingers she
lifted out small, flat box.
"It's dreadful foolish of me-" she
murmured, "but some way Nellie's val
entine kind of made me think of old
times; but it's dreadful foolish"
Slowly she united the bit of faded pink
ribbon that held the cover on. Its
dreadful foolish" she repeated, don't
see what has come over me-"
But the lid was open now and she
was nervously pushing aside the yell
lowed tissue paper that concealed the
contents. An indulgent smile at her
own weakness fitted over her face, and
then she relinquished herself to the
sweets of stolen Renaissance.
First she took up a well-thumbed
yellow card, i'll the center of which was
bunch of faded pink roses fastened,
apparently, by green gauze knot; and
underneath were the words in a
cramped boyish hand:
1.-The rose is red, she violet's blue,
Sugars sweet and so are YOU"
MY first valentine" she unused, "and
from Robbie, dear little fellow, how
many, many years he has been at rest.
Wasn't I proud and happy when found
it in my dinner pail wrapped in leaf
from his old copy book. And here is
kIn T
Toledo by the boy who boarded at our
house one summer. Stinson, was his
name; be got to be senator or some
big thing l heard. And here is the one
Billy Shaw sent me after 1 mittened
MIN at spelling school. Wasn't he mad?
There is another one Stinson sent, and
dear mel" Her fingers trembled a
little as she picked up a large envelope
addressed in bold, round hand to
Miss Kittie Deane." This she laid
quickly aside. smiling, nodding and
musing over the others till the stock
was exhausted. Carefully she replaced
them all but the big envelope. ut |
really seems as if can't open it, and
yet-and yet it is all so long past, and
I'm an old woman, mother, and grand
mother God forgive me, Tn dreadful |
foolish, dreadful foolish, but it can be |
no harm this once, and like as not I'll |
burn this one then, aud give the rest to
Mans baby to play with"
Hesitatingly yet fondly, as one
touches curl cut from the dead baby's
head, she drew the card from the en-
velope, aud then, swayed by some sud-
den and over-powering emotion, pressed
it to her lips.
Heaven forgive mel oh Harry,
HarryF
Letting it fall in her lap, she covered
her face with her hands, and wept half
in sorrow. over some grave of the past,
half in repentance because she could
not forget.
To other eye than hers there was
nothing to excite emotion about the
Naueer, old-fashioned valentine with its
HETEROGENEOUS
brief inscription, ~Mizpah;;' but to her
it cOnjured up picture of fair young
girl viewing it for the first time through
amist of happy tears. Only the day
before she had babe her handsome
e-hearted lover farewell. They were
engaged, and he had gone West to make
home for her.
~You will be true to me, klttle, and
notget tired of waiting? he had ques-
toned for the twentieth time, perhaps
81 viii never tire of waiting for you,
Henry" she had fervently aVerreo.
And he had gone away, sending back
the valentine and fond little note SO
soon. How thoughtful of him! But
that was all. Vainly she waited for the
promised letters. They never came,
and what added to her misery,-f such