Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-02-14

ScnOOl. 1 idu q Epot ~
because she wouldn't let me see the
valentine she got the day before.
thought it was real mean of her,
when ! showed her all mine. But got to
see it, anyway for Cousin Zoe sent me
to get a ball of blue Germantown
zephyr out of her drawer the same day.
and there was the valentine right be-
side It. | suppose | hadn't ought to-
but | couldn't help taking just one peep
at it; and then knew why she wouldn't
show il to me. for it was a comic one
the very comicalest one l ever saw.
1t was a picture of a big, stout WON
an. with a long. red nose.
Cousin Zoe's nose is a little long, and
she is sort of stout, too. know she
hates to be stout, too, for she wears her
dresses just as tight.
But | didn't tell her l looked at the
valentine. | knew she felt mortified
about it. And she said If would post
the valentine for her, and not tell q
single soul about it, she'd give me
| whole bandbox full of silk scraps fol
my crazy-quilt.
was real glad to get them, for wa:
| afraid Susy Dave would finish her
quilt before I did. Her sister Classy IL
| a dress-maker, and SO she gets lots o
scraps.
So | said I'd take it, and tucked /
under my arm and started, But when
| got to the post-ofice, it wasn't there
the valentine, | and went back
three blocks to look for it, but couldn'
find it, and | anne near being late t.
school on account OF it.
| felt so worried about it, too, that
missed my spelling lesson, and got KEEP
in all recess. | told Susy Dave abou
it at dinner-time. OF course, Cousil
Zoe wouldn't mind Susy knowing il
Only she didn't want grandma ant
Uncle Dave and brother Robbie t
know, because they'd be sure to teas
her.
And Susy asked right away who tn
valentine was to.
$40 Hazard" | told her.
And then she said:
Why don't you buy another and sen
him. BABE" my name is Barbara, br
everybody calls me Bab,) He won
know but what it's the same one" sh
says.
Sure enough! I hadn't thought
that. Susy always was smarter tina
me. SO / asked her If she would go
the store with me to buy one, and 81
said she would.
The store was right around the co
ner on Prairie avenue. SO we had tin
enough to 90 before school began agai
"Was it a pretty one or a comic one
she asked, as we hurried along.
| hadn't seen it, of course, but l VI
most certain it was a pretty one.
10 Hazard and Cousin Zoe used to
great friends, and he was always col
ing to our house, and taking her to sin
ing-school or sleigh-riding, and 9th
places. But something happened
never knew what it was. But l knc
Cousin Zoe and Joe had some sort
falling out, and he stopped coming.
And Zoe felt bad about it, too.
could see that plain as the nos on I
face-and that's a pretty plain OF
everybody says. But l don't care.
rather be smart than pretty any day.
And so I told Susy that l thought
must have been a pretty one.
ats likely Cousin Zoe wants to ma
up with him." / said, ''by sending h
a real pretty valentine"
For I always judge other people
myself, and l know that's the wa
would do if l wanted to mako frier
with anybody.
And so Susy and I picked out
very prettiest valentine THAT did
cost too much) In the whole store. !
there were such lots and lots Of e
it was hard work TO choose.
Susy wanted me TO take n W
silk fringe all round It, and . tiny Lit