Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-02-16

Miranda hurried out 20 the kitchen,
twisting up her last friz as she went.
''It must be n voluntine," she cried,
snatching up the envelope.
And tearing it open, she jerlSed out
the old maid, OF course.
"Why-why, it's nasty ole comic
one, an l jest know Priscil Quisen-
berry sent it to me, spiteful ole thing.
She's ole maid herself, an low to
tell her SO, first chance git" and
Miranda flung the obnoxious valentine
into the fire and hounced out OF the
room in a huff.
"Wher's Mirandy?' demanded Enoch,
shutting into the house. after putting
up his horse in the stable.
Il dun know" said Mrs. Sprigs,
smiling. 'She jest bounced off
som'ers, mad as wet hen, about that
ere voluntine you fetched her."
"Was it a ugly once" grinned Enoch.
"Wher's it at?"
"She slung it in the fire, an burnt it
up. Yes. twas ugly as git out She
thinks Priscil Quisenberry sent it."
"Priscil didn't send it then" de-
clared Enoch, "fur j was a-stannin'
back by the stove, in the postotfis, an
/ see Felix Cheeseboro put it in the en-
vellop hisself. An then he backed it,
an polSed it in the box and rid off.
"An' 81 Sturdy tuck it out o the box
an SEE to me: Here's somethin' fur
your folks, now he seq, an put it in
my pocket and fetched it home"
"Wal that is urus," said Mrs.
Sprigs, cutting out her biscuits with n
tin yeast-powder box. Il wouldn't
hev thought he'd send Mirandy picter
of an old maid"
"Ole maid?" cried Enoch, staring
'd)id it hev red hair an long peakid
nose?"
Eyes, it did The reddest hair an
peakidest nose / ever see"
oval" cried Enoch, delighted. "It's
the very one / sent to Priscil Quisen-
berry, sure enough. But 1t beats me
to know how Felix Cheeseboro got
a-holt of it Mebbe she give it to him,
though, to send to Mirandy," he added.
Miranda's frizzes were as crisp as
her heart could desire, and her eyes
shone with anticipated triumph rs she
repaired by herself to the meeting"
on the following night. Fer she had
refused to accept Enoch's version of
the valentine and persisted in bellev-
ing that Priscilla sentit.
But the expected triumph was not
realized; for TO her vexation Mr..
Cheeseboro walked up to Priscilla
after services were over end deliber-
ately requested the pleasure of accom-
panying her home. Which request
was granted rather coldly.
Ibid you get any valentines, Miss
Priscilly?" asked Felix, after some mo-
lnents OF silence.
"One," she returned. shortly.
"Why, that's odd; l got two"
Mr.. Cheeseboro was quite elated al
such remarkable coincidence; but
Priscilla was not so much surprised as
he had expected her to be.
What sort of n one was yours?" he
inquired, confidentially. Pretty OF
ugly? Of course twas a pretty one
though" he added, venturing a very
faint pressure of the hand whic5 rested
on his arm.
"of course it wasn't pretty one,
retorted Priscilla, severely. 1T was
the one you sent me, Mr.. Cheeseboro.
81? The one l sent you?" STAN
mered Felix, greatly amazed.
For the first time, Priscilla began tc
doubt whether he really had sent it
after all
You don't mean to say you didnI
send it?" she queried, anxiously.
Indeed / did not" returned hel
escort, earnestly. 81 never sent one
to anybody, only the one l got, and
sent that back to Mirandy Sprigs; ful
/ thought she had sent it to me-
Then the mystery was out, and Pris
elias heart was light as a puff-bal
when she parted with Mr.. CheeseborC
at her door.
Mrs. Lucinda Quisenberry was sit
ting by the kitchen fire, limp and slip
shod as usual, the next afternoon
when Priscilla came in from milking
the cows. She set down two-gallor
bucket, trimming with the foamy
fluid, and brought out the shining
milk pans from the pantry.
'Mr. Cheeseboro's in the settin'
room with your pa" volunteered Lu
cinda, Imply knitting away at yarr
sock, as she sat over the fire.
The sea-shell pink in Priscilla'i
checks deepened to a poppy red, az
usual, under her sister-in-law's SHARP
eyes
"Wal, declare, snapped the queru
lous woman, GROSSLY. your cheek:
are a-gittin' as red as clover-bobs-
don't reckon it's you Mr.. Cheesboro'i
after. heerd 'em a-tallSin' bout the
red heifer; reckon he wants to trade
fur her.
"'Tain't likely poor girl like yor
is a-goin' to git sich fore-handed mar
as Felix.
"Why, the Cheeseboro farms with {
hundred dollars an acre, every foot o.
it. An there's forty acres in medder
grass alone.
"The girl that gifts the owner O. tha'
farm III be a lucky one, tell you.
/