The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-02-27


wooden rocking-chair, with her bon
net and shawl still on, although she
was one of the most methodical Of
spinsters and made it rule to put
her gloves, bonnet and shawl away,
neatly and carefully, the moment she
entered her house. But on this oc
casion she had sunk hastily into the
rocking-chair with even her gloves
on.
She had been to the village post
Office, and, to her unspeakable amaze
ment, had received valentine.
She had not even remembered that
it was st. Valentines Day until she
had passed one of the village shop.
windows, hanging full of valentines,
and she had said to herself when she
saw them:
"Dear mel / thought that silly and
redikilous custom of sending valen.
tines had about died out. Such non
sense as it is But l guess only cbil.
dren and fools do it.
Five minutes later, Mr.. Moses Moss,
the village postmaster, handed Miss
Dyke a square, highly embossed white
envelope through the little postoflice
window.
81 guess somebody's sent you val
entine, Miss 'Cindy," he said.
'T don't think anybody's been 60
silly" she replied, little tartly.
She was rarely given to joking, and
she always resented jokes having even
remote reference to affairs Of the
heart. She acknowledged herself to
be "touchy" on this point, and she
felt offended when she knew that it
was really valentine that she held in
her hands.
She dropped it quickly into the
black. cloth handbag she carried, her
face flushing crimson with indigna-
ton. She was so Disconnected by re-
ceiving the valentine that she forgot
to ask for the postage stamps and en-
velopes she had come to the Office for,
but marched out very primly and
stiffiy, giving the door of the post
office sharp little bang behind her.
She felt quite sure that Moses Moss
was watching her through the one lit
tie front window of the rostof1ee, and
she held her head very high and
swung her black alpaca skirts scorn.
fully as she walked away.
81 wish to the land I'd torn the
thing into a thousand pieces right be.
fore him l' she said, as she turned the
corner. ''He likely knows who sent
it. as he's the postmaster and familiar
with ev'rybody's writin'. An Nose
is such an old gossip he'd be sure to
tell the person who sent it if he'd seen
me tear it up. Wish l had"
Her brown eyes were none the less
beautiful because of the angry sparkle
in them, and the flush of crimson on
either cheek was very becoming to
Miss Lucinda.
She found her scissors, the moment
she entered her house, and cut off an
end of the envelope with a snap.
Then she drew out dainty little Gre
alton in pink and blue and gold on a
foundation of white, satiny paper,
with an edge of paper lace. She held
it out at arms length, in her gloved
hands. Her eyes fairly glittered now,
and the crimson flush on her cheeks
deepened.
Whoever sent me that thing is a
fool |" she said.
Then she held the valentine a little
nearer, and said, seornfully:
''Humph Hearts with arrers run
through 'em, an nasty little Cupids
an weddin' bells-the idea of it! It's
n rarfppt iu-sult When "A woman
gets to be forty-three years old, as 1
am, the less she thinks of Cupids an
weddin'-b bells an such nonsense, the
better of she is. I've a good mind to
put the thing into the fire, and
what's this? Poetry, as I'm a sinner !"
The valentine had suddenly opened
in her hands, and, in gilt letters. with
a gold heart above and below it, was
this verse;