Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-02-14
A VALENTINE ROMANCE.

'I'd just like to know who IN the
land of the livin' ever sent me that
thing l just would like TO knowl"
Lucinda Dyke sat in her big wood
en- rocking chair, with her bonnet and
shawl still on, although she was one
of the most methodical Of spinsters
and made it a rule to put her gloves,
! bonnet and shawl away, neatly and
carefully, the moment she entered her
house. But on this occasion 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 me thought that silly and
redikilous custom of sending valen-
tines had about died out Such non
sense as it is But I guess only chill
dren and fools do it,
Five minutes later, Mr. Moses Moss,
the village postmaster, handed Miss
Dyke square, highly embossed white
envelope through the little postOfice
window.
"I guess somebody's sent you val
entine, Miss 'Cindy," he said.
81 don't think anybody's been SO
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 a valentine that she held in her
hands.
She dropped it quickly into the
black-cloth handbag she carried, her
face flushing crimson with indignation.
She was so disconnected by receiving
the valentine that she forgot to ask
for the postage stamps and envelopes
she had come to the Office for, but
marched out very primly and stifiiy,
giving the door of the postoffice sharp
little bang behind her,
She felt quite sure that Moses Moss
was watching her through the one lit
tie front window of the postoffice, and
she held her head very high and
swung her black alpaca skirts scorn-
fully as she walked away,
II wish to the land I'd torn the
thing into thousand pieces right be-
fore him r. 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 the house, and cut off an
end of the envelope with a snap.
Then she drew out dainty little cre-
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 of her cheeks
deepened.
whoever sent me that thing is a
fool T. she said.
Then she held the valentine little
nearer, and said, scornfully:
"Humph! Hearts with arrers run
through 'em, an nasty little Cupid'
an weddin -bells-the idea of it, It's
perfect insult When a woman
gets to be forty-three years old, as
am, the less she thinks of Cupids an
weddin'- bells an such nonsense, the
better off she is. I've good mind tt
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, wa'
this verse:
"Oh, lonely, lonely is my heart,
So lonely, love, for thee,
I'm happiest when I'm where thou art,
Oh, wilt thou come to meY
Oh, wilt thou come to me for aye,
And be forever mine,
To gladden. all the future years;
Say: 'Yesl Say: 'Yes.' My valentine
"Mercies cried Miss Dyke, as sh'
let the valentine fall into her lap, while
her arms fell limply to her sides ant