The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-05
<H~n> E. NSs


man who was waiting upon the school
teacher. and when she married him
she was TO go to Riggsville, n. Y., TO
live.
After the envelope was directed, Miss
Little gave Solomon Badger penny
10 buy stamp, and she and Mr.. Dodd
bade him good-evenlng and went out.
After they had gone. Solomon Badger
| spied the envelope; discovered that the
| valentine was not inclosed, and began
| 10 search for the one she had chosen.
| lie held up many to the light, and final
| ly thought he had IL: but he was mis-
| taken. 1t was quite another valentine
than the one Miss Little had purchased.
which was posted next day. II went
10 Riggs> lille. n. y. and finally brought
UP in fhe dead letter Office, where II
must be now
1t was eight o'clock when the valen-
tine was sold for the third time TO
| Miranda Sail. She came in with an
| other girl. Lottie Goodwin, and both had
| their heads together over some valen-
1 tines which l.ottie had received. early
as il was. They were 30 much inter-
ested in them that Miranda did not
| hurry about her purchase. but finally
she selected the same valentine which
I had suited Grandfather Judd and Miss
| Little. and addressed the envelope prop
| crly this time, and gave il 10 Lottie
| Goodwin 70 post, because her way home
| lay past the Office. Miranda never
thought about il being day too soon.
The girls parted at Solomon Badgers
door. Miranda going one way and Lot
| tie another.
Lottie put the new valentine in a silk
bag which she carried on her arm. II
contained also her other valentines
which she had just received. When she
reached the office IL was closed. and she
had TO deposit the valentine i'm the out
side lettsr box on the door. II was
lark. and just then she caught sight of
n man coming. and that startled her.
THUS IL haeHeHed that SIR. drew ont nf
her silk bag Serena AIMS new valen-
tine and one of her old ones: dropped
the old one In the letter box and the
new one on the snow, and sped along
home, never dreaming what she had
done.
The next morning Serena AIMS
cousin. Sam Wells. drove over from the
east village where he lived. very early.
In order to get the horse shod before
school. and passing the post Office saw
something white on the snowbank.
He stopped. got ont. whoaing all the
time. because his horse was restive, and
investigated. II declare. it's n valen-
tine" cried Sam Wells. lie tried 10 pick
IL up. but IL was frozen down. There
had been quite n thaw the day before,
and the weather had grown colder dur
ing the night. Sam Was very careful.
but he had to leave the addressed part
of The envelope in the snow
lie got in the sleigh, gathered mp the
reins, and examined the valentine as he
went along. Declare. I'll take 10 to
Badgers. and IL they don't know any
thing about IL, I'll send IL to Serena
Ann" said he.
Sam Wells went TO Solomon Badgers
about fifteen minutes before school
time. and found Sophia in attendance
She blushed and smiled when he en-
tered. She considered Sam quite de-
sirahle beau.
"Balo. SOPHIA" said he. "ever see
This bcfore?"
valentine. then raised II. mo. guess
not" said she, looking up in Sans face.
look sharp and see"
81 did look sharp"
"No, you didn't. You were looking at
me-"
"You great, conceited hoy. you. I'll |
never speak 10 yon again"
''Well. YOU did" returned Sam. hon
estly. aid you ever see II before.
Sophia? | found IL out by the post of |
fee. thought 10 you knew ANYTHING
about II. IL ID came from here. would |
bring II back. but IL II didn't Id send II |
10 my cousin. Serena Ann"
Il never set eyes on IL before" re- |
piled Sophia. shortly. But she still |
smiled coquettishly at Sam.
well, then. Twant 10 buy an envelope.
and wish you'd address it,"
Address IT Yourself" Sophin inter
ruptcd. sauciIy.
Now. Sophia, my hands nrc cold. !
and can't write fine enough TO go on n |
valentine. You do IL and send Il down |
70 the Office hy Lonzo, that's good girl. |
I've got to hurry. because it's school |
time. too"
Well" said Sophia, with n pout OF
sham reluctance. leave II here. then"
Ard Sam left the valentine, and n
penny for postage. with the envelope
which he had selected. aud hastily went
his way. SOPHIA took up tho envelope
TO address IL t.-Tnd then sleigh stopped
AZ the door and young man from the
east village came in and asked her 10
go a little way for drive. Sophia
called her grandfather IN TO mind the
store. got herself ready. jumped into
the sleigh with the young man aud was
away. And that was the last she
thought OF Sam Wells and Serena AIMS
valentine. Her grandfather shook the
envelope whrn he came IN. discovered