The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-02-24
ST. VALENTINES DAY.

MiIly Grover about her "kitchel
work. and made you get married
just out Of aggravationl The ole
folks had gone to sewing society
down to Squire Jennings's, and lef
her to keep house. And after 'doine
: up things in the kitchen to her salts
faction, Milly fixed herself up ant
went into the family room; and WI
would have defied any city belle, un
der the flash of golden chandeliers, tc
look half as pretty as Milly Grover
knitting by the light of one tallov
candle. in its chalice of shining brass
Click. click, click! 1t was such a
soft tapping at the door, that for a
moment Milly was uncertain whether
it was real genuine knock, or only
the honeysuckle branches against the
window pane.
why, Zeke, is it your
"Who else should it be?" returned
Ezekiel Hill, gigantic young six
footer, in his Sunday suit, very good
looking, but just at the present mo-
ment overwhelmed with blushing
bashfulness.
"Sit down, won't you? I'm sorry
father amt at home,"' SAID Milly, ner-
vously stirring the logs.
Zeke sat down, and commenced
twirling his big thumbs over one
another, and staring steadfastly at
the red embers. with an occasional
side peep at Milly's glancing knitting
needles. What wouldn't Zeke have
given at that moment for the glib
tongue and exhaustless small talk of a
city beau? Zeke could have halloed
over two fields. to any of his farm
workmen-he could have harangued
the Young Mems Debating Associ
alton half an hour at a stretch. and he
was first wag and wit at all the apple
parings and corn huskings in the
neighborhood, bat Notwithstanding
and nevertheless, here he was stricken
dumb by the mere presence CT Milly
Grover.
Nice EVENING" said Zeke at
length, with a sudden inspiration.
Very NICE" said Milly, dropping
stitch, and bending low oyer her work
to pick it up again.
Another silence ensued.
Pretty cold, though hazarded
Zeke, with desperate effort at easy
chat
1T is cold" assented Milly, and
Zeke looked hard at the row of alder
maDic mince pies on the dresser shelf
IN the kitchen beyond, as if in search
of an idea AIilly knitted on with
white twinkling fingers, and coral
lips half apart, in the intentness of
counting her stitches"
Suddenly Zeke hitched his chair up !
close to Milly's, with determination |
to plunge bolt into his subject.
DO you know what day to morrow
is, MillyT said he, sheepishly.
"To morrow, why, Friday. isn't it,
"Pshaw, you know better, Milly-
it is Valentines day.
80. SO it ISL calculated the pretty |
little hypocrite, just as if she hadn't |
known it weeks and weeks ago
And | want to send valentine to |
a girl l know, Mllly." l
She blushed redder than the string
of peppers over the great kitchen fire
place, and dropped half dozen
stitches from her trembling needle
1t was coming at last-the hour she
had dreamed of, and thought of, and |
scarcely dared 10 hope for, these six
months. She was almost fearful that |
Zeke would hear the loud, muffled |
beating of her heart; but no, he went |
on:
And | thought perhaps you would |
help me about it a Ettle-you know
Pm not much of a scholar"
Milly's heart sunk down, down to |
the very sole of her little slipper. SO |
it was only to select love verses for |
some other girl that he had sought |
her that evening. Perhaps it was
Mary Denison, the red checked, black |
eyed damsel who led the village choir
Zeke growled out super
fine base, Sunday mornings; perhaps
Jenny Allen. whose father kept the
store. The candle shone
circlet of dimDess, and the
great pine logs seemed to glow among
rings of mist; bnt Milly kept up @
brave heart, and answered cheerily:
Of course | will help you, Mr. Hill"
"Mr. Hillw
well, Zeke, then, said Milly.
Yes, she actually laughed,
the valorous little damsel.
You see. said Zeke, sheepishly, Il
love her very, very much. and some
how, whenever L try to tell her of 1t,
| can't say word except to stammer
and stutter, and make fool of my
self. So want to write it, plainly
and frankly, in valentine. and send |
it to her"
Peppers were at discount now, so |
much more scarlet was Zeke's great |
whiskered face, as he sat there eve |
ing his flying thumbs, and moving
his feet uneasily over the floor. But |
Milly was pale-pale as ashes.
What shall l write? Come, Mil |
lv, you always wrote the best compo |
sitions at Cap'n Jones's school, do |
help fellow out of this scrape some
how. If 1 say
The rose is red,the violet blue,
The gillytower's sweet, and SO are your
she'll think it's only common com
pliment, instead of declaration of
owe. And Uncle Jabe Dickson saws
hat when he was young the lovers
wrote to one another on ST. Valen-
ines Day:
If you loves | as loves you,
No knife shall cut our loves in two
Bat don't think that's exactly apro-
Dos to my state of feeling and the
7ear 1862
Zeke and Milly both laughed to-
sether. Somehow or other this touch
If the ridiculous cleared away little
1f the formallty between them, and
Leke resumed
wv hat would you write, Milly, if
you were young man, and wanted to |
ask pretty girl to have you, and |
Should it be prose or DO |
etryf OF course, l don't pretend to