Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-02-18

valid mother and the three apple
checked little sisters who were clothed
aud kept at school by her toll. and she
dared not demonstrate further.
but 1 shall hear the sleigh bells. y
she comforted herself; ''and / can Just
run out moment and beg him to be.
lieve that it was not my fault. "
And she sat down by the window.
after the other hands were gone-she
was the only one who boarded with
Miss Dafodil--to sew and sigh and
listen.
But she heard no silver-chiming
sleigh bells. How should she. when
Miss Daffodil had quietly crept down
the lane aud intercepted the cap
tains gay little equipage Just where
the old finger-post raised its skeleton
form in the air?
"Oh, said the capita n. frank.
handsome young fellow, with laughing
blue eyes and golden heard, Is /;
you, Miss Daifodil? / thought per-
haps-'
''Yes, it's me, " said Miss Dafodil,
sweetly. II Just came to tell YOU
that Miss Archer is very sorry. but
she can't go cutter riding with you
this evening She's got bad sore
throat; besides. shes dreadful hurried
with her work. -
Captain jumpers countenanee fell.
He played with the handle Of his whip.
while the horse paved the ground and
fiecked his ietty breast with specks of
foam, all impatienee to be gone.
Il am so sorry" he said, with such
genuine disappointment thatMis DAT
fodil could have boxed his ears. "But.
Miss Daffodil, may, I confde in you?"
''Oh, certainlyla said the dress
maker, gracieusly.
''Do you believe in st. alentiner'
he asked?
Dear mel" giggled Miss ,aifodil-
what verysstrange question: He's
supposed to be the patron saint Of
lovers, isn't hep"
That's the reason | asked you,
said Captain Juniper, leaning his
head still closer toward the spinster's
worsted hood. "Do you believe in
him?"
''Of course / do, smiled the lady,
with a curious futter in the region Of
her heart.
''Then am sure / may trust you,
said he, ferventiy. II shall be under
the easement at daybreak on St. Val
entine's day to claim Miss Archer as
my valentine for the year. Tell her
so, from me. Beg her not to disap-
POINT me again. "
Yes, said Miss Daifodil, turning
a dull yellow wDh rage and vexaiion
yes. captMn, / will, "
Il shall bsi iso much obliged to youf'
sad .idll the nagBuilditbiepgg 81 Lover s,
You're quite .ss1n ssenIr
me any message? D s''leri ''.rein Iuni.
per, wistfully.
mo message, a Miss Daffodil,
smoothly.
foor Amaoek buld hardly see to
hhlsh MISS wan INNS dress, through
her tears, and AWas midnight when
she had LAID It 9}eide and went to bed.
cry ng herself ~ sleep.
He has fHgotten all about me-"
she thoughtU
ST. Valentihe's eve was full of still.
wintry spiendor, with a golden line
along the west and great stars begin
ming to glisten in the ky above. when
Miss Daffodil put preposterous splint-
basket into Amabel Archers hands.
Il try to he Dorcas in all good
works, said she, ''and I've put these
jams and iellies up for the Widow
Bethiah Hull She's dreadful poorly.
they say, and needs watchers every
night; SO told her daughter-in-law |
you'd cone there aud stay tonight. "
Amabel locked up, with sudden (
flush dying her cheek. She had not 4
forgotten that it was St. Valentines |
eve.
"Won'ttomorrow night do as well?"
said she, pleadingly.
No, it WON'T" said Miss Dafodil,
tartly.
Anabel said no more. After all.
what did it matter? If David Juniper
bad ceased to think about her, what
could the soft glow of st.
Valentines morn have for her?
So she took the basket aud spiritless-
ly departed, almost wishing that she,
too, were passing ont OF life's cheer
less confines like poor Bethiah Hull.
because, she thought, lit don't
seem as if life was worth living, after
all. +"
And when the rosy dawn began to
kindle its soft fires along the edge of
the gray east, Miss Daffodil dressed
herself in her prettiesi and most
youthful dress, curlel her stiff, gray
spriakled head with a hOt-iron, washed
her face IN cream Of roses and posted
herself behind the lattice Of Amabel
Archer's window Fo. she had been
reading up" on the subject and knew
all the observances of the day
II he sees me first, said she, hes
bound to be my valentine and no mis-
takel And l can easily make him
believe that I forgot to give the mes
sage TO that Archer girl.
So Miss Archer waited, her artif-
elaily-blooming face looking almost
CHASTITY in the fresh irraliation of the
aawning day, her eyes peering rest
lessiy. hither and yon, over the soli
tary snow.
And Amabsl? 1t had begun to be
lnst little light, as she sat there by
the fire in the Widow Beihiah's
room, and Mrs. HUI, the daughter-in-
law of the invalid, hal risen and was
making preparations for breakfssi,
when there came the merry iingliag
81 sleigh bells, the sudden cessation
81 sound, the reverberstion of knock
Irs At the door