The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-02-14

/, papers, and a shabby cashmere wrap
Per, trimmed with imitation lace.
Its just like him. said Master
Julius. mo fox so sly as an old fox.
Oh. here it is! l say mother. can you
lend me a postage stamp"
And, amounting with his tongue the
gummy flap of Major Midgefeld's brief
letter to Mrs. Pry, he addressed it with
many fiourishes to Miss Adela For
! roster, No. - street"
Wont she be pleased said Ju-
Illus. II picked out the very prettiest
little valentine in the store-Cupid
hiding under a wreath of roses, and Il
love you,' in golden letters. coming
out of his culver. / chose it because
it was small enough to go into ar or
binary envelope, and she'll never sus-
pect until she opens it."
Julius" said his mother, what a
goose you are. Miss Forester Is old
enough to be YOU mother. I
Miss Forester is just twenty" said
julius, "and I'm nearly fifteen, and I've
been dead in love with her these three
years."
He scampered of with his letter. and
the goodly, untidy matron heaved a
soft sigh and went back to the basket
OF unmended stockings which was the
Nemesis Of her life, and Major Nudge
field came down stairs to the once
more deserted study. quite unconscious
of the raid which had been made upon
it.
"Parthenia-that was the name"
said Major Midgefeld-"what could
have induced me to think it was Pa
tience or Pauline? Now where the
very dickens is that letter? Surely /
didn't-oh, here it is, poked away un-
der the inkstand. That housemaid
has been in here busting, as sure as l
live, and it's a mercy she hasn't.
thrown it into the crate. Mrs. Par
thenia Pry, No. 16 Green court. Foxs-
ley street'-that's it, and I'll put my
initials in the corner, to insure a speedy
persual, M, NJ, with a flourish to the
tail of the last M. / suppose my sis
ter will be very p~laintive and injured
about this decision of mine, but she
has only herself and her noisy lout
of a boy to thank for it,"
And Major Midgefield himself went
out to drop his letter into the nearest
post-box.
st. Valentines Day came, bright
and sunshiny, with hard-frozen snow
cfusting all the streets, and a silver
fringe of icicles on all the caves and
tree boughs, and old Mrs. Pry stared
hard at the letter which the morning
mail brought her.
Its from Major Midgefield. / know
it is" said she, fumbling in her dress
pocket for her s~pectacles. Il know
them little curly-tailed Ms of his'n as
well as / know my catechism. I'll bet
a cookey he wants to come back, and
a good thing for me, too, with my best
room standing empty for three weeks.
Eth! What? A gilt Cupid with no
clothes on to signify, and a lot of green
leaves, and 4 love you!' 1t amt pos
sible, unless the Major has gone
crazy"
"A letter from Major Midgefeld."
said Miss Adela Forester, who was a
tall, black-browed beauty, with cherry
lips and a good high spirit of her own.
And he wants to know II / will take
him."
"Nonsense!" said Mamma Forester,
who was buttering a Vienna roll with
the serenest calm.
Read it for yourself, then, and see,"
said Miss Forester, with a toss Of her
head. He calls me dear madam the
horrid old bachelor, and dictates as to
his room, his dinner and his shirt but
tons. BY goodness" with a lifting OF
the jetty brows, docs he think the
girls are ready to drop, like overripe
plums, into his MOUTH"
"Of course, you'll say no" said Nam
ma Forester.
"Of course" said Adela.
Then papa must see the Major at
once" said the elder lady. Though
IL he were only a few years younger
the estate. is
II wouldn't marry that horrid ola
creature II he were the only man IN
tho world" cried Adela. with en-