The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-14
ODE Lost
Valentine
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NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. HNNNNNNNNNxNNue
Miss Lavinia Dart was IN her kitchen
one morning in February.
Miss Lavinia rarely lost her self
poise under any circumstances, and
she had not, at the age of forty six
years, become the victim of that STAY
er Of peace and happiness of woman
kind-nerves.
She's the easiest person to fit in
this town." said Miss Dodd, the Har-
leyville dressmaker. can she's dread
full tasty"
Then Miss Dodd, having once "got
started" on the subject Of Miss LAWN
la, would go on and say: "Id jest
like to know why she never got mar
ried. I've often been on the point Of
askin' her, but somehow never could
quite fetch myself to it."
1t was well enough that Miss Apodd
could not quite fetch" herself h.he
point of questioning Miss
I garding any possible ,loyesxsss
f6f Ere were limitation ~ = -
vinia's patience and gentleness, and
those limitati were reached when
one attempted to take liberties with
her private affairs.
Presently there was knock on the
Kitchen door. and when Lavinia opened
1t the Widow Rice, elderly, uncomfort-
z s1bfy stout and in manifest perturba-
ton Of spirit, entered the kitchen
Dropping heavily into small rock
lng-chair near the shining stove, and
allowing the shawl she had thrown
over her head to slip to her shoulders,
sshe said gaspingly and with a sug-
agestion of tears in her voice:
Il do mo- what you'll think Laviny
Dart; I do mo- what you'll think, but
It want his fault. He couldn't help
tt-poor man! 1t want his fault that
hls sled overturned on the way home,
aa'' he never spoke again after they got
i'm to the house I don't see as you
can blame him none or me either. l
do no. when I've been so upset by
anything. Laviny."
What is it, Mrs. Rice?" asked La
vinia. II have not the least idea of
what you are talking about"
g Son't suppose you do, Laviny. I'm
so upset hardly know myself what
I'm sayin'. But guess it'd give most
anybody a queer turn to find that they'd
had something ten years that didn't
b'long to 'em, an that the owner ought
to of had years an years ago. That's
what's happened to me, an the thing
I've had belongs to you
ITO me?"
Yes, to you, Laviny Dart"
1T cannot be anything of any con-
( sequence"
Il hope 1t amt, I'm sure do. But
this mornin' went up into my attic
to look round for more cloth to finish
up quilt. opened an old red chest
that I've KEEP some O. my poor hus-
bands clothes in ever since he died.
because kind O. hated to cut em up
or give EN- away an see somebody
else wearing them. The very first
thing took out was the coat my hus-
band had worn the day he met with
the accident that caused his death. TIL,
sleeves an collar were SO moth-eaten
that made up my mind that might
as we'll cut it up an use what was
good Of 1t for the quilt. So took it
an some other things downstairs an
was shakin' them out in the wood
shed. l picked up the coat an was
shakin' it mighty hard when the cid
linin' broke loose in one place an out
dropped letter! Yes, Laviny Dart.
letter addressed to you!"
To me?"
TO you! never was so set back
by anything in my life! Topped RICH.
down Hile O wood an tried to
puzz an it didn't take me
no. do 1t. You know
hoy right across the
y er my husband
your mail from
zee any in your
at, Layiny?
out, he'd been
got this letter
his inside coat
now, as one will
things their deal
he told me fore
rning that there
GOAT pocket.
It he was in
buid wait un
could fix 1t
low. Layiny.