The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1901-11-22
FLORA AND HANNAH.
ny MANY ". WILKINS.

copyrighted by Daily story Pub. Coz
IL happened number Of years ago.
when valentines were made more ac-
count Of than they are now Why, in
those days some valentines were al
most as good as an offer of marriage.
] am surc Jonty's was. lie meant it
for one. and ! knew he did. Jointly,
his name was jonathan. but wcalways
called him Jonty. was my husbands
youngest brother, and he had lived
with me ever since his father died,
when he wasn't much more than a
baby.
lie was 20 year. younger than my
husband, and We both of u. since We
didn't have any children Of our own,
looked upon him a. a ,on. Ny hus-
band just sct hi, eye. by HE little
brother, and he was a pretty hoy. the
reddest checks. and the curlic.t light
hair, and he was just a. good as he
could be. Away, ready to run errands,
get a pail OF water and bring in kin
ding wood. starting the minute he
was told, and goin' laughin' as If he
was ticklcd to death at hayin'a chance
to do somethin' for somebody. The
way he used TO wait on Grandma
Page, find her glasses for her, and
hold her yarn, was really wonderful in
u boy. Grandma Page was HE and
Caleb's, my husbands, great-grand-
mother. She was pretty old when
Jointly came TO live with u.. and when
that happened about the valentine
she was near 30. but one Of the pref
ticst old ladies YOU eyersaw, checks Us
pink Us girls, and her white hair all
wayy, and she wore the incest white
caps, with lavender ribbons ON them.
We were proud Of Grandma Page,
and she was one of thosclittle, gentle,
delicate, clinging creatures that ey-
crybody loves and pets. People used
TO say she didn't have much force.
and eouldn'tdo anything but knit and
Look peaceful, and pretty, but che
wasn't half the rare that most old
people art. When my husband died
Jointly vas most % years old, and il
was the greatest comfort to me that
lhad him and Grandma Page. Jointly
he took hold and run the farm just H.
smart, and We got along well, and had
plenty Of everything, though | was
sad enough sometimes.
| felt dreadful sober when Jonty
came TO me that afternoon about the
valentine. 1t made me think OF the
time when Caleb sent me a valentine
for n thing, and then | couldn't
help feeling a little sad that Jonty
should be thinkin' Of some other
woman beside hi, grandma and me,
though ! knew it was for the best
if he got a good wife and helpmcet.
But ! tried TO look as cheerful as !
could. Jointly didn't act half as silly
and ashamed in asking me as some
boys would have acted. He was al
ways real honest and simple and out
spoken, and never seemed TO see any
reason for being ashamed of anything
that was right. lie never colored up
a mite, though his checks were al
ways like roses, rs bright as a girls.
and he laughed kind Of sweet and
pleasant when he showed me thclittle
sheet Of gilt-edged paper with a
bunch Of rosebuds in the corner, that
was TO 20 with the handsomest val
entine | ever laid my eyes on. There
was paper cut somehow so YOU could
lift it up in a sort Of spiral twist and
sec underneath q couple seated in an
arbor all covered with roses. What
Jointly wanted was a little poem writ
ten on that sheet Of paper, Can't
you do it, Aunt Jane?" said he, in his
coaxing way. lie always called me
aunt, though ! was really his sister
in-law.
why, my land, Jointly, don't be-
lieye / can" said J., "l'm afraid I'll
spoil this beautiful paper"
"Oh, no, you won't" said he. do,
Aunt Jane"
Now | have really had quite q name