St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-12-14

me that nobody died that ] wasn't
called upon to write poem about it.
But | hadn't never written a valen-
tine in my life, and I was dreadful
doubtful. | was afraid Of spelling
that handsome paper. But wrote it
all off on slate first, and finally |
wrote quite good piece, though do
say 50, and Jonty he copied it, and
signed his name.
Il s'pose | know who it's goin' to,
said [.
eyes, it's Flora, said Jonty, laugh
ing, but just as honest as if he was a
child. Grandma Page was knittin'
in the corner, and she hadn't paid any
attention to what was going on. She
had grown SO dreadful hard of hearin
within year, We had to shout to make
her hear anything.
I knew well enough that the valen-
tine was going to Flora before / asked
Jonty. She was the prettiest girl in
the town and all the young men were
wild about her. Nobody looked at
her sister Hannah, though she was
nice girl Sometimes / used to think
maybe she would be full as nice to get
along with as Flora, though she did
have dull skin, and dull colored hair,
and homely nose. Hannah hadn't
a good feature in her face except her
eyes, which were as brown and hon
est as good dogs. Flora, beside her,
looked all shine and pink and white
and gold. She was tall and fine
shape, too, and Hannah was under
size. Both girls used to be in our
house good deal, and grandma and
I thought a lot Of them. Grandma
used to say that Flora was pretty
cretur.
Well, after Jonty's valentine was
finished he left it ON the sitting room
table, and went out to see man who
had come to ask about some wood,
and / went out in the kitchen to bake
some cake. Pretty soon / saw Grand
ma Page with her big gray shawl on,
and her white hood, kind of roekin'
down the front walk in a way she had.
She was quite stout. [ thought to
myself | guessed she was goin' to run
into Mrs. Atkins. She used to do that.
quite often; it was only step down
the street, and she wasn't feeble at all.
In little while Jonty came
through the kitchen on his way to the
sitting-room to get his valentine.
Then he come runnin' back. "Why,
where is it, Aunt Jane?o said he.
s'Why, amt it there on the table
where you left it?o said I.
mo, it amt, said he.
''Why, that's dreadful funny said
l. Iwiped the flour off my hands and
went in to look, but there was no val
entine there. We searched every
where, but we couldn't find it. When
grandma came back we questioned
her; then the mystery was solved, as
We supposed. She said, in her little,
soft, innocent way, like an old baby's,
that she had been down to the post
office thinking there might be a letter
from Edward. Edward was her son
out west, and she had posted the val
entine. Well, there wasn't anything
so strange about it. The post office
was next door to Mrs. Atkins. Grand
ma often went there, and often posted
letters, but it did seem little odd
that she should have taken the valen-
tine. However, Jonty thanked her
in his sweet way, and we supposed
everything was all right.
After supper that night Hannah
came in. Grandma had gone to bed,
and Jonty had run to the store on an
errand. / saw in a minute that some
thing had happened. Hannah didn't
look like herself. Her dull cheeks
were pink. her eyes shone, and she
looked almost pretty.
"Oh, Aunt Jane," she said, she al
ways called me Aunt Jane, II saw
him go past and knew hewasn't here,
or | wouldn't have come"
"What do you mean, what is the
matter, child2" said |, for she was
laughing and crying all together.
''I had to tell somebody, I was SO
happy" said she, 'Eand Flora has got
Mark Williams calling on her, and
mother is away, and"
'Why, what is it, what has hap
pened?n said /.
ooh, don't you, don't you know?"
said she.
'No, I don't, saidI.
''Jonty has sent me a valentine" :"
she whispered. Then down her head
went on my lap, and she cried and
cried for pure joy" ooh, Aunt
Jane" she sobbed out, 'sI never
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