The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-04-14
" Miss U
Tabitha Cranes
Valentine
Copyright, 1901, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
By CAROLINE FRANCES LITTLE

Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub. Coz
M ISIS TABITHA CRANES house
tVk stood back from the street, and
on each side of the narrow, straight
walk were round flowerbeds, surround
ed by low borders of box The beds
were covered with snow now, for it
was February.
She stood by the window watching
a sleigh full of young people, that was
just leaving the gate. Her niece, with
her fancee, were Of the party, and they
were going to Amesbury for an oyster
supper.
Eyes, it was 25 years ago." said Miss
Tabitha, for she had a way of talking
to herself. "a quarter of century since
Dan took me to Amesbury, and then
sent me a valentine the next day. l
thought he would speak then, but he
never did"
Going to an old-fashioned desk, she
let down the outside cover and opened
a little secret drawer. From it she took
out faded valentine with two flaming
hearts On it, pierced through with an
arrow. Beneath it were these lines:
The rose are red,
The violets blue;
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you"
On the inside, beneath quaint pic
ture of pair of lovers, were these
words:
IF you love me
AS | love you,
No knife can cut
Our love in two"
With a sigh she laid away this relic
OF her unfinished romance, and turn
ing to tho open fire piled on more
wood. Her neighbors used alright
stoves, but she chung to the open fires,
such as her mother and grandmother
had used before her Musing before
the bright flame, she recalled what she
had heard her niece saying recently to
her lover:
mo, auntie never had an affair of
the heart, SO think considering it she
is very indulgent to me-"
AS lonely Miss Tabitha sat there and
watched the burning hickory logs, an
idea came to her.
Il suppose" she said, that Dorothy
thinks me an old maid. Well | sup
pose l am, but | would like to make
them think l have a romance. Yes,
will do 1t. I'll send myself valentine,
and when she brings up the mail to-
morrow she'll think that have lover
as well as herself"
Here her training asserted itself, and
asked, Would it be strictly TRUTHFUL"
For there is no more rigorous accuser
than the conscience of New England
woman.
"Only this once" she said to her in
visible monitor, Il don't like the young
folks to look upon me as well pre-
served FOSSIL" She hastily put on her
beaver coat, and a bonnet much too
large for her, which she drew down
close over the soft, brown hair, which
as yet showed no trace of gray. Dor
othy often wished auntie would not
wear such old-time garments. Locking
the door behind her she went down to
the village.
The assortment of valentines was
much larger than in the olden days,
and she could find none with the
rhymes of her carefully preserved
treasure; but she chose a very pretty
one, and hurried home with it. Old
Mrs. Virgins, who sold the valentine
had looked very curiously over her
glasses, until Miss Tabitha felt so gull
ty that she fairly blushed. When once
home she FASTENED to direct it, her
hand trembling as she wrote; for her
thoughts were back in her younger
days when she had supposed her name
would be Mrs. Daniel Upton" She
heard noise and hastily finishing her
work, she put away the pen and ink,
and started for the post Office. She
dropped the missive into the letter box
and returned home. AS soon as she
was seated before the fire, the foolish
ness of the little farce which she had
intended to enact before her niece
seemed wildly apparent.
What shall l say if she asks who
sent it to me?" she querie6, almost in
agony. She even thought of going
back to the Office and asking for It. but
what excuse could she make to the
postmaster for having directed a let