The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-08-13
2 OE
By Isabel Gordon Curtis.

l opened my envelope. A grinning creature met m
eyes sr She was tocng in just as | did.
lheTe' / screamed, passionately yesterday whe
Zoe and Sudie and Martha and | came home iron
school, Zoe walked ahead of u.s. trying to make he
toes meet as she says mine do. We thought it aw
ing past laughed 1t isn't funny now" l carried tn
hideous valentine to the fireplace and laid it on TIN
burning logs 1t did not blaze so holly did my an
'You girls are tired out" said our gentle mother
come to bed" 's.
She helped us to undress just as she used to dc
when we were FIVE years old She brushed our hair
and bent to kiss Sudies red locks while she tied
ribbon at the end of each thick braid Father came
in after were in bed to kiss us goodnight We
lay quiet, except when Sudes Sobs broke the still
ness. was too angry to cry. ...a- ~
You don't suppose, Lettuce" she whispered once,
you don't suppose anybody else sent-those?"
Ot course not Our names printed exactly
as Zoe and Martha print on their valentines Be-
SIDES dGs we saw them come e right up the steps
oh, dear" cried Sudie, 'oh, dear! didn't think
Martha would have done such thing. She always
tried to comfort me about my hair She said it was
auburn-not red at all Oh. dear!"
i II never, so long live, speak to Zoe or Martha
again, / whispered. "You promise the same thing .
She promised between her sobs. We were still w.
ing wideawake when the old clock the stairs struck
eleven.
AS we passed the Holbrook house next morning on
our way to school, Zoe and Martha came rushing
her coat as she always did She RsyeT 0as am into
ing heads. .25 : =.
Coming
She reached breathlessy and threw her arms
about my waist turned and looked at her She
gazed straight into my. eyes. We did not speak
took Sudie's hand in mine and we turned to go STUN
bling through the snow to the opposite side of the
street. -.~
"Sude, what is the matter?" cried Martha shrilly,
The school-bell began to ring and we had to hurry
Neither Sudic nor | had lessons. We were kept
in tor recess The girls stood in chattering groups
in the hail. We knew every school-book bulged with
valentines. Martha and Zoe seemed to have no in
terest in the valentine display. They stood staring
thTT1ugh window into the snow-drifted playground
The coasting skating snowballing, and merry even
ngs which always made the long Maine winters pass
cheerly, seemed suddenly to have lost their charm
Sudle and chose two other friends from the school
girls but they could not take the places of Zoe and
Martha We passed each other now without turn
ing our heads. 81. -. 81. r.
One day late in March, Zoe stood close to nv desk
talking to the teacher She was saying good-by this
was their last day in school, | heard her tell Miss
Morse that her father had sent for Martha and her
70 san with him on long voyage We walked home
slowly In front OF us was group of girls lowering
about Zoe and Martha There was great excitement
over over thelr gong away / did not dare to look at
Sudie l knew tears were dropping on her old brown
coat.
Mother looked grave, when we told her about the
closing OF the Hobrook house. "It seems to me as
II you girls ought to make up and say good-by." she
suggested - ~
Il shan't say good-by to either of them, u cried
Lettys right mother, said father "It is the girls
place to come here if there is making up to be done"
we watched every preparation for going away
trunks being carried to the depot and callers com
ing and going. At last a carriage drove IN To the
Holbrook house and the girls got in with their grand
mother 1t turned down the road to the depot Sude
ana ran wildly down the garden path out into the
"Good-by, good-by," we called.
me carriage was turning the corner but Zoe's
handkerchief waved-she had seen us
1t was the first of May. before winter ended that
year. Srocuses and snoWdrops pushed small green
caps through the black earth in sunny corners Of the
yard but In Swallowed places and on the face Of the
high banking at the front of the house Law gray rem
nants of snowdrifts. Sudic and took bride in the
garoen, and we searched eagerly one bright Satur-
gay Tor crimson peony points and green lily TIPS
shine. 1'
away the leaves from the lawn and Aower-beds
There won't be any more frosts now Til helm Won
as soon as get this old snowdrift on the bankin'
We set to work. The fresh spring air made one
t teel like singing as the birds did in the budding
branches Of the great elm.
Lettice, Sude p cried father suddenly
We ran down the bankin' to where he stood among
chunks OF dirty ice and snow. He pointed with his
lhey were PUPPY and begrimed still we could read in
large letter printed with violet ink "Sudie" IT ct
uce We picked them up with trembling fingers. The
envelopes had long been soaked apart and they
dropped off in our hands Inside lay the faded pories
81 tne valentines Sude and had picked out from the
uisplay IN Shaws window three months ago
oudie and sat up late that night All the love ali
lhe remorse and conrition that pens could tell were
poured into letters for Zoe and Martha On Monday
GO nag ralncI went 10 captain FOlbrook'S LAWYER to
hno the hrst stopping place of the "Kennebec" the
voyage. naming tue
You will catch them at Gibraltar said LAWYER Co.
rlsh, IT you mail letter right away. You NAV hear
from them by the first of July $500
July brought no answer. The long hot summer
wore on to the fall yet there came no token that
we ", were forgiven or even remembered The winter
ciosed down on us-the long, Geld unbroken winter
IN wo"a Fast sudie end haunted the post-offce
forgive us" a WIN never
One day the next June was tying Up rosebusb.
3 COPYRIGHT. ~ TIE cEMrE1PY 1-na1n4.r..