The Washburn leader., 1916-02-11
By 1ANNIE HAYNES MARTIN

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HF lsS BETTY had been the very
same Miss Betty. with the
N little bird cooling voice, the
faded eyes and skinny. drab
hair, when Dora Powell and Jack Ro-
gan were babies. Now that they were
twenty-five and engaged, they began
to wonder IL she had ever been young.
"Just to think" Dora purred into
Jacks ear, never to have had a sweet
heart or an engagement ring or
"Or," echoed Jack as his lips touch
ed hers, dramatizing the thought be-
fore it could be uttered.
So, in sheer sympathy for Miss Bet
ty, Dora sent her big box of crys-
tallized fruits. and Jacks Valentine
day gift was a wonderful valentine
all lovers knots and wreaths' and roses
and lace paper. The boxes were ad-
dressed in Jacks bold. masculine hand
writing, but no name was inclosed.
On the morning Of the 14th of Feb
ruary Miss Betty woke late. The
snow was driving against her win
dows, and the first thing she thought
Of was that the groceryman had prom
ised to send out bag of bonemeal for
her chickens. and she wondered If there
was any mail. The groceryman al
ways brought Miss Betty's mail up
snowy mornings. Then she remem-
bered the talk of the night before
how "he' had told about California.
the wonderful country where roses
blOomed in January. Through the
kitchen window she saw on the back
porch the bonemeal and on it big
square package.
Breakfast over. she dressed and went
outside. taking her potato knife to
cut the string on the bonemeal sack.
As she lifsed the package of the sack
she saw her name. "Miss Betty Gam
mon. Kingsport, O."
She dropped the chicken pan with a
clatter and ran back to the kitchen
fire. cutting the string on the box as
she ran. The two boxes fell apart.
the wooden lid slipped OF Of the can
dy box, and the crystallized fruits drop
ped in amber and ruby showers to the
kitchen floor. California Fruits" the
label read. Gould this have come from
-? Could ''he'' have remembered?
She gave little 5irdlike. rapturous,
quivering cry when she opened the 9th.
er package.
Beneath the beribboned and flower
bedecked page there was another with
q gilt edged scroll, and on the scroll a
verse:
year through,
| For you, my dear. the gentle doves shall
COO.
NV heart for you is longing all the day.
| oh, come with me. my love. away. away:
Somehow it gave her sudden feel
ing Of haste, Of desire for action. for
motion. She slipped on soft gray
alpaca. put on her best gray coat and
wrapped a brilliant fuchsia colored
scarf that had been given to her at
Christmas time about her head. IT
was just the hour when all Kingsport
went for the mail. True, hers had
been brought to her. but going to the
Office, was a time honored custom, and.
besides, this was holiday.
The cold flushed her cheeks, and JOY
put sparkle in her eyes. Some one
in long overcoat was coming to:
ward her. Now. strange, wild i'm
pulse made her want to turn, to run,
10 escape, from what she did not know.
But 1t was too late. Before her was
the young farm hand, now the success
full California orange grower. whom
her father had spurned.
"Why, it's Betty" an old, familiar
voice was saying. Nobody had called
her Just plain Betty in twenty-five
years.
II heard your talk last night" she
said as she extended her hand. land
enjoyed It very much"
.And you didn't come up to speak
to met" he chided in reproachful tones.
II did not think you would remember
me-" she said as her face flushed.
"Why, Betty, you had a red shawl
Just like that the night we went on
the hay ride" he said. ''It's immense
" becoming, and your cheeks are Just
as"-
But she interrupted him. II want
to thank you for all that
snow, never mind about my speech"
he self consciously broke in. "You
Just ought to come to California your
self and see what kind Of country
we've got out there"
In Miss Betty's heart was echoing
that ardent 'Oh. come with me away,
away" and. having not doubt as to
the sender Of the valentine. she said.
do you really want me to go with
you, Amos?"
Now It suddenly struck Amos that
he did. and he wondered why he had
not thought Of It before. So the vehe-
ment Affirmative Of the reply was In
proportion to the suddenness OF the
impulse.
And to this day the little lady, still
prim, shy and difident, but smiling as
the roses in her California garden, does
not know that 1t was she who pro-
| nosa11. for Amos Bailey iS too Gallant