Show MIM MCI 8 HE MIKE by MARIE BOTHILDA miss nancy larl ins up to her for bieth anniversary had never received a valentine moreover the lady had always declaimed against such senti mental nonsense perhaps the tor tot mer clause of the foregoing tion may explain the reason for the latter and then again the latter pe culi arity may have been a case of sour grapes her friends were divided in opinion the village gossips hid dubbed her old maid sometimes alluding to her as peculiar both favorite epithets which wise people bestow upon those who venture to disagree with public opinion she lived with an orphan niece somewhat secluded seldom left home to gad about never nevor gossiped with her neighbors and positively refused to attend the weekly reunions of the L S C which initials she sarcastically interpreted to mean ladies scandal club instead of the authentic one of ladies sewing circle miss nancy Is cold and unsympathetic so the vil til lage gossips said but regardless of consequences she audibly sniffed her contempt at their pet traditions and amusements there was one however whom her cold forbidding exterior could not de ceide her next door neighbor colo nel net watson he ile had traveled he had seen the world and women and was able to look deeper than corkscrew curls and a tip tilted nose to find the jewel that others were too obtuse to see the colonel had settled in the vil lage some three years pre previous ious to this story with a young daughter his garden adjoined that of miss nancy in fact he could look over the fence and see that maiden malden a thing he often did whenever she came out to trim her rose bushes loosen the earth around her pet plants or shoo the chickens out of the lettuce patch so a so die he could look over the fence and see the colonel a thing she often did slyly for he was a comely person to look at and see him fussing about his garden there was generally a good morning or a mere nod as la Is customary with close neighbors but there was no lolling on the fence or gossiping the acquaintance went no farther than circumspect formality what their elders lacked in cordial ity fly the two girls mad made up in iii close intimacy it did not take three years for them to become chums and their constant chatter about the affairs of each household put both the colonel and miss nancy in possession of every little secret trifling confidential corn com by his daughter small scraps of information concerning miss nancy fancy and his interpretation of vil lage tattle which he treated like dreams as always meaning the con arary created in the colonel colonels s breast a warm regard for the woman who pos hessed the courage of her own condic alons and the bravery I 1 to live her life she looked over toward the colonels garden in her own way regardless of the am bilious desires of the public to man age it in their way he had also dis covered certain peculiarities of miss bliss nancy which were not generally known it appeared that she had been feeding and clothing a poor woman and her two children while the hus bus band and father was lying sick in a Po hospital spital in a strange city he had also followed her at a distance stance dl one christmas eve when she was carry ing a heavily laden basket of good and cheerful tl clings ings he would have been glad to help her carry the bur den but he was afraid of being snubbed the brave colonel that he I 1 vas nas when he saw her her basket at the door of a hi lit mm dael ling and atter after tapping gently sc se rry I 1 away to avoid being caught in such a shameful act he stared in astonish ment and his heart went pit a pat lest she should catch him in the act of spy ing upon her had he not heard the widow mul lins sing her praises with tears in her honest mickey bruk his leg last v n tf tr r an I 1 wor bad wid the asthma y I 1 couldn coulden t wurruk the two of us d a been in the poor house but for same miss bliss nancy I 1 I 1 assed the hand of her an said may the go d lord bless y miss nancy mavour neen neer in may ivery hair of yer head abut be a mould candle to light ye to glory she scowled at me till I 1 wor but the warrum heart she haa has alanna an angered she is thild toi id atit ot it these and many other little toll tell tale incidents affected the sell sensitive heart of the colonel and he sought opportunities to make a closer a ac with the lady who was evi dently fanning into a bright flame the dying embers in his bosom but the fates were against him until a bril biant idea occurred to the youthful minds of the two girls a little scheme of their own over which they had many a giggle they had noticed the colonel looking over the fence furtive ly when puttering about his garden and his bow and good morning and they had also noticed the staid miss nancy peeping out of the corner of her window which ov erlo ed the garden of her martial neighbor in I 1 r 1 0 in tact fact he could look over the fence fact they caught her in the act one day and her explanation I 1 do believe it Is going to rain did not deceive them in the least they saw the be ginning inning 9 of a romance and girl like they schemed to help it along valentines day was approaching and this gave them an idea and au an opportunity to conspire against their elders with safety they knew that miss nancy hadi had never received a val entine and that she was a violent op of such sentimentality and do you really mean to say that you never got a valentine aunt nancy not even a small one when you were boung lottie lottle asked the question she had reached the ma ture lure age of nineteen years and had a collection of those tender missives of all shapes and sizes which were the envy of her less fortunate friends never sniffed aunt nancy with a scornful toss of her head I 1 d like to have seen a young man dare to send me one of the silly things when I 1 was a girl I 1 never could see se any sense in valentine s day it is positively infamous girls do you know that st valentine had noth ing to do with the absurd custom and it is a shame to fasten it upon him are you aware what it means the girls shook their heads I 1 thought not most girls do not or they would scorn the horrid things it began in an old heathen custom of 0 celebrating a festival on the of february on account of the return of spring the birds at that time began to prepare their nests twittered on the tree limbs where they cuddled up close sat on the house tops and rubbed their little beal s together or chased one another about in the dark ages flirts and lovers called galantines sent love letters ers to their charmers on that day and we call the day valentine because it sounds like the name which means a flirt a gallant it is wicked tor for christians to have anything to do with it lottie lottle looked over at mabel the colonels daughter and slyly winked but auntie persisted the girl you had lovers when you were young didn dian t youa they were queer lovers not to care enough about you to send you one miss bliss nancys corkscrew curls flut impatiently I 1 never had a lover child I 1 wouldn t have the idle fellows banging hanging around me so they kept away because I 1 wasn gasn t silly enough to suit them pooh the idea of running around to dances and parties and sitting in dark corners with their arms around my waist that was something I 1 never fancied I 1 shudder when I 1 think of such a thing when mabel went home she told her father all about miss nancy nancys s views on the subject and her learning dear me she must be a blue stock ing was all he said adding however so that mabel did not hear it she s a fine woman all the same bright and early the postman came and as he m was as obliged to deliver what ever uncle sam handi him to deliver whether acceptable or not he handed miss nancy a missive with a sus Is w 7 t ya pic pie ous edging ol 01 lace ace around the en delope the girls snickered and ran away watching however to see what BT ss nancy would do with it she eel bel dom received letters and this was something unusual turning it over and over suspiciously she looked around furtively and put it in the bos om of her dress without opening it by and by she went up to her own lit tie room and opening it this is what w at he read this heart I 1 present to miss bliss amicy ancy dare I 1 hope that syme day shell she 11 be mire I 1 or her I 1 have long had a fancy I 1 confess it in this valentine her usually pale cheek flushed a livid carlet but she looked over to ward the colonel colonels s garden lottie bursting in upon her she hastily hid the missive in her bosom oh auntie auntie did you get a valentine 9 what fun a valentine at last I 1 saw the postman deliver it and it 1001 s just like one of mine no it is not a valentine said miss mancy nancy stiffly it is a letter from a friend she blushed again at the prevarication for nancy was truthful too much so some said lottie lottle saw it and rushed over to laoel s she s got it mabel she s got it and nd she says it is from a friend come over and well we 11 finish our scheme the horrid girls danced in upon miss bliss nancy and actually caught her studying the tender missive without listening to her protestations they each gave her a good hug and seized the valentine who is it from queried lottie lottle mabel examined it critically and whispered mysteriously in her friend s ear gluud enough however tor for miss nancy to overhear it looks like papas papa s writing it Is papa s writing u tuen handing it back she eald said aloud what a beautiful valentine it is actually hand painted see dear miss nancy it Is like a heart with little pink hearts all over ove it and sprigs of lovely forget me bots nots intertwined whoever sent you that loves you truly I 1 wonder what it can be bea I 1 know said miss nancy shortly the impudent fellow clapp ng on her hat she went straight up to the colonel colonels s front door which he happened to open at that moment to go out with an indignant toss of her head and without uttering a word she cast at the amazed colo nels nel s feet the poor innocent valentine and lind turning fled hot hon e again with her heart going pit a pat alid ad her knees shaking under her within an hour a special messenger handed miss nancy a plain envelope opening it the same valentine dropped out but written in a bold hand in penman i ship unlike the rest were the words I 1 accept the authorship of this val entine and stand by it miss nancy with a woman s tion perceived that she had made a mistake and in her confusion rushed up to her little room locked the door and dropped the curtain probably to keep the impudent colonel out but he was watching and accepted the signs as favorable for he called that evening to apologize miss nancy he aid qaid permit me to call you that everybody else does I 1 was amazed that you should even cusp suspect act me of such an underhand act as sending a valentine when I 1 have a tongue to talk with and express my sentiments I 1 saw immediately that somebody I 1 will not say who he looked at the two girls sharply who blushed and stole away but as I 1 have long held the same sentiments in your regard I 1 accept the situation and resolve to speak my mind the op port unity presenting itself can you forgive me my dear miss nancy miss nancy evidently eviden tIr did forgive him for the neighbors not so very long afterward were astonished to see the belongings of one house moving into the other the girls superintend ing the matter the colonel and miss nancy being mysteriously absent on a trip somei somewhere here |