the world's up and give all these folks the stomach ache,
I'd like to know?" she asked in anger and bewilderment, as they
splashed through the muddy street.

"It's all about them dretful valentines, Sarah," complained the patient
Marthy. "What ever did you send them for anyways?"

"Valentines?" she exclaimed. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Why, them Valentines you sent everybody. Most folks is awful mad
about them."

The two young men on the front seat were sitting side by side gazing
over the blue-grey landscape with faces of rapt innocence. They did
not appear to be interested in the conversation in the back seat, but
his aunt gave Trooper a sharp poke with her umbrella.

"What's this foolishness about valentines he's tellin' me about?"

"Aw, now, Aunt Sarah, you know," he said, turning to her with gentle
reproof. "He means them valentines you sent."

"I didn't mind a scrap about mine," put in Duke generously; "I knowed
it was just your fun. They didn't need to get so mad."

"That's what I told everybody," supplemented Trooper. "I said you only
meant it for a joke."

Mrs. Dunn leaned back in the buggy seat helplessly. "If you ain't all
gone clean out of your minds; will you tell me what you're ravin'
about?" she demanded.

It was some time before the young men could be persuaded to tell her,
insisting upon taking her attitude as a joke. But finally the truth
came out. Every one in Orchard Glen had received an insulting
valentine from El Monte last Winter, and everybody, of course, blamed
her and was as mad as mad could be.

By the time they reached home and had sat down to the supper that
Marmaduke had prepared in the morning, The Woman was angry enough to go
out and challenge every one in Orchard Glen to dare to say she had done
the fell deed. She began to question as to who had received the
missives. Mrs. Sutherland? Yes, hers was a fright, the Doctor had
said, and the Doctor's was worse. Not Mrs. Wylie, surely? Why, Mrs.
Wylie couldn't sleep the night after she got hers, and it didn't seem
fair, her not really belonging to Orchard Glen. The Ministers? Oh,
yes; theirs were awful sights, neither of them preached the same for a
month after.

Surely Mary Lindsay didn't get one? No, but all the family did, and
the Grant Girls, too. The Grant Girls got terrors, folks said, and
there was some talk about Gavin saying he'd have the law about it.
Gavin was awful sensitive about the Aunties