The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-02-08


His book fell from his hand and ht
sat wondering what he should do
Girls always cry, he thought. Wher
Sis was sick, father said If l made her
cry might kill her. OF course, Lottit
must be pretty sick to have the doctor
every day. OF course, she will CRY
when she gets the comic. That viii
kill her. Then, of course, am a muir
derer. No one knows it but Ben. But
if she dies / ought to be hung. He
looked up at his mother with such :
serious face. She asked him what was
the matter.
His face frightened He thought
perhaps Ben had forgotten to mai
them.
=" 1 am going over to Ben's," he said,
trying to speak carelessly. 81 won't
be gone more than FIVE minutes" and
dashed out the front door.
Something is the matter" said Sis.
1.-TWO, four, six, eight, ten"
Johnny ran to Ben's house, and was
told that he had gone to a concert, with
his mother. He started for home, walk
ing slowly. AS he passed the box, he
said, "It's in there, and 1 can't stop
it. 1t will have to go. L wish had
never seen old Skip!" He stopped at
Miss Palmer's window. Doves and
roses! Soft, of course; but pretty and
so harmless. How he wished he had
sent Lottie one of these. In his haste
he had forgotten his overooat, and he
stood dancing in the cold, with his
hands in his pockets, watching the
C1pids, who looked out at him from
their warm bed of flowers.
He opened the door and went in.
SHOW much do you ask for the best
valentine in your storeP" he said.
ga dollar and a half said Miss
Palmer.
"Whew!" said Johnny. "You can
buy a good knife for dollar!'
E'But a knife can only CUT said Miss
Palmer; sand a valentine is so NICE"
"Why is comic like knife?" said
Johnny, laughing uneasily.
"No gentleman would send comic
valentine" said Miss Palmer.
Johnny blushed, and asked if all the
valentines in boxes were a dollar and a
half.
She said some were dollar, some a
dollar twenty-five.
"I want the best" said Johnny.
"But only have a dollar. Now, there
is the one L want" he continued.
" That's the prettiest one ever saw"
Miss Palmer looked at the price
mark. "That's a dollar and a half,
she said.
"I don't suppose you would trust me
for little while," said Johnny, looking
closely at the valentine.
"I tell you what will dc" said Miss
Palmer. "I will call it dollar TWEEN
ty-fve."
"But it is just as easy to get fifty
cents out of an empty pocket as twenty
fve," said Johnny, laughing.
"That is very true," said Miss Pal
mer.
"I want the best" said Johnny +" be-
cause am going to send it to little
sick girl"
Chow soon do you think you could
pay mep" asked Miss Palmer.
"I can pay you ten cents week,
sure" said Johnny, earnestly; "and
perhaps more. Father doesn't know
am going to buy this, and he might
think dollar and half too steep-I
mean too high, for a valentine"
al will trust you, if you think your
father will not object" said Miss Pal
mer. "If the little girl were well, L
could not think of it; but l do like to
see young gentlemen attentive TO little
girls when they are sick"
The horrible comic rose again before
his eyes, and he said: "It is awful hot
in your store, Miss Palmer"
When the valentine was neatly tied
up in snow-white paper, he asked for
pen and ink, and in bold hand wrote
{" Miss Lottie Clifford" l will leave it
as | go along, he thought.
As be came in sight of Mr.. CliffOrd's
house, he saw the DOCTORS carriage
standing before the door. He could not
stop now. How it would seem to them
all to have valentine come if Lottie
were dying! He stopped, not knowing
why, and waited at the foot of the steps.
After little time the doctor came out.
"Is Lottie any-any worse?" he asked.
1t was The same doctor who came to
see Sis when she was sick.
"Is that you, Johnny?" said he, al
most knocking the boy over, in his
haste.
"Is Lottie very bad tonight" asked
Johnny, anxiously.
ooh! no." said the doctor, cheerful
ly. But l have been so busy to-day
l got around pretty late"
"Would there be any danger in
would it do any harm Tiff left little
package for her, do you think?" said
Johnny.
"NoU a bit," said the doctor, rub
bling his fur glove over Johnny's cold
nose.
As the doctor drove away, Johnny
pulled the bell and left the box, with
the directions to have it sent to Miss
Lottie the first thing in the morning.
He dreamed that night that he saw
Mrs. Clifford, dressed all in black; and
she held paper in her hand, which he
recognized Immediately. She came to-
ward him, looking so sad his heart was
touched, and said "Do you know
who sent this, johnny" And he an
swered: "I think it was Ben Brown"
Early in the morning he went to his