Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-13
A Comic Valentine.
By Velma Caldwell-Melvilie.

With the injustice and pitilessness
Of the average schoolgirl, half dozen
misses were soundly berating the as
sistant principal, of the M nigh
school for what they termed his ''un-
pardonable meanness."
After our explaining, too, that we
had promised to go right after four
o'clock to help Susie with her prepare
lions for the party tonight" cried
Dosia
Thank goodness, he won't be therer'
said Ina. wonder why he never
goes to parties?"
"'Cause he's a lame ducklingr'
quoth Edna
Nobody noticed how Bernice Hilton
flushed at these words.
"Wish we could get even with him, -
said Ina.
81 say, girls, let's send him a comic
valentine" laughed Maud.
"The very thingr' the others-all
save Bernice-cried in unison.
Lets stop at Peasley's and pick it
out now" said Dosia
20, girls, do let us hurry. 1 thought
you were all anxious to get to Susie's,"
demonstrated Bernice.
ct really does not matter now" said
Ina, with an air of injured innocence.
eve shall have to say that Ward kept
us in for our algebra and a few min
ues more will make no difference"
And l thirst for revengen cried
Edna, tragically. Come on, Bernice;
we amt going to hurt the darling.
He won't go to the party and it's a
pity for him not to get valentine"
The thoughtless crowd rushed into
the shop, in whose windows was a
grand CD display of the grotesque,
ridiculous and indecent in comic val
entines." Bernice Hilton passed on.
Here's a beauty, girls!" said Ina.
THE very thing" the others agreed.
1--WE an envelope right here in my
book bag" said Dosia.
1t was only the work of a minute to
enclose the vile sheet and scrawl the
name, Prof. Russell Ward" on the
outside.
We'll drop it in a letter box and
then keep num-" said Ina. 81 would
not like mamma to know | had hand
in it; she's so fussy."
81 hope Bernice won't tell" re-
marked Maud.
''Bernice is not that kind of a girl
retorted Dosia sharply. She and Ber-
nice were fast friends though exactly
opposite in all respects.
Russell Ward, sitting modify before
his I. fire that evening, was thinking
over the events of the afternoon. 1t
had been one of those hard days that
come into every teachers life; but
hardest of all for one with his sensi-
tive nature and bodily infrmity was
the anger and ridicule sure to follow
an enforcement of rules where this
particular set of girls was concerned.
He had an abiding consciousness that,
to be honest toward his employers and
pupils, he must not only do good work
himself but exact the same OF the, lat
ter. In the main he was very popular
though not one understood him, and
only quiet, pretty Bernice at all ap-
preciated him; but then, the girls
said, Bernie would be polite to a
mouse The man was much given to
seclusion and too often to gloomy
thought, and this particular evening
was no exception. Indeed, he had
never felt more lonely, miserable and
disinclined to enjoy the mute compan-
ions he usually loved so well-books.
you are a fool, Russell Ward" he
exclaimed suddenly, Strengthening
himself in his chair. Just for the
minute he had let himself think of
Bernice Hilton, though long ago he
had sworn to himself to never love any
woman save his mother. Scarcely had
his voice died away when rustic out