The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-26

, Emmy Lou wondered If she would get a
valentine. And If not, how was she to sur
vive the contumely and shame?
You must never, never breathe to living
soul what was on your valentine. To tell
even your best and truest little girl friend
was to prove faithess TO the little boy send
ing the valentine. These things reached
Emmy Lou.
Not for the world would she tell Emmy
Lou was sure of that, so grateful did she
feel she would be TO any one sending her
| valentine.
And in doubt and Indebtedness did she
wend her way to school on the fourteenth
day Of February. The drug store window
was full of valentines. But Emmy Leu
crossed the street. She did not want to see
them. She knew the little girls would ask
| her if she had got valentine. And she
| would have to say, no.
She was early. The big. empty room
echoed back her footsteps as she went to her
desk TO lay down book and slate before TAX
ing Oft her wraps. Nor did Emmy Lou dream
the eye of the little boy peeped through the
crack Of the door from Miss Clara's dressing
| room.
Emmy LOUIS hat and jacket were forgot
ten. On her desk lay something square and
white. 1t was an envelope. 1t was beau
tiful envelope, all over flowers and scrolls
Emmy Lou knew it. 1t was valentine.
Her cheeks grew pink.
She took it out. lit was blue. And it was
gold. And 1t had reading on it.
Emmy LOUIS heart sank. She could not
read the reading. The door opened. Some lit
tie girls came in. Emmy Lou hid her valen-
tine in her book. for since you must not-she
would never show her valentine-never.
The little girls wanted to know if she
had got valentine, and Emmy Lou said,
YES" and her cheeks were pink with the
joy Of being able to say it.
Through the day she took peeps between
the covers of her primer, but no one else
might see it.
1t rested heavy on Emmy LOUIS heart.
however, that there was reading on it. She
studied it surreptitiously. The reading was
made up of letters. 1t was the first time
Emmy Lou had thought about that. She
knew some of the letters. She would ask
some one the letters she did not know by
pointing them out on the chart at recess.
Emmy Lou was learning. 1t the first
time since she came to school.
But what did the letters make? She won
dered, after recess, studying the valentine
again.
Then she went home She followed Aunt
Cordelia abaut. Aunt Cordelia was busy.
What does it read?' asked Emmy Lou.
Aunt Cordelia listened.
3d." said Emmy Lou, land e?"
BE-" said Aunt Cordelia.
If B was Be- it was strange that B and e
were Be. But many things were strange.
Emmy Lou accepted them all on faith.
inno hn had Aunt Eafio
what does it read?' asked Emmy Lou,
I'm and W"
MY" said Aunt Katie.
The rest was harder. She could not re-
member the letters and had to copy them off
on her slate. Then she sought Tom, the
houseboy. Tom was out at the gate talking
to another houseboy. She waited until the
other boy was gone.
What does it read?' asked Emmy Lou,
and she told the letters off the slate. 1t took
Tom some time. but finally he told her.
Just then a little girl came along. She was
frst-section little girl. and at school she
never noticed Emmy Lou.
Now she was alone, so she stopped.
"Get any valentines?"
Eyes," said Emmy Lou. Then moved -
confidence by the little girls friendliness,
she added, 'It has reading on it."
POOH" said the little girl, they all have
that My mammals been reading the long
verses inside to me-
Can you show them-valentines? asked
Emmy Lou.
"Of course. to grown-up people," said the
little girl
The gas was lighted when Emmy Lou
came in. Uncle Charlie was there, and the
| aunties sitting around reading
II got valentine" said Emmy Lou
They all looked up They had forgotten it
was Valentines day. and it came to them
that if Emmy Louis mother had not gone
away. never to come back. the year before,
Valentines day would not have been for
gotten. Aunt Cordelia smoothed the black
dress she was wearing because of the moth
er who would never come back, and looked
troubled.
But Emmy Lou laid the blue and gold val
entine on Aunt Cordelias knee. In the val
entines center were two hands claspng.
Emmy LOUIS forefinger pointed to the words
beneath the clasped hands
81 can read it," said Emmy Lou.
They listened. Uncle Charlie put down his
paper. Aunt Louise looked over Aunt Cor
delias shoulder.
3D." said Emmy Lou. "e-be."
The aunties nodded.
M" said Emmy Lou, "y-my."
Emmy Lou did not hesitate. ''v," said
Emmy Lou. "a, ], e, n. t. /, n, e-valentine
Be my valentine"
"There!" said Aunt Cordelia.
'Wellr said Aunt Katie.
"At last!" said Aunt Louise.
HIM said Uncle Charlie.
|
ITO be Continued Tomorrow