The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-15

'Oh," Sarah Adeline could say n01aore.
ITS s. cents Pa asked Sanders ster-
day" continued Melissa why don't you
get valentine for some bcyr'
II d know but I will-if I want to"
answered Sarah with maidenly reserve.
who for?"
Some one"
.Who?'
81 don't know for sure"
"Oh. go on an tell.'
.Uh, uh,''
/ well. told you You might tell"
Sarah shook her head.
You're just as mean as you can be-
Sarah dug her toe in the snow apologet-
ically-
.'An right for you. Sarah Munford. you
can go home alone" Melissa fiirted her
skirts disdainfuily and departed.
AS she went home in the winter twilight
Sarah Adeline made resolve. She would
send Willie Penn Dixon that pink valen-
tine IL she could possibly buy il. And she
would send it TO him without her name or
even her initials on it,
But the day before Cupid's reckless
reyel had come and poor Sarah Adelne
was almost without hope. The cents
her grandfather had given her. added 20
her painful savings of is cents, was not
nearly enough to buy the wonderful pink
token. She had put into her regular pray
er of the night before tender little petit
ton for ''the big pink one. dear Lord. in
Mr.. Sanders window and had secretly
hoped to md it lying on her herringbone
pattern quilt when she awakened. To
lose her faith in Providence and 10 be de-
prived of loves Offering at a blow was
more than Sarah Adeline could endure.
The tears trickled of the end of her
freckiy nose as she plodded on to school
Al the crossroads she met Willard
Kitchell.
"Hullor' said he
"Hullo. Willard" responded Sarah.
whats natter
"Nothin'"
Iris too
Amt" Sarah dried her tears stub
bornly.
They walked along in silence. Willard
warily keeping an eye out for other boys
that he might quickly skip ahead and
avoid the shame of walking with girl.
For long Willard Kitchell had loved
Sarah Adeline. He had. in time honored
fashion. begun by plying her lonely es-
tate The rest followed in due course.
Furthermore. he had never by word or
sign betrayed his passion to single soul.
much less to Sarah. In his trousers pock-
ct at that moment jngled comfortably So
cents. He. too. had desired the pink won
der and intended that very noon to buy il
tell her so now, but he refrained. The
gorgeous valentine could speak his devo-
ton better than his words. he dimly felt
When they were still a good way from
the schoclhouse. Willard Kitchell said to
Sarah:
"Sompens goin to happen tomorrow"
He gave a loud whoop and ran away be-
fore Sarah Adeline could answer. He was
a very fat, round boy. bundled up to his
ears in huge green scarf which his aunt
had knit him for Christmas, and he could
not run fast. Sarah might easily have
caught him if she had wanted to.
She gazed after him in establishment and
only said. My"
At noon that day Willard Kitchell did
not eat his lunch. but raced down to San
ders' and bought the pink satin valentine.
He addressed it TO Miss Sarah Adeline
Munford. making many fiourishes and
displaying much red tongue. He had
scarcely dropped it in the postoffice which
was in the back part of Sanders and hur
ried away when Melissa Marvin came in.
Mr. Sanders told her that he had just sold
the valentine she demanded. Melissa
eyes filed with tears. Sanders patted her
and gave her hard chocolate caramel,
which stuck fast to her teeth. He was
sorry FOR her because Melissa was a very
pretty little girl.
Melissa cried all the afternoon behind
her geography, and when Sarah asked
her in a note what was the matter she
made a hideous face over her shoulder.