The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-09-09
. . . . Q Q . .
ON THE TRAIL
s.1rs
OF A VALENTINE
By LESTER GRAY
Copyright, 1903, by T. C. Mcclure.

upon the Briarton district school. Not
a single braid was surreptitiously
/ tweakcd. nor did the usual feminine
litter greet each masculine failure at
the board. The reason was not far
to seek. 1t was the work of the little
blind god aided by natural vanity and
the desire of excelling. 1t was St
| Valentines day.
Many an anxious eye was turned to-
ward the canvas mail bag hanging be
fore the teachers desk. AS yet 1t
guarded its secrets jealousy. but Mt
the close of the afternoon session 1t
would be opened and Its contents dis
/ tributed The heads bent so studious-
ly over books We're filled with fancies
never garnered from their dull pages.
At recess the girls walked In twos
and threes, with mysterious whisper
ings and shy Chances. The boys gath
cred In an awkward group In the vain
effort to evince the usual interest in
skating and the respective merits of
each bobsled. Carson'S head lowered
above them ALL The largest and old
est boy In school, he felt that it be-
IlbDAAb nm W pun d7Iht NAiiipioh
things and take up the dignity Of man
hood In this spirit he had declared
that valentines were plumb foolish
ness and that he, for one, should not
send any.
But the boys greeted his remarks
with derision. 1t was all very well for
him to talk, but every one in school
would send valentines, and every one
would get them except perhaps Mely
Anderson.
Jack glanced over at the window.
Yes; there was the forlorn little figure
looking out wistfully. Nelly never came
out with the others, for she was practi-
cally friendlcss. 1t was not because
she was homely. though the boys made
many sly glbc at her red hair and
pale cheeks. But she was Il stranger
who In the first shock of orphandom
had come to live with her grandmother.
In her grief and shyness she had with
drawn from the first advances, and
Briarton, unused to being snubbed, had
thcnceforth left her strictly alone.
AS the bell rang and they filed back
into the classroom Jack again glanced
mt Nelly. She WAS looking ut the mall
bag. and there was unusual color in her
cheek. An unpleasant thought seized
him. Everybody thought that they
would get valentine. Did Nelly think
SO?
Jack was tender hearted. Many
battle had he fought TO release some
tortured Kitten or unhappy bird. lie
was afraid To see the misery In Mely's
face when she alone was unremem-
bered by the time the bell had rung
for incoming his mind was made up.
1t was on the stroke of 3 when the
teacher stood up and drew the first val
entine from the bag. Carol Roberts,
Helen Wilkinson, Tom Brown" rapid
| ly she read the names, and the recipi-
ents, blushing or sheepish. came up to
claim their own. Jack Carson had
quite pile, but he still looked anxious
| ly at the bag
At length teacher held in her hand a
| box of generous size. Miss Amelia
Anderson" she read slowly
Nelly rose mechanically and walked
up to the desk. When she reached her
precious package trembled violently.
The lifted lid disclosed the prize valen-
tine, which had reposed In admired
state In the drug store window for the
last week. There was general muir
muir of surprise
Nelly glanced about wildly Her blue
eyes, shining with joyful tears, encoun-
tered pair Of brown ones which
sought to cvade them. Jack blushed
up to his ears. There were unspoken
question and answer before Nelly sank
back in her seat with little sigh of
| satisfaction. She knew, but somehow
Jack did not mind her knowing
Yet he had a boys distaste of scenes"
and So fingered behind the others with
the ostensible purpose of helping teach
| er. But when he came out into the
| half light OF the entry little figure
was waiting for him Gratitude had
overcome Mely's shyness. She stepped
forward rcsolutely. 1t was Jack who
faltered and backed,away from the out
stretched hands.
Il want to thank you" she said
breathlessly, "thoughsthe words don't
half tell what | feel. l know why you
did 1t. You are Il kind. good boy, and
| will never forget It,"
Jack gazad down into her shining
eyes. Why had he never before noticed
how blue they were? Il did it because
| wanted to, Nelly" he said gently Il
was glad to do It," An unusual emo
ton held him spellbound till teachers
steps on the stair filed him with the
horror of discovery and sent him hur-
rying out into the frosty air
That was the last St Valentines day
for Nelly in'the Briarton,school In the
| spring her grandmother died and she
went to live with an uncle ''in the city"
az folks vaguely said And 1t was the
last for Jack too He left school and
bent all his energies to the farm and
the happiness of his widowed mother.
lie stamped into the Briarton post
office one afternoon In expectation of
nothing more exciting than pile of
summer seed catalogues When the
postmaster handed him out package
addressed In feminine hand he gave
low whistle of surprise One of the
1t must be valentine.
Jack laughed as he said easily: Il
guess not. Fmtnot enough of ladies'
man to Observation-Disclosures. But tomor-
row is Valentines day. after all. had
forgotten all about IT."
Something seemed to keep him from
opening thespackage under the eyes of
the curlous.s 1t was not till he was well
out of towrrsthat he cut tho string and
gingcrly lifted out "a card emblazoned
with wreath of forgetmenots. There
was pretty little verse, and he read it
through wonderingly. But when he
reached the endthe gave n sudden cjac-
ulation. There was name signed.
"Mely Anderson
His heart beat strangely as he looked
down at the wreath of sforgetmenots.
In their place ,he seemedfe TO 50 pair