The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-18
Our Daily Sport Story

veins of the pine tree and in the veins of man, also. Madeline got gayer, and Sevari got glummer. Then down at the store-the first week in February | was coming back It was the post master told him. And it made him 1 mad. so mad he didn't see school teach l CT in the road and ran into her. Then he had to stop and apologize. He had | gone to school to fletcher when he was a little fellow and she had trained him | up the way he should go. Taught him bow to handle his hat as we'll as to | read and write-ha, better. So he stopped and apologized and she took his apolgy gently Fletcher was l little old maid who had lived out heaven knows how many heart aches lived out but not forgotten She had | taught a long time on the Bayou. She had taught Sevari his letters. She knew all about his scrap with Made line and knew all about how empty life may be when the heart goes out of it. She had been watching, wait ing for chance to help. T haven't seen you for long time, Sevari." she said kindly.
 | Nom, I been haul de log up de river" He turned to walk beside her. This was more psychology, but &c., vari didn't know or didn't try to know why he did 1t. For the first time in l three months he had looked into eyes that were neither inquisitive. nor mock | ing, nor reproachful, nor sarcastic, and | for the same reason that thirsty OK goes on drinking, he went on looking | while teacher talked about his young steers and the new corn and would he burn coal again this summer? Then quite as a matter of course she was asking if he had heard of the new l fashion-the valentine? Ha. that teacher didn't mean to lie. no. She meant the new fashion for Bayou Bien- vieu. Sevari woke up.
 | "valentine? Comme ca
 The teacher explained. You put a one cent stamp on it and drop 1t in the postoffice. And the girl has to guess who sent it. That's the fun. If you would like to send one. I have some little pictures and you can get some white paper and we will make 1t to- morrow after school with mucilage." The teacher was getting rattled. She | was an old maid. And for more than month she had been guilty conscious of the doves and rose bud and white ribbons she had been laying up against | this opportunity. Ha, but Sevari was | delighted and went home whtstling. | The first time in tree mont" The next | afternoon he was on hand with white paper enough for a dozen valentines and he and teacher set to work sticking the white doves and pink rose buds in rich array, leaving a circular space in the center of the page
 | And what you going put on him? Sevari demanded
 why, there is where we must put the verse;"
 "Ha? Comme ca? How's das?" | There is where you write how sweet the girl is. or how bright her eyes are, | har
 Sevari looked wild. T can't write das, me"
 'In write it for you. Of course it doesn't matter because you sign no name and nobody knows" She began scanning the selection she had brought, appealing to Sevari for approval.
 But the boy shook his head. At the violets that were blue. at the arrow in the heart, at the love like bird, at them all.
 well. what do you want to say" queried fletcher
 "Je dis, je vaux mek marry Say you want to marry her"
 "Qui. Right now tomorrow. Twas l tomorrow
 But" began teache gently.
 Please, you write some like dis. But | you don't say violet. he blue, No. You say 'je vaux mek marry. Comme car | It was tetcher's turn to look wild. She had indeed eomprehended, aghast at the comprehension. T cant write French. But wait, can try And while Sevari bent over her in an agony of anxiety, she wrote:
 l "Ee je Vaux ami
 Tu ct moi mek marry
 Nick marry. ma chere ami
 Nick marry, sans deia.
 Well. it was the funniest valentine that was ever mailed on Bayou Bien- vieu--or any bayou. The teacher laughed softly after she went to bed that night But Sevarl, he didn't laugh Ma he didn't sleep either
 When teacher had sealed up the beautiful valentine and without asking any question just wrote Miss Madeline Mentier he got red, but he felt proud. yes-and a little glad that there was no name,
 Now a hideous doubt assailed him., Suppose Madeline should think it was that book fellow that sent it, Ha, tout lies diables. He couldn't risk that. Bet ter risk being found out himself So toward midnight he arose and found his lumber pencil and taking the prec- ious thing from under his pillow, searched by moonlight for the arrow pierced heart in one corner of the en- velope, and under the heart he wrote his name. He could sleep after that. Ha. but in the morning that Sevari, written with lumber marker, looked mighty big in the early light. The postmaster, he thought. would be sure to see 1t and he'd tell tout le monde, Sevari looked and those letters got bigger and blacker. Ha, he wanted Madeline to know. but he din't want everybody to know. There was no way to get it off. Ha. but there was a way to beat that postmaster-he would take it to her himself.
 Madeline had got up early to do some washing. There was nobody laround to see whether she sang or not as she set about it soberly putting the clothes into the big pot with an un- smiling face. Ha. twas sad face. yes Sevari saw that. Then he was on her side of the fence.
 T got somet'lng here for you, me-
 "someting for me2' Conquetry went down before curiosity-and one other thing.
 Vas. Dey call him valentine. Fletcher help me mek him, Ga la and the rara avis was in her hands. Madeline stared at the big white en-