Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-02-10

'urRI, THEY ARE" had grown
strangely weak.
Five valentines there were and a neat
letter with a typewritten address. This
she left till the last and opened the big
envelope. There was a pretty. trem-
ulous smile on her lips and a lovely
color on her cheeks.
But both smile and color faded as the
valentine was exposed 10 view. II was
the most stereotyped and vulgar OF
all that TX OF missives. with fat Cupids.
doves and loves and forgetmenOts
Opening the lace work. she found n
highly cOlored picture Of q young lady
asleep on a bank OF impossible roses.
each larger than the young lady's head.
while at the end OF the bank n young
man with n curlcd pompadour. red
checks. black mustaches. blue coat and
pink trousers knclt holding a card on
which was neatly printed:
why should I blush 20 own my lover
It's love that rules the realms above.
Why should I blush TO say 60 an
Thy beauty holds my heart In thrau7
'Oh, the horrld thing, Who could
have sent this? Norman could not have
done Il. II is awful. simply awful. Oh.
here Is name - Melville Starkins,
Who IS he? oh. l remember-that silly
fool that bothered me SO az Lbs last
week. Well! How dared heT"
Amy opened the other valentines.
Two We're from her small brother and
sister, comic. naturally, and one was
from her father. I'm which she found
check OF good size She kissed this.
murmuring:
Dear father! He Is better than gold.
so he Is, Now. IL cannot DE that this
minty little thing. cheap as anything
Is from Norman. ! never thought ne
would treat me 50. IL is an outrage.
and I'll never speak TO him again.
nevcr,'
The offending letter was from Nor
man. ami u was tvpcwrittcn That
meant that he had dictated 70 90 some
girl. and perhaps the girl was pretty.
Amy stamped her foot Then she read:
My Dear Miss Vcntnor-when YOU re-
.eiNe this 10 will Ice St Valentines day.
! certainly could not let this day pass
without sending you "a valentine. 80
send the only one I care TO omer YOU
though IL Isl all unworthy OF your ac-
eeptancc. Clrcums tauces over which /
have no control viii hinder its arrival
until g o'clock OF Valentines day. but II
Viii be there then, and 4 hope most ear
nestiy That u viii please You. Most re-
spcctfuily yours,
NORMAN V. sELFRIDGE.
=. S.-Ilease excuse TINS typewritten let
ter. l suddenly discovered that 1 had
neither ink nor pen. SO was Obliged TO use
the machine or miss the post. X. V. 5.
All. now the sun shone and the birds
sang again. But, after all, why should
she feel So elatedT Norman was moth
ing TO her but just simply an old friend.
But. even so. il isn't pleasant to have
your Ole friends forget you or dictate
10 pretty Vpewriters. There must be
one at hls Office or there would not be
a machine there Amy wondered If
she were blond or brunette. Was she
old or young. pretty or ugly?
But Amy went singing TO her break
fast 20 kiss her indulgent father after
she had opened the nth envelope. to
find ford little valentine from the
butler with the wish that she might
have many happy returns OF the day.
She laughed again and flew 20 the din
ing room where her sweet and gentle
mother and her father awaited her.
The mother as she kissed Amy gave
her beautiful pearl ring, saying:
"Let your lie be as pure and lovely,
my daughter"
I've only to follow your example.
mother" salI Amy. with happy tears
very near her eyes. Then the children
came in with their valentines. and that
created "A diversion.
After breakfls, Mr. VcntnOr said as
he took the little hand that was smooth
ing what was left OF his hair;
well daughter, did you get many
valentines"
"Only two from the children. one
from the butler. wishing me many hap
by returns, and One-oh. a perfectly
awful one-from silly dude who was
at Libby Densmore's. and yours"
"None from NOrman?"
"No." she replied. with funny little
choke
Next post, / guess" he remarked.
The father felt perpleXed somehow.
for it was only the day before that
Norman had called upon him at his
O"Sc. NVh' icN uhS youhS iolhS set
tie things between them" he thought
as he put on his hat and went down
town.
Amy was trying the effect OF a new
style OF dressing her beautiful golden
hair. so she remained In her room. II
waved just like the curly maple, and
the lights that fell upon IL made 1t lit
orally shine. No wonder that Norman
bad lost his heart in the sunny tangles