Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-09

that Jimmy was not a proper name for
q young man. James" would have been
equally distasteful just then. But Jim
when the boys called him that he was one
Of them. He could not take part IN the
games, but he was always there, cheering,
laughing and fully entering into the spirit
of them. -, 81
He was confidential friend in general
When alone with any one of the boys, the
deepest secrets were poured into his ears,
though he never asked an inQuisitive word
His face would show pleasure at what he
thought right, and pain at what impressed
him as wrong.
Among his friends were Sam Boyd and
Charlie Peck, two boys who cordially dis
liked each other For the slightest cause
they quarreled, and sometimes fought. :.
Just before st. Valentines day Charlie
passed Jimmy an envelope addressed TO
Sam Boyd. 1t was one of those colored pic
not valentines at all. and too repulsive to
be comic.
Jimmy glanced at 1t, blushed. for Charlie.
and handed It back. Jimmy saw him seal
enough: later in the day. Sam did the
same thing. He had selected the meanest
looking picture he could find and addressed
1t to Charlie Peck. Jimmy was hurt
place 1t in his desk. Doubtless each would
mail his ugly little MESSAGE the next day.
which was the one before st. Valentines.
That evening Jimmy asked his mother II
1t would be wrong to take both envelopes
and destroy them. She advised against
this, but told how sorry she was that these
two bright boys were not better friends.
Long after Jimmy went to bed, his eyes
were wide open, looking into the darkness.
In the morning his face was radiant. He
went to his little iron bank, took out two
dimes and, starting early for school, went
around by one of the stores where he
bought two Of the dantiest ten-cent valen-
tines he could find. One went in,o each Of
the envelopes he had seen the day before.
Jimmy knew it was neither honorable nor
honest to break the seal OF an envelope ad-
dressed to another. but to his entire salts
faction he had figured out the right and
wrong of this particular case the night be-
fore. The envelopes were mailed as Jimmy
had left them, and next morning both Char
lie and Sam came to school with beam1n8
eyes. Each had really expected an ugly
red and yellow daub. instead Of the dainty
card with a pretty verse. At the earliest
chance Sam took Jimmy to one side.
Where do you suppose 1t came from,
Jim?" he asked.
Jimmy looked close at the envelope. say
ing. That's Charlie Pecks handwriting,
Sam . -r.
Sam was amazed. He looked guiltily
around to see If Charlie was watching him.
a bad fellow. Perhaps he will never guess
where the mean picture came from" Sam
half hoped this pretty card was not from
Charlie, but Jim said 1t was Charles hand
Sam had hardly gone when Charlie came
to where Jimmy stood looking out of the
window. "See here, Jim," he said, WASN'T
somebody nice?"
Jimmy looked and admitted that It was
pretty.
''The funny part is" said Charlie. II
can't make out who sent 1t. See II you
know the handwriting"
TT looks like Sam Boyd's," answered
Jimmy.
ooh, Jim." returned Charlie, 1T can't be!'
'It's his writing on the envelope" said
Jimmy. I'm sure of that"
Poor Sam! Think of the spiteful thing
I sent him. Don't you ever tell, jim 1
know Sam will treat me decent II I do
him, and I'm just going to do it,
Jim never told, but often afterward when
he saw Sam and Charlie playing on the
same side of some game helping each other
at every point, he Just had to laugh. And
the other fellows all wondered why Jimmy
laughed so, with nothing to laugh at.