Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-05
8he Hrgus Daily Short Story

copyrighted, 1905 by p c. Eastment1

like dey's powerful" excitement
down to de postortis, sah.'
what sort of excitement, Benja
min?" asked Mr.. Scott absently.
"Why, l dunno 'sackly, sab. heerd
Mr.. Downs say as how somebody had
boughten cherry valentine dey was n
Beechcove, and dey want one. to be
he'd fer love er money, nohow. Some
AXIS like dey was put out about it. /
'spect some gemman has a lot o lady
frien's he's gwine to member dis yer
day" he chuckled gleefully.
Timothy SCOTS weakened little face
flushed under its mat of snow white
hair. THAT will do, Benjamin" he
said gravely, and the old servant re-
tired.
Il dunno, Hetty," he confided to his
better half, who was washing dishes In
the kitchen, seems like Mr.. Timothy's
growing pesky irritable lately"
whats he been a-sayin' now?"
wheezed Hetty. numbering across the
room. Il don't set no store by ole
bach's. Dey's powerful peevlsh and
hard to suit"
81 don't recomember what he sayed,"
returned Benjamin obviously. "but he
did look like he mought be sayin
something befo' long"
Mr. Timothy Scott sat late before his
cheerful fire that evening with a feel
ing of discomfort beneath his white
waistcoat whenever his gaze encoun-
tered the pile of boxes in the corner of
the room.
"What are you going to do with us?"
they seemed to ask reproachfully.
Are you going to send us on our sew
eral ways to cheer sorrOwful lovers
and make little children smilef"
No, Mr.. Timothy Scott was not going
to help the valentines to fulfill theiI
several missions. He frOwned Gggres-
sively into the fire, and the glowing
embers sent shafts of light up the
chimney and framed pictures in which
valentines played many a part, and
| that was very strange too.
| There was picture of a girl, such .
| pretty girl, small and dainty, with
| black hair and soft black eyes. Sht
wore white gown and blue ribbon
and she was giving Mr.. Timothy Scott
valentine, and Mr. Timothy Scot
seemed to be very glad to get il. AnC
| there was another picture of the same
| girl, and white gown and a blue rib
| bon, but her eyes were full of tear.
and pleading, while Mr.. Timothy Scot,
was frowning at her with thick brows
, drawn closely together and very an
CRY countenance. and young Mr.. Scot
turned away and left the girl, and he
never once looked back.
Thirty long years had he waited TO-
her to send for him. but she had neve.
| evinced a sign that she knew Mr.. Tim
othy Scott, save that she dipped a little
old fashioned courtesy whenever the!
met. And that had all happened thirty
years ago, and she had never married
and neither had he. She lived in big
lonely house at one end of the Village
and he at the other in house just a
large and as lonely.
Something rolled down Mr.. limo
thy's nose and splashed on the white
waistcoat He jumped up and blew
his nose violently. He rang the bell TO
Benjamin.
More wood. Benjamin" he ordered
sharply. MY fire is going out, and
am taking cold"
The next morning after breakfas
Mr.. Timothy locked himself in the Il
brary and went to his safe, where III
unlocked n secret drawer and took on
yellowed envelope. from which b.
drew faded little valentine, the sci
same valentine that the girl in the fir
picture had given to young Tlmoth
Scott. This he placed carefully In III
letter case. Then he called Benjamin.
Have the sleigh around at
O'clock, he said amiably. and the grin