The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-03-31
By CLARISSA MACKIE.


snapped Mr.. Scott, turning toward the
door. Pausing In the entrance, he look
ed back. The little stationer's was the
only shop of its kind In the village.
Here alone bloomed the flower garden
of valentines. Here alone was the
source of his annoyance. A diabolical
plan entered Mr.. Timothy SCOTS clev-
err head. A voice interrupted his mus
ings.
Here is your paper at last, Mr..
Scott" said the clerk affably. The old
gentleman looked about the store as he
pocketed the paper The other custom
ers had departed; he was the only one
there.
"Show me all the valentines you have
In stock" he ordered sharply.
"Yes-yes, SIR gasped the perturpeo
clerk as he dived beneath the counter.
Presently he emerged, dusty and
breathless. bearing several large green
pasteboard boxes.
'These in the store" he said, 1ndicat-
ing the interior of the small room, land
these In the boxes are all we have"
Mr.. Scott looked around at the rows
of valentines. There were picture
postals, lace paper emissives, few SIZE
and satin beauties and an assortment
of the coarse "comic" valentines AL
of them expressed varied degrees OF
sentiment. and they were all resplen-
dent in cupids. intertwined hearts,
flowers and tender verses.
al will take them ALL" said Mr.. Tim
othy Scott, reaching for his pocket
book.
The agitated shopman stared vaeu'
ously until he caught the fierce CLEAN
in the customers eye; then, with trem-
bling fingers, he collected the valen-
fines and placed them in boxes. In
ten minutes the store was denuded OF
its festive array, and Mr.. Timothy
Scott was the proud possessor OF SIX
huge boxes of valentines.
"Can you obtain any more for mef'
he asked sharply.
mo SIR said the clerk. There
isn't another one in the village, and !
couldn't get any one to drive twenty
miles to Millertown after some"
Every good" said Mr.. Timothy Scot'
as he paid his bill. II viii send my
man after the boxes" he said as he left
the store and entered the storm OF ny
ing fakes. There promised to be a
heavy snowfall, and Mr.. Scott tramped
cheerfully toward his handsome home
very well satisfied with the result OF
his mornings work
Late that afternoon old Benjamin
staggered into the house under the
load of boxes from the stationers, ano
his master ordered them placed In
corner Of the library, where he SAL
toasting his feet before the pleasant
blaze.
"Dfs yer paper is all de mail dey
was. sah," said the negro as he placed
the evening newspaper at his master
elbow. somehow, Mr.. Timothy, seems
like dey's powerful lot o excitement
down to de postorfis, sah.'
.eWhat sort of excitement, BenJa-
minY" asked Mr. Scott absently.
tsWhy. dunno 'sackly, sab. heero
Mr.. Downs say as how somebody had
boughten cherry valentine dey was In
Beechcove, and dey want one to be
he'd fer love er money, nohow. some
AXIS like dey was put out about 1t.
'suect some gemman has lot o. lady
frien's he's gwine to member dis yeI
day" he chuckled gleefully.
Timothy SCOTS weakened little face
finished under its mat of snow white
hair. THAT will do, Benjamin he
said gravely, and the old servant re
tired,
81 dunno, Hetty," he confided to bis
better half, who was washing dishes 10
the kitchen, seems like Mr.. Timothy q
growing pesky irritable lately"
whats he been a-sayin' nowY
wheezed Hetty, numbering across the
room. 81 don't set no store by ole
bach's. Dey's powerful peevish and
hard to suit"
.T 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 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 sniler'
No, Mr.. Timothy Scott was not going
to help the valentines to fulfill theil
several missions. He frowned aggres
sfyely into the fire, and the glowing
embers sent shafts of light up the
chimney and framed pictures in which
valentines played many part and
that was very strange too.
There was a picture of girl, such 6
pretty girl, small and dainty, with
black hair and soft black eyes. She
wore q white gown and blue ribbon
and she was giving Mr.. Timothy Scot
a valentine, and Mr.. Timothy Scot
seemed to be very glad to get it. And
there was another picture of the same
girl, and a white gown and blue rib
bon. but her eyes we're full of tears
and pleading. while Mr.. Timothy Scot
was frowning at her with thick browi
drawn CLOSELY together and very an
cry countenance, and young Mr.. Scot
turned away and left the girl, and h'
never once looked back.
Thirty long years had he waited FOL
her to send for him, but she had nevel
eyinced a sign that she knew Mr.. Tim
othy Scott, save that she dipped httl'
old fashioned courtesy whenever the!
met. And that had all happened thirt.
wears ago. and she had never married
and neither had he. She lived in a big
lonely house at one end of the village
and he at the other in house just al
large and as lonely.
Something rolled down Mr.. limo
thy's nose and spiashed on the whit
waistcoat. He jumped up and blew
his nose violently. He rang the bell 10
Benjamin.
More wood, Benjamin." he ordered
sharply. 'My fire is going out, and
am taking cold"
The next morning after breakras
Mr.. Timothy locked himself in the IL
brary and went to his safe, where n
unlocked q secret drawer and took gu
q yellowed envelope, from which n
drew a faded little valentine, the sci
same valentine that the girl In the FIR
| picture had given to young Timotn.
Scott. This he placed carefully IN ~