Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-05-06
A USEFUL VALENTINE
BY BERTHA D. ALsoP.

BY BERTHA q. ALSoP.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Della Thorpe was passing out of the
age when girls send or expect valen-
tines. At least she personally con-
sidered them as more fitted for chill
dren than for grownup young ladies
Of seventeen like herself. But Della
was rather dignifed young person
with old ways.
There is place in all girls hearts
vacant until it is filled by some young
fellow. This place had been filled for
Della, but neither lie who filled it nor
any one else knew Of the fact. Della
herself was afraid even to breathe his
name in her prayers, fearing some or
binary mortal without sentiment or
sympathy would hear.
Henry Robbins, bank clerk, was
the youth whose image had found
pre-eminent place In her vision. Aft
er all, in youth is it not the image
! that makes the impression? Marriage
among very young people is certainly
a lottery.
When Della on the morning Of the
18th Of February received valentine
addressed in Henry's handwriting-she
had received one note from him and
treasured it, locked in her jewel box
, she was surprised. She tried at first
to make herself think that she was
displeased. Henry was five years her
soniOr o,,6 II ooourrod En- bo,. thof h 10
sending her valentine indicated that
he considered her a chit. There was
one redeeming feature-it had been
mailed in plain envelope. But pres
emily this feeling wore off and there
was something very delightful about
the little stamped thing bedaubed with
cupids, notwithstanding that she dep
!, recated Henry's having sent it to a
person Of such advanced age as her
self. Pasted to its center was little
silver gewgaw star, underneath which
was written ''Star of Hope" While
the address on the envelope was un-
mistakably Henry's, Della was not
; quite certain that the writing under
!; the star was his. 1t looked more like
the hand Of much younger person.
But she preferred to think that it was
Henry's work, and why shouldn't it
, be since he had addressed the envel-
ope? Why had he called it the star
Of hope? Because it expressed hope
that she would he his valentine, of
course. Well, what next? Why, he
expected that if there was hope for
him she would let him know. And
how would she do this? BY sending
him the star. 1t was all plain as the
sun in heaven after she had thought
it out.
Some crusty bachelors, most Of them
woman haters, assert that women have
} not logical brains. This process of rea-
soning on the part Of one Of the sex
. no older than her eighteenth year is
an excellent refutation Of these mems
assertion. Ten to one If man had re.
ceived such missive he would never
have suspected that the star had any
meaning whatever; would have thrown
"the thing into the wastebasket and
left the sender to find out whether or
no there was hope for her by asking
him point blank.
Pardon this depression. Della Thorpe
knew in her heart that there was
great deal of hope for Henry Robbins,
and she deemed it her duty-it was
certainly her pleasure-to inform him
of the fact. So she detached the star,
put it in little envelope, such as is
used for sending cards, and slipped it
in q letter box.
''Tim," said Henry Thorpe on the
morning of the 18th Of February to
an Office boy. "There is some mistake
here. You were sending valentines the
other day Do you know anything
about this:''
'It's star that was on one Of the
valentines l SENT
Henry had been very busy with the
mail on the 18th. Tim Butler had
that day been addressing valentines
on Henry's desk. Henry had written
Della Thorp an Invitation to go to the
skating rink with him on the evening
Of the 18th. and 1t was evident that
Tins girl had been invited to the rink
while Henry's girl had been sent the
star Of hope valentine.
The practical part Of all this Henry
reasoned out very readily. But as to
deducing what the star meant he was
as stupid as an owl. There was moth
ing for him to do but explain the
matter to Della. He did SO in note
stating that valentine belonging to
; an Office boy had got into an envelope
intended to contain an invitation to
go with him to the skating rink, add
ing an apology for having sent the
valentine. He would call at o'clock
to take her to the rink.
Such brutal treatment though unin.
territorial, naturally had its effect upon
Della. She received him very coolly
when he called and declined to go out.
He sat down with her and tried to
find out what was the matter, but he
was not up to the work. 10 reason
out the problem as Della had reasoned