Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-04-17
evening calls and Sunday evening at
tendance ar ehurph

evening calls and Sunday evening at
tendance at church.
And during all these fifteen years
each February Amasa had walked over
to Milton and secretly bought a lovely
valentine-if Mrs Fosters cousin En-
ma was to be believed-and yet Loret-
ia had never received a valentine in
her life! What did it mean? And who
was the fair recipient of Amasas ten
der miSSives?
The next day was st. Valentines
festival, and as was her daily custom
Loretta wound a scarf about her brown
hair and, slipping into warm cloak,
went down to the postoftice for her
mail and the daily paper.
When Tabitha Long pushed a large
packet Of envelopes toward her Loret-
ia maintained her presence of mind
sufficiently to take them up carefully
and drop them into her shopping bag.
Once within the snug kitchen she
tore off her wraps and took out the
letters. There were fifteen In all.
Each one was in a large embossed en-
velope and inscribed with her name in
purple ink Some of the envelopes
were faded and yellow, and the ink
was pale and hardly visible; others
were quite fresh and bright, and one
in particular looked as if the violet ink
had scarcely dried. The handwriting
was the same on all.
Loretta laughed Historically as she
tore open the envelopes and withdrew
valentines of every color and delicate
design and every degree Of sentiment.
She set them in a long row on the
mantelpiece in the sitting room, and
| will not betray Loretta by telling
how many times she took them all
down and examined each one with
tender, misty eyes.
That evening Amasa Bennett came
as usual He was tall and lean with
an honest, sunburned. good looking
face and a sensitive mouth and bash
full eyes. When his abrupt greetings
were over his wandering glance fell
ON the mantelshelf A duh red set
tied down to his neck.
"Got some valentines, l reckonr' he
calculated at last, with a furtive
glance at Loretta's face. 81 s'pose
you know who sent 'em, eh, Loretta?'
This clumsy raillery was new
phase of Amasa's character. Loretta
smiled "a friend of mine, 1 guess,
gentleman friend" she said eVasively.
"Some one around hereP'
Milton" replied Loretta.
"Pshaw!" said Amasa dazedly. 81 did
not know you knew any folks in Mil
ton"
Presently he went over and took
one out of the row. This here is a
pretty one," he said, holding it toward
her with fierce shyness. 1.-THE verse
is prettyY'
My heart is thine, 4
AS thou must know. 4
If thine is mine s
Pray tell me so.
She nodded indifferently. 81 don't
care much for valentine verses. If a
mans got anything to say he needn't
beat around the BUSH"
Amasa regarded her with amazed
chagrin. Her face was bent low over
the valentine, and he did not see her
trembling hand. /
II didn't dast, send 'em before, Loret-
ta,'' he said huskily. II been a-buying
em every year, and at the last minute
I'd lose my nerve. l wanted you
should know-I-sent every blamed
one last night" i
Perhaps Loretta surmised that be-
yond this confession Amasa could not
go. Perhaps she wanted to help him
out, for she said with a waVering lit
tie smile:
Il suppose if one valentine means
something fifteen all to once means
lot, Amasa, don't it?"
That's right, Loretta" he cried ca
gerly. ''It's just what mean-and-