The daily banner., 1914-07-22
Jimmie
Valentine Ruse
By EDITH v. ROSS


seven, "how much are you goin' to
give me for valentines this year?'
"Oh, dear! Has ST. Valentines day
come around again already? 1t seems
to me that it was only few months
ago that l was giving you money to
buy valentines with"
And Mrs. Wilkinson remembered
that three days after the day-the 18th
of February-she would pass another
birthday, and this year would bring
round figure; she would be thirty. She
had lost her husband five years before,
and it was beginning to occur to her
that a single life had its disadvan-
tages. There was no chance for her
to marry again. because men never
came into her life. She had one child.
Jimmie, who kept her busy, for he was
always getting himself and her into
trouble. But Jimmie did not fill the
whole Of her life. She craved the So
ciety of one of her own generation,
and it is natural for the sexes to pre-
fer their Opposites.
Jimmie got his mother into one scrape
that appeared to be never ending. In
q moment Of weakness she had con-
sented to his having a dog. A measly
creature Of yellow color came whining
about the do5Ss one dsy Cor something
to eat, and Jimmie begged so hard for
permission to keep him that his moth
er consented. That was the great mis-
take Of her life. The dog was a
barker He would bark at those he
loved by way Of salute and at those
he hated by way Of antagonism.
Jimmie declared that he wouldn't
stop the dog barking for the world.
He said that the beast was splendid
protection against burglars. Perhaps
he was, for a warning, but Bob-that
was the dogs name-was the most
cowardiy brute In the world.
In house that backed up against
the widows place lived an old bach
elor, aged forty. His rising hour was
8, but his waking hour was 7, for
Bob was let out every morning at Z
and frisked and barked till s. Mr..
Barker, the old bachelor. hated Bob
primarily; Jimmie. his owner, second
ly, and the widow. Jimmie's mother,
thirdly. Only Jimmie knew this. for
Mr. Barker was too much of gentle
man to let a woman know how Bob
annoyed him. Such was the status
when Jimmie asked and received
money for his annual love messages.
I'm go1n'," said Jimmie to himself,
Ito send a valentine to mamma from
Mr.. Barker. l reckon that would be
a good thing for me to do"
The basic reason for this was, fear
ing that the bachelor would complain
of his dog to his mamma and he would
thereby lose him. Jimmie was inter-
ested In keeping the peace between
the two. So he spent the principal
part of the money given him for the
prettiest valentine he could find and
asked the man of whom he bought it
to address it to his mother. On st.
Valentines day he left it at the front
door, then ran around to the back OF
the house and climbed a trellis to his
room.
Jimmie" called his mother, IMAM
ma has got a valentine. Whom do
you suppose it's from?'
II don't suppose it's from any one"
grumbled Jimmie, because l know
"Know?
"Of course I do. Didn't l see that
Mr.. Barker who lives back Of US,
stealin' around the house with it and
then run back and jump the fence in
a hurry?'
"Why, Jimmie! You're fbbing; you
know you are"
"Well, IL you know better than do
1t don't make any difference to me-
I don't like that old curmudgeon, any
way
Mrs. Wilkinson could not at once be-
neve what Jimmie had told her, but
she had been conscious of being OBJ
served by the bachelor when she stood
at a mirror near her back window
prinking and he was at his back win
dow shaving.
"Well, Jimmie" she said, 'ff l had
a valentine l might be tempted to re-
turn the compliment"