Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-02-05

: ''YesT' asked Amos absently. He
could not imagine the sparkling Eva
line of twenty years ago crippled.
"Y'or pa always had valumtimes
a-plenty,'' went on Jerry reminiscent
ly. HE kept 'em in dat old green box
on de highest shelf next to de ink
stands. Lawsy, Mr.. Spriggs, 'scuse
me, but you amt no housekeeper no
: ways. I declare if you've cleaned off
, dat top shelf"
II never have, jerry" he explained.
You see, my father had just finished
arranging that top shelf when he fell
to the floor and was killed. l never
could bear to touch it,
Il understand, sah,'' said Jerry So
, berly. Then, with animation, he add
! ed, Like as not there's valumtimes
left in de green box
Amos brought stepladder and
mounted to the top shelf. The green
box was dusty, and he brushed it care
fully before he removed, the cover and
i displayed to Jerry's delight heap Of
valentines Of twenty years back.
well, well!'' murmured Amos as he
| sorted out the valentines. "Now, who
| would have believed these were wait
ing here all the time?'
| Jerry put on a pair of silver bowed
! spectacles and examined the valen-
| tines.
! "Some of desc here are pretty
scrumptious," chuckled Jerry. "Yal-
umtimes is all very well, Mr.. spriggs:
! but Of co'se dey's mostly for white
folks. And dat reminds me of erbout
twenty yeahs ago, sab, when Miss
Evalina was only eighteen. She was
sot Oh buying most 'ticular valum-
time. But she wouldn't buy it often
yo'r pa, Mr.. Spriggs. Miss Evalina
was most 'ticular. She bought a lot
Of fancy ones from yo'r pa, but dis one
'ticular she wouldn't buy here no ways.
So she got on her black pony and rid
! him to Whitehall and buyed the val
! umtime there
"Yes?" asked Amos absently.
He was looking at one especially
|
thing Of roses and forgetmenots and
gilded hearts.
He had picked out valentine just
like this one twenty years ago. He
had sent it to Evalina Terry. And
from that moment Evalina had grown
cool toward him.
The foolish verse of the valentine
blurred before his eyes.
Was there anything about that verse
to anger quick tempered Evalina?
"Dis am hansum one, sah," said
Jerry, laying a finger on the one in
Amos hand.
Eyes,
Il might take dat one, sah.''
Amos replaced the cover on the box
and wrapped it in paper.
'Take the box up to Miss Terry and
tell her to choose the ones she wants
She can send the others back in the
morning." said Amos.
After Jerry had departed with the
box Amos sat down before the stove
and picked up the evening paper: But
it was strangely uninteresting.
! Valentines danced before his eyes
hearts and cupids and foolishly tender
verses.
II never received Il valentine in my
life," said Amos regretfuIjy. and lie
! blushed at the thought.
! Il am getting old:' he declared, an,,
to distract his thoughts he got out the
! buster and attacked the shelves once
more
| About 9 o'clock there came the
! sound Of sleigh bells, and presently
Jerry came in stamping the snow
from his boots.
Miss Evalina, she insisted should
bring desc back tonight" he said re-
| gretfully. Seems 1aik she took most
all Of 'em, Mr.. Spriggs.''
i "Yes?"
Amos took the box and looked down
at the half dozen valentines which
| were left. He looked them over.
| The pretty one was missing! She had
| kept the one whose duplicate had
! reached her one morning twenty years
ago.
Did that mean she had forgotten his
| other valentine-that sentiment was
quite dead?
Miss Evalina made a terribul fuss
about dat rosy valentine,'' remarked
Jerry. "She cried.''
"Cried?" repeated Amos in horror.
why should she do that?'
"Lawsy, Mr.. Spriggs, don't know de
ways Of wimmen folks, white or black"
declared the old servant "An 1 know
is she got terribul white and then she
| cried and said she hated that valum-
time; it was always ha'nting her, and
it had spoiled her life When she saw
me thar she got MAIDS a hornet and
sent me flying. You know Miss Eva
lima always was spunky, sah.'
Amos made no reply. His thoughts
were in turmoil.
Why should Evalina care after. all
these years? What was there about