The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-04-16

tne mouse. ne ran IL OVer the places
scratched. Without any difficulty he
read letters composing q sentence OF
three words. followed by the letters
H. F."
When Arnold went back to his home
he was c%huckling as though greatly
amused. but what be had discovered
be kept to himself. The next day be
went ont into bis yard and with biz
own hands prepared u little bed In
which he planted some seeds. But he
took care not to plant the seeds while
the children next door were about
1t was now two weeks before St
Valentines day. Bates, who was i'm
proving in health. seemed also to be in
a state Of pleasant expectation. Every
day he examined with a pair OF binoc-
ulars the bed the children had planted.
Meanwhile there were various meet
ings between the parties. but Miss
FarnswOrth for some reason best
known to herself ignored MIR. Bates
entirely. and Mr.. Bates externally ig-
nored Miss FarnswOrth But when
ever he met Bob he looked at the Toy
with an amused expression. He felt
sure that Bob had been teasing his SIS
ter and the person about whom she
had been leased IA Arnold Bates.
\ week passed after sowing the seed.
but neither bed showed n effect OF
the planting, though Arnold Bates by
close examination saw Il slight swell
Ing Of the earth where the seed had
been planted in his W bed. His
binoculars refused to disclose any sign
Whatever Of Il terminating force In the
bed in the next yard. He had sOwn
crOcuses in his bed. for he preferred
that they should come up soon-sooner
than whatever might be in the next bed
On the nth Of February his GRO
cuses appeared above the surface far
enough to show the word Gladly"
though they were not plain enough to
be read by one in the next house. On
the 18th Bates could discern III the
bed in the mex yard parts Of letters.
On the morning of the l4th. st. Val
entine's day. after a rain in the night,
the plants in both beds stood out plain
ly in green letters. the one b My
Valentine" and the other GLADLY"
What was going on next door on
that st. Valentines morning was not
known to Arnold Bates. II Bob was
in trouble ut having perpetrated what
he intended for a very good joke the
fact was not permitted to reach the
gentleman for whom he had raised out
of the ground a valentine from his sis
ter. for nothing could be palmer than
that such was his intent. The shades
ON the near side Of the house were
down and kept down all day,
The next morning no signs of the
valentine next door appeared. 1t had
been removed in the night. Bates had
believed that this would be the case.
At any rate. he removed his reply. and
on the 18th Of February not IA sign Of
either message was to be seen.
Helen FarnSwOrth the morning be-
fore st. Valentines day had noticed
the parts of letters that had appeared
in the bed under her window. but had
failed to make them out. The next
morning. however. she not only read
them plainly, but read the reply. She
judged at once that Bob was the per-
petrator and accused him. He admit
ted the Impeachment with shouts of
merriment. which were turned to moan
ings on being shut up by his mother
in Il dark room, No notice was taken
Of the valentine during the day. but as
soon as night fell Helen went ont with
!, hoe and destroyed it.
rT,n lNoc,.,,@b fnn,;l,, ,,.r, ,p,,ph
d%isgruntled at Rob's performances. and
Helen was at first TROUBLED lest the
handsome invalid. surprising that she
had planted the valentine. should con
slider her bold in the extreme But
how had he becn enabled to grow the
reply in such short order: There vas
hat one explanation he must have
seen the planting OF the seed Bob ad-
United that he had done the work in
daylight. which settled the matter
The obloqny having been removed.
Helen gradually came to attach less
unpleaSantneSs to the matter. and one
day while standing before her mirror
dressing her hair she saw the frOwn
"a her face diSHUripaI before "A smile,
men she l1llgllrI sue WIS SIlbfktU III
herself for laughing AT such an out,
ragp0us proceeding. hut. after all. it
WAS rather funny RrS'dcS. the hand.
some invalid had been 50 gallant rs Ia
L. make a favorable response.
One morning whrr Mr. Rates was
feeling quite recovered he walked out
into the yard. Miss Farnswortb came
ont and walked In her yard. Presently
she tripped up to the hedge separating
the two places. Mr. Bates advanced
toward her, removing his hat as he
did 20.
II owe you an explanation" said the
girl. "for the joke my brother perpe
trated. He planted those flowers
? that .
J II saw him do It,"
{ "Then you understands
'Of course l do. But permit me Il
: say that II your brother planted thu
valontino I MA ntp6 tho rpnIv"