The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-04-02
JlMMlE'S

b. DONALD CAAMBERLlN

8 Valentines day." remarked Ed
gar Swift to his friends. Mr.. and Mrs
TwiNinR. with whom he was dining
on the l4tb Of February. has no inter
ct for any n except children"
The host and hostess glanced ut each
other m%eaningly.
II think It a very pretty CUSTOM"
said Mrs. Twining. 'for the children.
especially those who are old enough to
have q glimmering of what love is."
II a tell you a story about a st
Valentines day" said Mr.. Twining.
that l think will interest you | knew
a boy whose name was Jim. Jim was
eleven years old He lived in the coun,
there was no other house; therefore
he had no playmates except his own
brothers and sisters. They were much
alike to him. except that he thought
his sisters very poor company for him
They wanted to play with their dolls.
and Jim wanted to play ball and ter
mis- in summer and skate and coast in
winter
"One day one of .Jim'S fathers old
friends was persuaded to build on ii
site u couple of miles from where jim
lived. When the house was finished
this friend and his wife settled in it.
and Jim's mother wen to all on the
neighbors. taking Jim with her There
was a little girl in the other family
named Laurette She was ten years
old and Il very pretty little girl indeed.
Since she was the first girl except his
sisters Jim had ever seen he IOOked
at her WOn.ierinCly She eyed Jim
askance Hell mother told her to take
Jim out and show. him the place, the
horses, the cow and other things Jim
went with her and looked everything
Over while she told him about her own
favOrite horse and a bunny she had
and all that When they had seen CIV
erything they went back into the
house. .Jim's mother had finished her
call. and she and jim took their de.
parture.
Jim. as | have told you before. hav
ing never seen a girl except his own
sisters. thought a lot about Laurette
and was very anxious to go to see her
again. But since she lived at Il dis
lance and Jim was u very bashful boy.
o at all Used to girls. he didn't 90.
One day when the rural deliveryman
drove by Jim happened to be out by
the letter box.
"'Here's something from your sweet.
heart Jimmy be said and handed Jim
an envelope stamped all over with
bleeding hearts and cupids.
Jim saw his name on the envelope.
and something strange welled up with
In him. he had the only valentine he
had ever received. and he had a sweet
heart he did not know who that
sweetheart was. but she was undoubt
eddy a girl. and she had sent him a
valentine. 1t seemed that this was
quite enough bliss for all ut INC and
examining the bleeding hearts and the
cupids as though be feared that If he
opened it the rest of this delirium OF
Joy would be tOO much for him. But
at last he broke 1t open very carefully
SO as not to tear any Of the bleeding
hearts or the cupids and drew forth
a very pretty valentine With Il cOuplet
ending Be my valentine.
Jim took his valentine INTO the house
and showed it to all the family, asking
who could have sent it,
"'Oh. dear. exclaimed his sisters,
'Jim's got II sweetheart!
"'WhOT asked Jim. blushing.
why. Laurette. OF course. There's
no other girl about here to send it,
With the word Laurette Jim felt d
sudden warmth abOu his heart he had
never felt before that's the reason love
is considered to be in the heart. sup
poser He ven OF 10y himself to rs
cape the other rhildren's gibes. He
looked at the valentine. then at the Ell
velOpe. turning from one to the other
till he knew every cupid and every
bleeding heart and the couplet and
everything else there was about it.
Jim was too young to go alone to
see Laurette and asked his older broth.
er. Dick. if he wouldn't 90 with him.
BE only got laughed at 'Haw. haw.
said Dick. '.Jim'S in love. Jim felt
as though his heart had been torn Out
of his bosom. He went of and pined
alone.
nile Jim's valentine must ave
been pining for him. for One morning
Laurette's father drove by and asked
II Jimmy might not go home with hin
and spend the day. When Jim heard
of the invitation 1t almost tool his
breath away, His mother took of his
suit and put or u better n and brush
ed bis hair and stuffed q handkerchief
In bis pocket. and be climbed Into the
wagon. and away he vent to Laurette
Jim remembers that day now. whe1
he II forty years old. as the happiest d
his life. His wedding day was very
6ne-he married Laurette- but for pure
unall0yed quintessence Of bliss ther'
has never been anything like that frs
whole day he spent with her. though
the receipt of the valentine was a won
dr0us Joy of its w kind. unlike any