The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-19

WuiNu Tx SDtue StA6NlS. nut ue
took care not I" plant the seeds while
| the children next doWr were about
1t was now two weeks before Sc.
! Valentines day. Bates. who was i'm
proving in health. seemed also to be In
state of pleasant expectation Every
day be examined with u pair Of binoc-
ulars the btsl 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-
| EOred Miss FarnswOrth. But when
ever he met Bob he looked at the boy
with an amused expression. He felt
sure that Bob had been teasing his sis
ter and the person about whom she
had been leased was Arnold Bates.
A week passed after sowing the seed.
but neither bed showed any effect of
the planting. though Arnold Bates by
close examination saw a slight swell
Ing of the earth where the seed had
been planted in his own bed. His
binoculars refused to disclose any sign
whatever of 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 18th 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 In the
bed In the next yard parts Of letters.
On the morning of the 18th. st. Val.
entine's day. after rain in the night.
the plants in both beds stood out plain
ly in green letters. the one BE My
Valentine" and the other GLADLY"
What was going on next door on
that st. Valentines morning was not
known tn Arnold Bates. II Bob was
In trouble ut having perpetrated what
he intended for 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 tie the case.
At any rate. he removed his reply. and
on the 18th of February not 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 we're turned to moan
ings on being shut up by his mother
In dark room. No notice was taken
OF the valentine during the day. but as
soon as night fell Helen went ont with
n hoe and destroyed 1t.
The FarnswOrth family were much
disgruntled at Bob's performances, and
Helen was ut 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 been enabled to grow the
reply In snch short order? There was
but one explanatiOn--he must have
seen the planting Of the seed. Bob ad- /
mitted that he had done the work In
daylight. which settled the matter
The obloGuy having been removed.
Helen gradually came to attach less ,
unpleasantn"ss to the matter. and one |
day while standing before her mirror
dressing her hair she saw the frowp
on her face disappear before smile.
Then she laughed. She was shocked at
herself for laughing at such an out
rageous proceeding. but. after all, II
was rather funny. Besides. the hand
some invalid had been no gallant as to
make favorable response.
One morning when Mr.. Bates was
feeling quite recovered he walked ont
into the yard. Miss Farnsworth came
out 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 be
did so.
II owe you an explanation" said tho
girl. for the joke my brother perp,
trated. He planted those flowers
that
~ saw him do II. n
Then you underestimate
"Of course I do. But permit me tn
say that IL your brother planted the
valentine ! planted the reply
Miss Farnsworth blushed and drop
,ed her eyes
IL should have made an effort to
make your acquaintance" added Bates.
but ] have been something Of an in
'alid. ] have seen you playing tennis
md regretted that ! could not play
with you. However. I am so much
'etter now that ! feel quite able to !
wing a racket
81 shall he happy to have you play !
With me-"
"When?" |;
ANY time" l.
~ think ] would like a game now" /
When these two young persons be-
an to dwell next door to each other
hey did not for moment suspect
THAT fate had In store for them-tbat
was the eventful period Of their
ves-for when they left Florida they
'ere engaged.