Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-05
JIMMIE'S

By DONALD cHAMBERLIN

other meaningly.
Il think it a very pretty CUSTOM"
said Mrs. Twining. "for the children.
especially those who are old enough to
have a glimmering of what love is"
Il car tell you a story about a St
Valentines day." said Mr.. Twining.
that think will interest you. l knew
a boy whose name was Jim. Jim was
eleven years old. He lived In the coun-
try In a house within six miles Of which
there was no other house: therefore
he had no playmates except his own
brothers and sisters. They were much
nike to him, except that be thought
bis sisters very poor company for him.
They wanted to play with their dolls.
and Jim wanted to play ball and ten
mis- In summer and skate and coast In
winter.
zone day one of Jim's fathers old
friends was persuaded to build on a
site a couple of miles from where Jim
lived. When the house was finished
this friend and his wife settled in it.
and Jim's mother went to call on the
neighbors. taking Jim with her. There
was a little girl in the other family
named Laurette. She was ten years
old and a very pretty little girl indeed.
Since she was the first girl except his
sisters Jim had ever seen he looked
at her wonderingly. She eyed Jim
askance. Her mother told her to take
Jim u 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 ev-
erything they went back into the
house. inns mother had finished her
call, and she and Jim took their de-
parture.
Jim. as | have told you before, hav-
ing never seen 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 a dis
lance and Jim was a very bashful boy,
not at all used to girls. he didn't go.
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. he 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
sAfaaeyesseceived. and he had a sweet
Ae4fL He did not know who that
sweetheart was, but she was undoubt-
edly a girl, and she had sent him a
valentine. 1t seemed that this was
quite enough bliss for all at once. and
Jim kept turning the envelope over and'
examining the bleeding hearts and the
cupids as though he feared that If he
opened it the rest of this delirium of
joy would be too much for him. But
at last he broke it open very carefully
so as not to tear any of the bleeding
hearts or the cupids and drew forth
a very pretty valentine with a couplet
ending BE my valentine
Jim took his valentine into the house
and showed it to all the family. asking
who could have n it.
"'Oh, dear exclaimed his sisters,
'Jim's got a sweetheartr
"'Whoy asked Jim. blushing.
"sWhy, Laurette. of counsel There's
no other girl about here to send it.
with the word Laurette Jim felt a
sudden warmth about his heart he had
neve felt before that's the reason love
is considered to be in the heart. | sup
pose). He went off by himself to es
cape the other children's gibes. He
looked at the valentine. then at the en-
velope, turning from n to the other
till he knew every cupid and every
bleeding heart and the couplet and
everything else there was about 1t.
"Jlm was too young to go alone to
see Laurette and asked his older broth
er, Dick, If he wouldn't go with him.
He 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 off and pinned
alone.
meanwhile Jim's valentine must have
been pining for him. for one morning
Laurette's father drove by and asked
If Jimmy might not go home with him
and spend the day. When Jim heard
of the invitation II almost took his
breath away. His mother took of his
suit and put on a better one and brush
ed his hair and stuffed a handkerchief
in his pocket, and be climbed into the
wagon. and away he went to Laurette.
Jim remembers that day now. when
he is forty years old. as the happiest OF
his life. His wedding day was very
fne-he married Laurette-bu but for pure.
unalloyed quintessence of bliss there
has never been anything like that first
whole day he spent with her, though
the receipt of the valentine was a won
drous joy Of its own kind, unlike any
thing else and never to De experienced
again"
mo one but the fellow who expe
rienced all that said Swift, could