The herald., 1916-05-18
JOHNNY'S
VALENTINE
By ETHEL HOLMES

'"H'' hONh the street was occupied l.
D a new family. including u golden hail
4 ed, blue eyed girl, with pink cheek
, and vermiliou lips. Johnuv's Lroatl
was quite taken away 10y her childish
beauty.
johnny treasured IN his heart Il Del
cious something for the girl OPPOSITE
that he would reveal 10 no one. least y
all 10 the object of his alteration :,
fearful was he that she would susncc
II that, when he saw her coming 81
the street, he would either look dowr
at his toes or mp at the sky. but ncve,
at her
The approach Of st. Valentines da1
was great relief to Johnny. He could
send his little iuve a valentine OK
pressing his feelings for her withou,
her knowing that he did so. The only
obstacle In the way was that he I'D
not know her name and did not dare
ask any one who might know for fear
or betrayinS his secret. He was nm
intimate terms with the Grocer's deljv.
cry boy, whom he had noticed deliver
ed supplies to both his and her home
and asked him for the name OF the
ramily In which his sweetheart no.
ionged. Through Jim he learned the
girls name was Julia REYNOLDS.
johnny now had It all his own WAY
Inc next thing for him TO do was 10
buy valentine. He found It difficult
10 ma one to suit him. but at last sue
ceeded. carried It 10 his room md
locking the door. proceeded TO address
1t to Miss Julia Reynolds Of 357 uar.
rlson street, spelling Harrison U.a-rI-
Sen
a terrible thing happened while
Johnny was taking the valentine 70 the
letter box. Just rs he was about m
drop the miSSive In the box who shouId
come along but the very girl TO whom
II was addressed, John blusbed scar
let and instead of putting the valentine
In the box put 1t IN his pocket and |
walked away, looking up at the sky.
IL was not till the evening. when dark |
ness covered his romance that johnny
mailed his valentine in a box n milo
from his home.
whether among the dozen valentines
John received there was one from tho
girl he loved best he did not know
Soon after st. Valentines day. meeting
Jula coming from school. he mustered
courage to glance at her and Thought
ue saw suspicion Of a smile on her
pretty lips. But he dared not keen
MS eyes on her long enough TO mako
sure. This was the last time he saw
her as a child. for soon after the meet.
Ing he saw a doctors vehicle before
he reynolds door and later heard that
his little love was I'll.
Johns anxiety overcame his bash.
illness. He gathered his loose change
amounting TO 30 cents, and bought n
'osF. linen he persuaded a small bow
lie picked up near the REYNOLDS house
o take 1t to the door, ring the bell
md hand 1t in, saying that it was for
ulla. John stood behind a tree box
Ill the Feat was accomplished. then
walked away, proud Of what he had
Chieved. [
dozen years passed. John WaIsh's
Of his little love was
cry pleasant one, and often he laurb. {
u at his terror lest either the girl or I
ny one else should discover his secret Q
e'otlon. Being now a man he took s
0 interest In st. Valentines day. but )
'nenever 1t came round. though no E
al forgotten the missive he had sent &
una Reynolds, 4 pleasant sensation b
'eIhed 10 haunt him. As TO Julia, he
q not know whether she was still Iiv- II
e. Her image remained with him "
IL as II seen In mirror that had be- "
me clouded. Though his childish love d.
as thing Of the past. neither It nor d
object was forgotten. Il
When John was TWENTY-FIVE vears d,
he met at an evening function q m
Jung lady, with whom he was from III
nrSt en- rapport They fell to COM @,
ring notes and learned that they had iii
ce lived in the same city and in the
me neighbOrhood. br
IOhn had been introduced 70 tho of
unS lady as Miss Reynolds. and It in
cured TO him that this might be his FIR
Id love. He asked her If her name be
IS Julia, and when she said YES he II
Is sure that she was the girl 10 m
ION he had sent the valentine and Sc
posy when she was Ill. He had W;
arcome his bOyish bashfulness and un
8 happy to avOw that he had wor- va
ped her from a distance and had |
It her valentine and flowers. Miss thi
ynolds listened to this with evident SIN
ASSURE, but gave no sign OF remem wa
ing any such boy as John Walsh mo
IN, whose assurance was now equaI
his former mOdesty, swore that he tw
never forgotten his boyish love abb
fnttmated that he would gladly far
sue it as a man. Whether the r S
ng lady attributed this to gaIlantry |
lot she did not say. rep
ertain II is that there followed n me
rtship between the two. In IT'S last dea
res John prided himself on his con | h
ICY and fcigned TO regret that his wa,
ner devotion had not been appre W
ed. Miss Reynolds made no reply to I
heSe protcStatiOnS till he had pro ed
ID and had been accepted. Then she Of |
luced a valentine and a flower, 81
yellow with age. and in the for \
there came back to John n dim re. rails