The Holly chieftain., 1916-02-11

tie girls received with bushes and
giggles from the boys across the aisle
were not in her line.
Dorcas did not take after her moth
er, Mrs. Carter always explained when
apologizing for her daughters wall
flower tendencies.
DOrcas was like her father-thtn.
brown. serious-eyed and sensitive. Her
fathers side of the house also was to
blame for her name, which the school,
children derisively shortened to Dor
ky" The name belonged to Mr. Car.
ter's aunt, killjoy sort of a person.
who sent Dorcas union suits and nit
tens at Christmas time.
Although Dorcas. being eleven years
old. had undergone five ordeals of the
Valentine box. Mrs. Carter never was
able to understand why her daughter
came home each time without any
trophies of masculine alteration.
Sometimes Dorcas fancied her moth
er had been like Clara Jane. freckled.
tomboy girl When Clara Jane was
winked at she Immediately waved her
hand In tht air Indignantly and blurt-
ed out. THAT old Happy Finnegan's
winkin' at me. and If you don't make
him stop I'll slap his face
Miss Stanton interrupted, sentenc.
Ing the impetuous Clara Jane to fif-
teen minutes stay after school for her
rudeness.
But at 4:15 Clara Jane found the
same freckled urchin who had winked
his blue eyes at her waiting outside to
carry home her books.
And SO 1t came February 13. Mrs.
Carter made the discovery at the din
ner table.
why. honey" she exclaimed de-
lightedly to Dorcas. and speaking in
the confidential tone of one girl to
another. honey. tomorrow's Valen-
tine day. Have you laid in yours It
for the box?"
Il got them this Afternoon" the child
replied, trying to speak naturally
you did? Why didn't you tell me?
Who are you going to send them to?'
Dorcas replied with her eyes still
on her plate:
Miss Stanton. Ably Morgan. Gene
SlOtOs dAu S0 6OL a lLtIlo OA- AO1
Nose. the janitor He never gets any
and he always fixes our box up in the
morning and"
"Oh. but dearie." interrupted her
mother, What about the boys? was
hoping they'd send you some this year
and If they do you'd feel cheap not re-
membering them. Why don't you send
Happy Finnegan one. anyway? Why.
when | was in school"
"My dear. would you mind getting
me another cup of coffee?"
Mr.. Carter had seen Dorcas sudden
ly cram bread between her quivering
lips and vision of his own sensitive.
bashful boyhood came before him.
AS quickly as she safely could. Dor
cas- slipped away to bed.
IT could Just get one valentine
from boy" she pleaded in her pray
ers, Il wouldn't ask for anything else
for long. long time. It's not for my.
self, but for mother. can't disap-
point her again tomorrow"
Below in the sitting room Mr.. Carter
suddenly lost interest in the embroi-
derry club
Il believe I'll go down to the drug
store and get cigar" he told his
wife, handing her the evening paper.
its pages neatly turned to the dry
goods advertisements.
How long it took to get the cigar.
Mrs Carter did not know. She was
asleep when her husband came home.
and he never explained to her that he
had visited five drug stores and ended
up with call at the back door of the
little shanty belonging to Nose. the
school janitor.
A spirit of Santa Claus anticipation
filled Miss Stanton's room the next
morning Little girls with bobbed hair
took little girls with braids and big
bows in corners and showed them
fancy creations of lace and tissue pa
per. and pert round-faced little girls
Uttered whenever one of the boys
across the aisle tramped in smiling
consciously with a queer-shaped pack
age under his coat.
The arrival of Happy Finnegan, his
coat having q mysterious square ef-
feet in front, was the climax of the
morning. Coradell and Clara Jane,
their arms about each other. smiled
knowingly. each confident in her own
mind that his smile. his blush and his
square-shaped box were for her. Hap
py hadn't decided yet himself.
At last. finding that Billy Everett
was sending an expensive winged Gu
MD tn Coradel1. h0 sent his gem to