Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-02-04

iAie VI twenty yeuTS dSO
"Y'or pa always had valumtimes
%a-plenty," went on Jerry reminiscent
ly. HE kept 'em in dat old green box
on de highest shelf next to de ink
stands, Lawsy. Mr.. Spriggs, 'scuse
re. but you amt no housekeeper no
ways. l declare If you've cleaned of
dat top shelf"
You see. my father had just finished
arranging that top shelf when he fell
to the floor and was killed. l never
could bear to touch It."
II understand, sah," said Jerry So
berly. Then. with animation, he add
ed, Like as not there's valumtimes
left in de green box"
Amos brought q s~tepladder and
mounted to the top shelf. The green
box was dusty, and he brushed it care
fully before he removed the cover and
displayed to Jerry's delight a heap of
valentines of twenty years back.
well, welly' murmured Amos as he
sorted out the valentines. Nov, who
would have believed these were wait
ing here all the time
Jerry put on a pair of silver bowed
spectacles and examined the valen-
tines.
Some of desc here are pretty
scrumptious," chuckled Jerry. wal
umtimes is all very well, Mr.. Spriggs,
but of co'se dey's mostly for white
folks. And dat reminds me of erbout
twenty yeahs ago, sab, when Miss
Evalina was only eighteen. She was
sot on buying a most 'ticular valum-
time. But she wouldn't buy it often
yo'r pa, Mr.. Spriggs. Miss Evalina
was most 'ticular. She bought a lot
Of fancy ones from yo'r pa, but dis one
'icular she wouldn't buy here no ways.
So she got on her black pony and rid
him to Whitehall and buyed the val
umtime there"
"Yes?" asked Amos absently.
He was looking at one especially
handsome valentine, a delicate lacy
thing of roses and forgetmenots and
gilded hearts.
He had picked out a valentine just
like this one twenty years ago. He
had sent it to Evalina Terry. And
from that moment Evalina had grown
cool toward him.
The foolish verse of the valentine
blurred before his eyes.
Was there anything about that verse
to anger quick tempered Evalina?
dis am a hansum one, sah," said
Jerry. laying a finger IN the one In
Amos hand.
"YeS."
Il might take dat one, sah."
Amos replaced the cover on the box
and wrapped it in paper.
Take the box up to Miss Terry and
tell her to choose the ones she wants.
She can send the others back In the
morning." said Amos.
After Jerry had departed with the
box Amos sat down before the stove
and picked up the evening paper But
it was strangely uninteresting.
Valentines danced before his eyes
hearts and cupids and foolishly tender
verses.
Il never received a valentine in my
Iife," said Amos regretfully, and he
blushed at the thought.
II I'M getting oldr he declared, and
to distract his thoughts he got out the
buster and attacked the shelves once
more.
About 8 o'clock there came the
sound of sleigh bells, and presently
Jerry came in stamping the snow
from his boots.
Miss Evalina, she insisted ! should
bring desc back tonight" he said re-
gretfully. Seems laik she took most
all of 'em, Mr.. Spriggs."
"Yes?'
Amos took the box and looked down
at the half dozen valentines which
were left. He looked them over.
The pretty one was missing! She had
kept the one whose duplicate had
reached her one morning twenty years
ago.
Did that mean she had forgotten his
other valentine-that sentiment was
quite dead?
"Miss Evalina made a terribul fuss
about dat rosy valentine" remarked
Jerry. "She cried"
"CriedT' repeated Amos in horror.
Why should she do that?"
"Lawsy. Mr.. Spriggs. l don't know de
ways of wimmen folks, white or black
declared the old servant. "All l know
Is she got terribul white and then she
cried and said she hated that valum.
time; 1t was always haunting her, and
it had spoiled her life. When she saw
me thar she got MAIDS a hornet and
sent me flying. You know Miss Eva
lima always was spunky. sah."
Amos made no reply. His thoughts
were in a turmoil.
Why should Evalina care after all
these years2 What was there about
that valentine to awaken her anger at
this late day?
AS If in answer to his questions.
T@.,r ---