Morris tribune., 1916-02-11
IOHNNY'S
VALENTINE
By ETHEL HOLMES

little boy, so modest that when the
house across the way and a short dts
lance down the street was occupied by
a new family, including golden hair
ed, blue eyed girl, with pink cheeks
and veRmilion lips, Johnny's breath
was quite taken away by her childish
beauty,
Johnny treasured in his heart deli
cious something for the girl opposite
that he would reveal to no one, least Of
all to the object of his alteration. So
fearful was he that she would suspect
it that, when he saw her coming on
the street, he would either look down
at his toes or up at the sky, but never
at her.
The approach Of st. Valentines day
was a great relief to Johnny. He could
send his little love a valentine ex-
pressing his feelings for her without
her knowing that he did so. The only
obstacle in the way was that he did
not know her name and did not dare
ask any one who might know for fear
Of betraying his secret. He was on
intimate terms with the grocer's deliv-
cry boy, whom he had noticed deliver
ed supplies to both his and her home,
and asked him for the name Of the
family in which his sweetheart be-
longed. Through Jim he learned the
girls name was Julia Reynolds.
Johnny now had it all his own way.
Nho h IN do 70
buy valentine. He found it difficult
to find one to suit him, but at last sue
ceeded, carried it to his room and,
locking the door, proceeded to address
it to Miss Julia Reynolds Of 357 Har-
rison street, spelling Harrison H-a-r-i-
SEN.
A terrible thing happened while
Johnny was taking the valentine to the
letter box. Just as he was about to
drop the missive in the box who should
come along but the very girl to whom
it was addressed! John blushed scar
let and instead of putting the valentine
in the box put it in his pocket and
walked away, looking up at the sky.
1t was not till the evening, when dark
ness covered his romance, that Johnny
mailed his valentine in a box a mile
from his home.
Whether among the dozen valentines
John received there was one from the
girl he loved best he did not know.
Soon after st. Valentines day, meeting
Julia coming from school, he mustered
courage to glance at her and thought
he saw suspicion of a smile ON her
his eyes on her long enough to make
sure. This was the last time he saw
her as a child, for soon after the meet
ing he saw a doctors vehicle before
the Reynolds door and later heard that
his little love was i'll.
Johns anxiety overcame his BASH
fulness. He gathered his loose change,
amounting to so cents, and bought a
posy. Then he persuaded small boy
he picked up near the Reynolds house
to take it to the door, ring the bell
and hand it in, saying that it was for
Julia. John stood behind a tree box
till the feat was accomplished, then
walked away, proud Of what he had
achieved.
A dozen years passed. John Walsh's
remembrance of his little love was a
very pleasant one, and often he laugh
ed at his terror lest either the girl or
any one else should discover his secret
devotion. Being now a man he took
no interest in st. Valentines day, but
whenever it came round, though he
had forgotten the missive he had sent
Julia Reynolds, a pleasant sensation
seemed to haunt him. AS to Julia, he
did not know whether she was still iv-
ing. Her image remained with him.
but as If seen in a mirror that had be-
come clouded. Though his childish love
was thing of the past, neither it nor
its object was forgotten.
When John was twenty-five years
old he met at an evening function a
young lady, with whom he was from
the first en- rapport. They fell to COM
pairing notes and learned that they had
once lived in the same city and in the
same neighborhood.
John had been introduced to the
young lady as Miss Reynolds, and II
occurred to him that this might be his
child love. He asked her If her name
was Julia, and when she said yes he
was sure that she was the girl to
whom he had sent the valentine and
the posy when she was I'LL. He had
overcome his boyish bashfulness and
was happy to avow that he had wor-
SHIPPED her from Assistance and had
sent her valentine and flowers. Miss
Reynolds listened to this with evident
pleasure, but gave no sign of remem-
bering any such boy as John Walsh
John, whose assurance was now equal
to his former modesty, swore that he
had never forgotten his boyish love
and intimated that he would gladly
| pursue It as a man. Whether the
young lady attributed this to gallantry
or not she did not say.
Certain it is that there followed a
courtship between the two. In fits last
stages John prided himself on his con.
stancy and feigned to regret that his
former devotion had not been appre