The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-02-19
A Valentine
Return
a. SADIE OLCOTT

= rsleufincs WIN an drrd! Ike THIS
~ M hand TO cost nothing but
nnp:
rbe words were spoken by Jimmy
,~o-son on the 18th day of February.
!. had gone to box in his closet and
~ ont a bundle of valentines he
{, raoeived the year before and was
tho 70 remember from whom they
had come
4Tbis one is a daisy. This bay win
,.r hnilt out from the main part is a
zach II there's no mark on it I'm
.,nc 10 take the risk of using it."
no examined the valentine with
hand magnifying glass and, not finding
.,v mark on it. laid 1t aside to send
;, bis hest girl. Then he selected an.
.,bar 10 send 10 his next best girl and
!, tbis way made use of not less than
,dozen valentines.
On The valentine he sent to his best
arl Helen Strong, he wrote couplet
indicating that he was pining for an ex-
nsssion Of her love, which. if received.
ha would treasure forever. Forever
vas the last word of the second line
and rimed with sever" the last word
At tbe first line. He didn't disguise
his handwriting. for he was proud of
bs couplet and didn't wish 1t or the
BEAUTIFUL valentine to go to waste.
Jill nv addressed, stamped and mail
ID lis valentines early in the after
noon Of the 18th Of February. The
DeYt morning the postman brought
him batch of valentines. The first
one he opened he recognized as one he
had sent out himself the day before.
There was an Endorsement on 1t as fol
lows.
Ny love for you is just as warm as
when | sent YOU this just one year ago
The blood mounted TO Jim's cheek at
being detected in using an old valen-
tine.
Better luck next time" and he open
ed another
The luck was certainly better. for he
bad never seen the Enclosure before.
Tie third anu the fourth were also
new Il Him ON the fifth. which was
Ole he Lad sent. was an Endorsement
What dI YOU send it back for? | don't
Eat
jim lad grown somewhat callous by
ilis time hut the truth is he was look
b. FIR his valentine from Helen
Stuh- Beside hers the rest were Of
re- little Importance. However he
err them all without coming upon
Oh Hat bore any trace whatever of
Is been sent by her.
get il hy the next mail" he NUT
'g.d anal tossed those he had received
81 Y table from which they were
ae>iAc! later on 10 he brushed into q
waste paper basket During the day
De l0inSei about the house, and when
ever he heard the postmans whistle
be went to the door himself in eager
expectancy of his valentine from Hell.
el But no valentine came. In the
evening he called up on the telephone:
is that you. Helen?
I'm Jim.
tot anything on hand this even
ing:
Wen, il run in for a little while.
M you get many valentines to-
day;
/ sent you one. 1t was beauty:
cost $3.50
Yes, mine was the one with the
couplet.
I'm glad YOU liked 'em.
les, ! fatter myself that protrud-
mg-What dye call tits very pretty.
didn't write anything under the
Cupid.
'ah you tell me what it was on
the phone:
Wen, III be over in a few minutes. .
"hth Jimmy arrived he found Helen
s'''ins by table in her own private
~ f1'ur win stack of valentines be
sue her Before she would answer any
s4es''ohS She insisted upon showing her
wy lhiSSiYeS. Jim took no interest in
.-0T mat had been sent by any one
.A'eiN himself, but Helen forced him
'o'A ~ every one of them and to
iot OF time in doing so. When
ue iast one had been admired she took
jim valentine. She read the
sIp'et over several times and said she
seuA believed that he could write
49, Ike that" This made Jim very
Proud Of himself
Jimmy" she said at last.
-. !ol mistaken about the cost of
'ne vaeutineY"
ingsr 'ooA all my saw
az. ~ sure il didn't cost so much"
.n WY are you sure?
49, because bought it myself a year
a. ana paper wasn't near SO high
'-Ta as II is today"
eye WIN WINNIE III Wei
s -, resolved to make a bluff.
he :, : heard before this of girls accus-
s.l,.. '0"s Of sending back their own
% ne eoiie 'ha' iaehes
Nhatll vou bo.s.