The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-10
p"", w0uid probably show indifference tho

iothef cows to posturo or
morning and back to the harm evorv
evening. one evening Jim was IN IN ot
way and passed her on tho rooa -
sue was driving the cows, She wos
aoou' h1teen years old. straight sc on
aiio" ana wore her dress tn tho tome
VI her boots. Her hair and evas woro
oack' There was something about tha
way sue carried herself that took inns
iahcy, and he hoped that when sbo
.aihe near him she would take enopcb
interest in him at least to lool a. h;,,,
"nat was his disappointment TO sec
ner while he was passing her loor
up at the sky. Well said lin +o
hlmself. she can't be the cir, wb,
seii' me the valentine, sure. She didn,t
take enough interest in me to seq what
KIM of feller | am.
But somehow Jim after that fro.
quently found it convenient 70 no nm
that way in the morning, sometimes in
Tue evening, but always about the hour
tnat the girl was driving the cows TO
|
VI from pasture. Every time he pass
eo ner she looked up at the sky. Grad.
uaiiv Jim from meeting her so often
.ane 70 cease to be afraid Of her, and
one morning while passing he said:
Mornln', Miss Look-in-the-Air'
The girl turned her big black ewes
ruli upon him and made face at him
AFTER that for awhile when Jim pass
ed her he looked up at the sky himself
out one day. suddenly dropping his
eye, he caught the girl looking straight
at him. She ut once switched her eyes
sidewise
This was the first time in his life
jim got on TO the fact that you can't
Always tell how girl feels by what
she does. From that time forsard be
became brave when he saw a yirl
coming and ceased to feel a de-
sire to climb a fence to get out OF the
way lie took pains to meet the girl
VINO drove the cows, and one evening
when one Of the animals broke away
and galloped up side road Jim ran
after her and brought her back. This
kindly act seemed to placate the girl,
anu she unbent so far as to thank
him. The ice was broken, and an ac.
quaintance was formed.
Jim hadn't forgotten his valentine
but the imaginary girl with golden
hair and blue eyes gradually faded
away, her place being taken by the
brunette who drove the cows to pas,
ture. He was seized with a desire to
do something for her. When idle he
dreamed day dreams Of finding her
chased by furious bull and his re-
ceiving the animals charge with
pitchfOrk. Another scene attractive to
him was the girl swirling around in
the river while he was swimming for
her and finally carrying her to shore
"Well, Jim gradually forgot his red
hair and his freckles and his other
deficiencies and sidled up to his new
found friend A year passed. and
when another st. Valentines day came
around he wondered If the girl who
had sent him valentine before would
send him another. but he didn't care
| much whether she did or not. for by
; this time he was engrossed with girl
he knew. and she was much preferable
to one he didn't know But with all
the courage Jim had gained he hadn't
enough to say to his COW driver what
he wished to say-that his heart was
just Dustin for her,
"Happiy St Valentines day let him
out Of that at least he took II for
; granted it would and he sent his real
| fame a valentine Unfortunately Jim
hadn't one handy and was too busy
to 20 to the village to buy one, so he
sent her the one he had received the
year before.
"The next day he met his flame Oh
the road. and to his chaGrin she looked
straight ahead without taking the
slightest notice Of him Jim supposed
that she had in some way learned that
he had sent her valentine. and this
was her answer. He took his medi-
cine bravely at first. but his courage
didn't last When he was not at work
he used to 20 into the barn and up In
the hayloft and sit down and NOPE.
II seemed to him that the bottom had
/ dropped out OF the universe, he
didn't go up the road where ne had
been used to meeting the girl, instead
of wishing an explanation he was
afraid TO receive one. II her cutting
him dead was so terrible to bear what
would he suffer II she told him In plain
words that he had offended her by
offering her his love? And yet why
should she know that the valentine he
had sent her was from himl
"However. he suffered so that al iast
ba mustered up courage to face the
mns,c and find out what he didn't IN,
derstand. So he walked up the ROAD
in the evening at the exact time sne
was driving in the cows. He met ne'
and said: ,a
"I'm sorry you didn't Ike my send
! M you a valentine
.Tt wasn't your sending me vaien
No. didn't like; II was the valentine
L