The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-06-08
No Valentine
BY MARIAN PHILLIPS JOHNSON
g Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service.

w GU will take the Valentine de-
partment, Miss King" said Mr..
Lane Importantly
Malsie King emitted a sharp little
gasp and opened her mouth to pro-
test.
cat once, Miss King!" snapped
Mr.. Lane. Follow mel"
Maisie followed.
A short time later she stood
among the valentines and glared.
II was bad enough, having her
hrst serious quarrel with Jim just
before Valentines Day. But being
yanked bodily from the frothy col
lars and cuffs she adored to be
planted ruthlessly among the val
entlnes was-well, it was just plain
slckening, decided Maisie rebel
iously.
She was deluged almost at once
with customers.
Something for mother" demand
ed a smooth masculine voice. And
Malsie's heart did a neat fiip-fop
almost over the counter and back
again. She gritted her teeth and
showed valentine at him.
"How's that?" she inquired, cool
ly, she hoped. And lifted her eyes
to Jim's.
go. K.," said Jim, grinning.
How're you feeling honey?"
"Does it matter?" INQUIRED
Maisie icily. After all, this was the
very last straw
Maybe not" remarked Jim, his
mouth Tightening into that straight
grim line it had held so doggedly
during last nights battle. "Well,
II that's the way you feel, so long!"
Picking up his valentine he
stalked away. Six feet of blue
eyed, brown-haired outraged man.
hood.
That night Jim took Lou Ryder
to the movies. Maisie saw them
and her eyes became bright and her
anger grew. She suffered night
mares crowded with the faces of
hearts surrounded by little flying
cupids and bows and arrows of shin
ing gold.
Going back to the valentines next
morning was hollow mockery. Es-
pecially since her small calendar re-
minded her it was February IA.
"After all, what's the difference?"
she demanded. "It's just another
day."
Sorting her stock she paused sud-
denly over a line of humorous
cards. One of them pictured a girl
with protruding front teeth lisping
some sort of mushy sentiment. The
girl looked amazingly like Lou Ry-
der.
That afternoon a voice broke sud-
denly through the others. ga Sweet
heart Valentine, please"
Maisie jumped. Jim! She showed
some valentines at him without
looking up.
Haven't you something a little
nicer?" inquired Jim critically.
Something sort of special, you
know"
With trembling fingers Maisie
pulled out the very best in the store.
"That's BETTER" decided Jim of
fering bill.
Suddenly Maisie couldn't bear it.
AS she turned to wrap up the sick
ening thing her eyes rested momen-
tarily on the card with the picture OF
Lou-well, it might as well be Lou
Ryder. On a sudden wild i'm.
pulse Maisie slapped Lou and her
front teeth into the box, wrapped
them up and showed the mushy one
under the counter.
"There!" she exclaimed, and
handed the box to Jim.
Now she'd done it. Made him
mad for ever and ever. 1t was all
/ finished. Their love. The little home
they'd planned. Maisie took long,
deep breaths and didn't care. II
served Jim right. Going out with
Lou Ryder the very next night aft.
er-
On the way home she had time
to realize what she'd done. jim
was going to be wild. She wouldn't
be surprised a bit if he came right
over and howled things at her. Well
decided Maisie grimly, stretching
her aching feet, she'd howl right
| back. She'd tell him!
Oh, what was the use? Jim would
just never speak to her again. The
days stretched before her in one
solid blank. No laughter. No Joy
No jim.
Reaching her rooming-house al
last Maisie started to walk deter.
minedly past the mail box There
wouldn't be anything in it. But out
of the corner of her eye she saw
a white edge protruding.
Maisie grabbed. She dashed into
her room and riddled the flap Of
the envelope with a shaking fore
finger.
ut can't be BILL" she muttered
''It isn't the first of the month"
1t wasn't bill. It was a valen.
tine. ''To Mother" it proclaimed
in soft gilt letters amid flying doves