The Lost Valentine

THE LOST VALENTINE by Emma Tuomy

Finally she found the one she wanted.

       Marian was making valentines. Her mother helped to fold the paper into booklets and to tie them with bits of bright ribbon, then Marian pasted in clipped pictures and hearts, and printed in short little verses.
       "I am not going to give Kathleen a homemade valentine," Marian said, stacking up her booklets.
       "Why not?" asked Mother.
       "I do not believe that she would care for it," answered Marian.
       Kathleen lived in the most beautiful house in town. All the children loved to go there to parties and to see all of Kathleen's beautiful playthings.
       Marian felt that the homemade valentines were not pretty enough to go with Kathleen's other things. So she decided to take her own money and buy the best valentine that she could find for this special friend.
       She went to a store where she had seen many beautiful valentines in the window. She looked and looked; finally she found just the one that she wanted. It was a big white card, covered with forget-me-nots, hearts, and a long verse about friendship. She felt sure that Kathleen would like it very much.
       On the way home, Marian met Stella coming out of a grocery store with several packages. Stella and Marian were in the same grade at school. Stella lived in a little green house almost out of town, and she was kept so busy taking care of the baby and helping her mother that she never had very much time for play. Marian helped Stella carry the packages, and the two little girls chatted about valentines. Stella said that she did not expect very many, as she could not give any at all. The baby was getting teeth and he needed her loving care and attention so that she had no time to make valentines, and she had no pennies with which to buy them.
       When Marian reached home, her mother said: ''Where is your valentine?"
       Marian looked down at her hands. They were empty. She had lost the beautiful valentine which she had chosen for Kathleen.
       ''What shall I do?" cried Marian. "I must give her a valentine. We are such good friends."
       "You will have to give her a homemade one," answered Mother. "You cannot buy another one."
       Marian picked out the booklet which she liked best and put it into an envelope. Her brother gave her a stamp and took the valentine to the mail box, so that Kathleen would get the valentine through the mail. The other valentines she got ready to put into the valentine box at school.
       The next morning, Marion waited while her mother fastened her coat. She put her free hand into her muff, which hung from a cord around her neck. She felt something and pulled it out. It was the valentine which she had bought for Kathleen.
       "If I were you," suggested Mother, "I should give it to some little girl who is not likely to get many valentines.''
       ''Oh,'' cried Marian, ''I am going to give it to Stella.''
       Kathleen met Marian in the hall at school, the morning of St. Valentine's Day.
       ''I just love the valentine you sent me,'' she whispered. ''Mother says it shows real friendship if you take the time to make them yourself.''
       At recess time, Stella ran up and hugged her. ''It is the most beautiful valentine I ever saw,'' she cried. ''I can hardly wait until I can take it home and show Mother. It will make her happy to know that you are such a good friend of mine.''
       ''I am glad that I lost it,'' Marian said to her mother that night, ''because, I made two friends, instead of one, very happy.''

Marian waited while her mother fastened her coat.