Harold Hammond

“ Perkins was daily growing more and more despondent. He was deeply in love, and how to secure a suitable offering to lay on the altar of his devotion was what puzzled him. His own finances aggregated exactly sixteen cents, and he shrank from enlisting his mother’s aid, because of his hesitation in admitting to any one the infatuation he had fostered for weeks. Pinkey could net bear to think ef some other boy sending Hattie Warren a bigger and a costlier valentine than he did—or, in fact, sending her any valentine at all. ”

“ While he was studying over the matter another idea struck him, which, while it involved a deal of uncertainty, would, if it succeeded, accomplish the same result and at the same time be of benefit to himself Pinkey pondered long and hard over the matter. He counted his pennies over and over, and at length decided to try his scheme, though it meant the postponement of his purchase until noon the next day and might prevent it altogether.
So, without even spending the one penny he had set aside for a “comic” to send to Red Feather, he left the book-store and went home. ”

“ Pinkey gets the pen.
“Ain't got nothin’ much here to trade, but I ‘ll give you ten cents for her if you want to sell 'er.”
This put new life into the transaction—cash, owing to its chronic scarcity, being invariably above par. But Jimmy must not appear anxious and ruin his chances for a rise.
“Aw,” he argued, “she’s worth more 'n that. She ’s worth a quarter, anyhow.”
“Ain’t got a quarter; give you twelve cents,” said Pinkey, knowing he must bargain closely, and not daring to name his limit too rapidly.
“Naw; gimme twenty cents—that’s cheap,” pleaded Jimmy. ”

“ In the center were two large embossed hearts, one overlapping the other and both pierced by arrows fired from the bows of half a dozen cupids distributed around the border. At each corner and at the top and bottom were profusely decorated scrolls, on which were printed, “I adore thee,” “Wilt thou be mine?” ”