Page:Christopher Morley--Tales from a rolltop desk.djvu/230

"Ah, nabocklish!" she said. "There's somebody loves me, at any rate."

She hurried through supper, and ran upstairs to put Jack to bed. The six-year-old was amusing himself by snapping open and shut something that gleamed in the lamplight.

"Here!" she said. "What are you doing with Judy's purse?"

Jack looked up in surprise. It was the first time that he had heard that note of command in the meek Judy's voice.

"I found it on your bureau," he said.

"Well, leave it be, darlin'." She took it from him. "Glory above, what's become of———?"

She fell on her knees on the floor and began searching.

"Ah, here 'tis!" she cried, gladly. From the rug she picked up a tiny red cardboard heart, and replaced it carefully in one of the sockets of her purse.

"What is it?" said Jack, yawning.

"Sure, it's my Valentine!" said Judy. "It ain't many girls that gets a Valentine from a big handsome man like that the first time he sees them."

I have often wondered how many of the Long Island trainmen use a heart-shaped punch.