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Authors: Carolyn Haywood
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"Well, you're mistaken," she called back. "Here's a great big one lying right by the door."
"There is!" squealed Betsy. She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs.
Mrs. Beckett was holding a large envelope in her hand and smiling broadly.
Betsy took it with eyes that danced. "Now who do you suppose left that!" exclaimed Betsy. "And I didn't hear a thing!"
Betsy opened the envelope and drew out the valentine. It was a folding one that opened up with fancy cutout paper in bright red. There were fat little pink cherubs holding a big heart with "To My Valentine" in gold letters.
"Oh, Mrs. Beckett!" cried Betsy. "Look! Isn't it beautiful!"
"Very nice, very nice," said Mrs. Beckett. "Now you go and get dressed." Mrs. Beckett bustled out to the kitchen and began making hot cereal.
Betsy continued to examine the valentine. Then she looked carefully at the envelope. She didn't recognize the handwriting.
"Now who do you suppose that is from?" said Betsy, following Mrs. Beckett into the kitchen.
"Well," said Mrs. Beckett, "one thing is sure. It's from somebody who got up early and somebody who is dressed. And that's something you're not. Get along or you will be late for school."
Betsy walked back to the front door, still examining the envelope. When she reached the door, she looked at the letter slot. Her mind took a sudden jump just like a Mexican jumping bean. She held the big envelope against the slot. It was much too big to go through and it showed no sign of having been folded. Then Betsy got down on her hands and knees and tried to slip the envelope under the door. The weather stripping interfered. It would have been impossible for anyone to have slipped it under the door.
Mrs. Beckett stuck her head out of the kitchen door. She saw Betsy on her hands and knees by
the front door. "Betsy," she cried, "what are you doing? I told you to go up and get yourself into your clothes."
Betsy looked up with a puzzled expression. "Do you know what, Mrs. Beckett? There's a mystery about this valentine. This valentine didn't come through the slot and it wasn't poked under the door."
"Well, you saw me pick it up off the floor, didn't you?" said Mrs. Beckett, looking a little flustered.
Betsy sat back on her heels. Then she shook her finger at Mrs. Beckett. "Yes," she said, "and I know who put it there. It was you, Mrs. Beckett. It was you."
"Oh, go 'long with you," laughed Mrs. Beckett. "Get dressed."
Betsy jumped up. She ran to Mrs. Beckett and threw her arms around her. "Thank you, Mrs. Beckett. It's such a beautiful valentine." Then she dashed upstairs.
As Betsy washed and dressed, she sang. It was going to be such a happy day. It was fun to have Mrs. Beckett put the valentine by the door. But Mrs. Beckett hadn't fooled her. She was too smart for Mrs. Beckett.
Betsy had spent so much time over the valentine that she had to rush around very fast in order not to be late for school. At last, she was ready. She snatched up her schoolbag and dashed out of the house. She had to run most of the way to school. She didn't have time to deliver any of the valentines that she had in her schoolbag. She would have to deliver them on her way home.
Just before she reached the school she passed Rudy Wilson. He was carrying a box under his arm. It was wrapped in white paper and looked just like a box of candy.
"Hello, Rudy!" Betsy said.
"'Lo!" replied Rudy.
"It's fun, isn't it?" said Betsy.
"What's fun?" said Rudy.
"Valentine's Day," said Betsy.
"Well, you're not my Valentine," said Rudy.
Betsy looked a little surprised and then she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you're not mine either," she said.
"You bet I'm not," said Rudy. "Billy Porter's your Valentine."
As Betsy hurried along by herself, she couldn't help wondering about the box Rudy was carrying. Who was Rudy's Valentine?
10. A Strange Valentine
The children couldn't keep their thoughts on their lessons, but they had a wonderful day. At recess and lunch time they slipped
"There is!" squealed Betsy. She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs.
Mrs. Beckett was holding a large envelope in her hand and smiling broadly.
Betsy took it with eyes that danced. "Now who do you suppose left that!" exclaimed Betsy. "And I didn't hear a thing!"
Betsy opened the envelope and drew out the valentine. It was a folding one that opened up with fancy cutout paper in bright red. There were fat little pink cherubs holding a big heart with "To My Valentine" in gold letters.
"Oh, Mrs. Beckett!" cried Betsy. "Look! Isn't it beautiful!"
"Very nice, very nice," said Mrs. Beckett. "Now you go and get dressed." Mrs. Beckett bustled out to the kitchen and began making hot cereal.
Betsy continued to examine the valentine. Then she looked carefully at the envelope. She didn't recognize the handwriting.
"Now who do you suppose that is from?" said Betsy, following Mrs. Beckett into the kitchen.
"Well," said Mrs. Beckett, "one thing is sure. It's from somebody who got up early and somebody who is dressed. And that's something you're not. Get along or you will be late for school."
Betsy walked back to the front door, still examining the envelope. When she reached the door, she looked at the letter slot. Her mind took a sudden jump just like a Mexican jumping bean. She held the big envelope against the slot. It was much too big to go through and it showed no sign of having been folded. Then Betsy got down on her hands and knees and tried to slip the envelope under the door. The weather stripping interfered. It would have been impossible for anyone to have slipped it under the door.
Mrs. Beckett stuck her head out of the kitchen door. She saw Betsy on her hands and knees by
the front door. "Betsy," she cried, "what are you doing? I told you to go up and get yourself into your clothes."
Betsy looked up with a puzzled expression. "Do you know what, Mrs. Beckett? There's a mystery about this valentine. This valentine didn't come through the slot and it wasn't poked under the door."
"Well, you saw me pick it up off the floor, didn't you?" said Mrs. Beckett, looking a little flustered.
Betsy sat back on her heels. Then she shook her finger at Mrs. Beckett. "Yes," she said, "and I know who put it there. It was you, Mrs. Beckett. It was you."
"Oh, go 'long with you," laughed Mrs. Beckett. "Get dressed."
Betsy jumped up. She ran to Mrs. Beckett and threw her arms around her. "Thank you, Mrs. Beckett. It's such a beautiful valentine." Then she dashed upstairs.
As Betsy washed and dressed, she sang. It was going to be such a happy day. It was fun to have Mrs. Beckett put the valentine by the door. But Mrs. Beckett hadn't fooled her. She was too smart for Mrs. Beckett.
Betsy had spent so much time over the valentine that she had to rush around very fast in order not to be late for school. At last, she was ready. She snatched up her schoolbag and dashed out of the house. She had to run most of the way to school. She didn't have time to deliver any of the valentines that she had in her schoolbag. She would have to deliver them on her way home.
Just before she reached the school she passed Rudy Wilson. He was carrying a box under his arm. It was wrapped in white paper and looked just like a box of candy.
"Hello, Rudy!" Betsy said.
"'Lo!" replied Rudy.
"It's fun, isn't it?" said Betsy.
"What's fun?" said Rudy.
"Valentine's Day," said Betsy.
"Well, you're not my Valentine," said Rudy.
Betsy looked a little surprised and then she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you're not mine either," she said.
"You bet I'm not," said Rudy. "Billy Porter's your Valentine."
As Betsy hurried along by herself, she couldn't help wondering about the box Rudy was carrying. Who was Rudy's Valentine?
10. A Strange Valentine
The children couldn't keep their thoughts on their lessons, but they had a wonderful day. At recess and lunch time they slipped
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