eamed as gayly as ever in the bright sunlight.

"Well, Pussie, how many valentines have you bought?" asked Uncle John,
meeting Nettie in the hall as she entered the house.

"Only one; but it was a very nice one, and you mustn't ask any
questions," answered Nettie, with a blush, as she ran up stairs to avoid
further questioning.

It was rather trying, though, when evening came, and Nettie, dressed in
her white dress and blue ribbons, stood among the other girls in the
dressing-room, and they all crowded round inquiring how many valentines
she had for the post-office, to be obliged to confess that she had none,
and to hear the whispered comments of, "How mean!" "I didn't think that
of Nettie Almer."

She kept her spirits up, however, by thinking of Minna, and the joy of
her mother and sister, and soon forgot the valentines entirely, while
dancing and joining in the merry games with which the first part of the
evening was passed.

But after supper the mortification and almost regretful feelings
returned, when the other children drew forth mysterious packages, and
confided them to Mrs. Hope, the mother of the young hostess; and she was
becoming quite unhappy when a servant entered, saying some one wished to
see Miss Nettie Almer.

Gladly she hastened from the room; but what was her surprise when a
messenger handed her a box addressed to "Nettie, from St. Valentine, in
return for the valentine she sent Minna and Gretel."

On removing the lid, the box was found to contain a dozen small bouquets
of sweet, fragrant flowers, and a card saying they were intended as
valentines for her little friends. Nettie shrewdly suspected them to be
the same bouquets Gretel had tried so unavailingly to sell in the
morning; but she did not know that Uncle John had been an unobserved
spectator of the little episode in front of the stationer's, and that he
had made a later call at the humble tenement, and gladdened the poor
family a second time that day by buying all Gretel's flowers, and paying
a good price for them, too.

It was with very much happier feelings that Nettie re-entered the
parlor, and handed in her contribution for the letter-box; and when the
office was opened in the back drawing-room, and Mr. Hope, disguised as
St. Valentine, distributed the mail, all said none of the valentines
could equal Nettie's, for in the centre of each bouquet was hidden a
tiny golden heart, inclosing a motto appropriate to the occasion.

Netti