The poor little, wondering child was soon wrapped in a warm shawl and curled down on the lounge. Suddenly she raised herself on her elbow:
"Dick said there was angels that lived somewhere and took care of folks. Are you one of them?"
"No, no, child," said Aunt Dorothy gently, "I am only Aunt Dorothy. Go to sleep."
"Yes'm; but I do wish Dick was a valentine, too! It's very cold in his box."
Aunt Dorothy and Mary sat up late that night hastily making warm garments for the small mite; but they considered themselves well repaid by the delight with which they were put on in the morning. While the happy little waif was taking her breakfast in the kitchen the bell rang, and when Mary answered the ring she found Dick standing in the doorstep. He shambled bashfully in, and in a moment the child's arms were around his neck and her face pressed close against his cold and grimy one.
When Aunt Dorothy came down she found her "valentine"-bringer refreshed by a breakfast the like of which he had never before tasted, sitting by the fire with the "valentine" at his side. Dick rose as she entered, still holding both of the little hands of his small companion.
"I ain't got much to tell you, ma'am. I'm Dick the boot-black, an' this here little girl I found one night last week. Me and Joe Rafferty had been to a movin' picture show, and when I comes out it was late an' pretty cold, so I runs all the way to the box. The box is a big box down by Higley's warehouse, an' I sleep in it. An' I finds this little girl a-curled up in it asleep. I felt kinder sorry for so small a mite, so I covered her up with some old carpet rags.
"I seen folks sendin' valentines for presents an' thought some one ought to like a little girl better than a picture. I seen you one day, ma'am, give a lame man some money, an' I followed and seen where you lived. An' I says to myself if you was so kind to a man you'd be kind to a little girl that had no one but me to look after her."
"I think I'll keep my valentine, Dick," she answered, looking into the fire with a smile. "I never heard of sending one back, I believe. And I think I'll send one myself too. I will give you a letter to a man who I think will give you a position as an errand boy." And so Dick had a good job as a messenger boy in a big dry goods house, where he grew up to be a very useful man.
