His First Valentine

• Watchlist

"Easy" Miller, a brawny young prospector in the mountains of Placer County, California, falls in love with the new school teacher, Miss Dorothy Clark. His first meeting with her is on a winter's day when she is among the children in the schoolyard near the roadside. He attempts to address her, but is politely repulsed. Nothing daunted, he dresses in his best and on a later day visits the school. He has the courage to enter, but after meeting Miss Clark he loses his volubility and makes a bashful exit without any satisfactory results. His good fortune dawns when, passing the school one day, he is able to assist the young lady in adjusting the stirrup on her horse's saddle. From this time forth he becomes one of her many suitors. He is so bashful that he despairs of being able to declare himself, but one evening while visiting the Clark home he accidentally knocks over an album in which Mrs. Clark, the mother of the heroine, has kept for years a valentine sent to her by her husband, now dead. Mrs. Clark explains to "Easy" the meaning of a valentine, something he had never before heard of. A great idea now enters his mind and a great light fills his soul. He resolves then and there to send a valentine to Dorothy. He writes to a machinery concern in San Francisco, with which he had done business, and requests them to send the precious token addressed to Miss Dorothy Clark, George's Flat, Placer County, Cal. His wish is carried out, but on the morning of Valentine's Day, when the mail is due, the stage driver dashes up to the post office on one of the leaders and informs those grouped about, including "Easy," that he stage has been held up. "Easy" is possessed of but one thought, that of getting the valentine and delivering it to Miss Clark's home before the day has passed. He joins the sheriff's posse, disagrees with the sheriff as to the route the robbers have taken and follows his own ideas, which act brings him upon the outlaws. A desperate fight ensues in which he is severely wounded. Notwithstanding his condition, he struggles back with the precious valentine in his arm and, though urged by his comrades to go directly to his cabin, insists on personally delivering it to the home of Miss Clark. How "Easy" is rewarded for his chivalrous daring is shown in the happy ending.