The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-11-15
ELLA VARNUM' 5 LESSON
BY e. CORA De PUY.

|
BY E. CORA DE pUY. 1
Married? And to d iilan who h,s beef
divorced? who would ever have believed
it of Sarah .Whitcomb!''
! ELLA Vatnuni dropped her scissors, opeiied
her large, GRAY eyes Very wide, did
pushed her chair back dgaihst the opet1
window us if to verify her establishments.
You act as though Sarah had commit:
ted some crime,'' replied Estelle Randall
the friend who sat in Il chair near by, and
who had just told of the marriage of this
| old Schoomate. =,
NO." said ELLA, Il do not think Sarah
has committed Il crime, but -
But what?' anticipated the companion
leaning forward.
But the man whom she has married
must appear to her as little less than a
criminal out on bail. --'' !;
why, Ella." broke In Estelle, "wha,
an awful thing for YOU to say."
II can't help 1t. L mean every, word !
say. and | know the young lady af
firmed with an emphatic voice that sound.
ed distinctly, through the open window,
that l would as sooi, marry all escaped
prisoner as Il divorced man.
"Shr'
Estelle Randall held up warning fin.
ger.
| III coy French window that looked
out upon a smooth tennis lawn the two
friends were seated. It was Ella Var
NUNS home. Estelle lived next door. The
| warning was too. late. Two gentlemen
had passed the window.
The young lady:s feiliark had beei1 dis
tinctly heard by both of them.
! "Who is coming?' exclaimed Ella. look
ing terribly frightened; and hurrying to
her feet.
IT'S Tom. / had forgotten to tell you.
| He came home last night and brought
Lawyer Estes with him. You know, Tom
| studies in Lawyer Estes office. and-but
hurry and pick up you elnbroidery-there
are your scissors on the other side"
All this was ratified off i'll a whisper
and as Ella stopped to pick up the trnant
voice: rs he bacheor:':
don't believe he is over 45. They have to
be 30 now to be bachelors, don't they
and Tom,,well. Tom is just silly over
wait more than an hour-he'll pound on
| the door and walk right in. probably"
I rs my dress straight? Put u pin in my
belt. won't you?''
''There is nothing wrong with your
kle: that is the first time ever saw
! kle; that is the first time I ever saw
you nervous, though, Ella
You might have told me-"
BY the time the confused young lady
reached the front door Tom Randall
was peeping in the hall window and say
ing. "Oll, hurry tip, Ella! Of course l
know YOU are just as beautiful as you
We're when 1 went away And when at
| last she succeeded III getting the door
open he put tip his saucy mouth and said
abruptly. "Goihg to kiss me?'
The presumptuous remark sent scarlet
wave over Elias face and delighted Tom,
who was an inveterate tease.
I've Il mind to box your ears" she re-
| piled, in a crisp, independent way that
man introduced Lawyer Estes,'' and the
| three passed on into the parlor.
| Ella Varnum was not beautiful as the
| term goes. She was little too tall for
! her weight, angular in outline, slow OF
movement. Her complexion was of that
uncertain shade that varies with the
weather, her eyes gray, hair brown. But
she was possessed of bright intellect,
an affectionate nature, and had keen,
original way of saying and doing things
that won for her ready admirers.
you have been obliged to cbaperone
Tom home, I suppose" offered Ella, by
way of drawing the new guest into con-
! yersatiOn.
Not exactly" replied the lawyer, with
an amused smile, feeling the pleasant i'm
preston of Elias fine mouth and perfect
| teeth-the real attraction of her face.
"Humph." said Tom, '1'm the chap.
erone I've brought him out here to
cure him of the dumps, and I am sick of
the job already! l thought I'd turn him
| over to ~
"Is the city 50 very dull?' said Toms
sister, quickly, looking through her blonde
bangs at Tom with severity.
20, certainly not, replied the lawless
youth; ''the citys sharp enough; it is
the lawyers that are dull just at present. y
In this vein the conversation ran on
for some time. The lawyer was an able
| conversationalist. Years of experience
had sprinkled the dark hair and beard
| with grey, drawn lines Of care about the
earnestness and sober reflection. But
they had also accumulated wealth OF
knowledge that ever has it's advantage
over youth.
Randallville was a little town on the
N. c. r. r., a short ride from the city
Tom Randalrs father owned the mills
and about half of the town, besides, while
Ella Varnum's> father owned the bank
| and pretty much the other half of the
I town.
| There was but little society in the place
and the two young ladies found it rather
dull to have Tom away. He was happy
go-lucky, jolly-hearted fellow, three years
younger than his sister, which licensed
| him to do as he pleased at all times and
pretty much under all circumstances.
| Ella Varnunl, although "a years old
had never been caught i'll cupid's meshes
| But during the long summer days, as she
had helped her lifelong friend make
plans for an approaching marriage in Dc
tober, she often found herself wonder
ing what she would do when Estelle was
gone away "fofAgood?"
And this was the middle of July! The
I time was not afar off. And so when she
found that Tom had come home and
| brought Lawyer Estes with him to spend
a month. a new interest awakened, and
made itself felt.
after half an hour had passed, II have
20 and have q game of tennis and then
! take Mr.. Estes down to see the Swallow
Tree. Well all have to go or he will
The lawyer smiled. The village had
| but two streets and q railroad, crossing.
Ella Varnum tried to take advantage
of the situation, and drive Tom off to the
Swallow Tree first. that she might slip
| upstairs and put on a new China silk
! dress. But the youth was too cunning
| for her. The swallows would not begin
| to gather until sunset. It was now only
5 O'clock. Tennis and tea must come
| first. 'r,., .@'
Hire some one to keep up that fame
| in your cheeks for n month";, and you'll
grow good looking yet" said Tom in d
| low tone as ella leaned over to strike her