The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-03-08
THE: BROTHER Of / GENTLEMAN,

Tor IT WAS PHEASANT 10 nave SOlntszOltC 10
make love to when he was obliged to
to go to the country something's. for Papa
Wilson had a full pocketbook and Win
had not
So. in the soft light. of an afternoon
sun. Ernest Wilson stood alpf waited for
Ruth to pass. and Watching her as SHIT
approac hetl hun, thought with a little
WEAKNESS of the Injustice of fate. MOI
that he imagined for Il moment that he
deserved such Il woman as did his hand.
some brother, who was "gentleman.
only he would have loved Ruth tenderly,
been very thoughtful of her, very: kind
to her, if she could have cared for him
and Will was so careless.
Ruth did not pass this time: she paused
and looked up into his good honest face,
and then said il little timidly: 49,.
Ernest, have you heard from Win
no. he said. kindly. There was |,
letter in his pocket from Will. received
il few moments before. speaking of hard
times and asking for the loan of few
dollars. NO. not lately: he is busy you
know. Ruth: you must not think any
thing of not hearing from him-he does
hot like to write.
Ernest when he first went away wrote
to me every day.
He looked down at her flushed face
with a world Of love and pity in his eyes;
but she did not see that-shc was think
ing Of WILL
Are you. going homer he asked. ~
worrying about it? If you are. then
don't
Il will tell you honestly that, | am.
You are one of the people, Ernest, that
no one would ever think of deceiving.
am unhappy and | am annoyed: it is not
pleasant for a girl of spirit to hear the
things people are beginning to say. AT
lessness Oh Wills part; he has given me
his word; there is no one who could say
otherwise than that Will is a gentleman,
and Il gentleman keeps his word
Ernest took off his hat and stood BE-
fore her with bowed and uncovered
head. > =
IF he does not he said and. in his
voice there was that she had never heard
before, lin case like this l would like
MY brother"
Il would not have him keep his prom
Use to me against his will she said.
proudly. 'Never that. If he has
changed toward me, flien he owes it to
himself and me TO-
To be a man-not a gentleman he
said. sayagely.
ITO be both,' she said. But her lip
quivered.
They were at the gate by this time,
and he opened it and waited for her to
pass. Instead, she stood and looked at
him. r.
Ernest she said, tell me just what
you think
What l think, is this: That no man,
and | make no exception whatever, would
possibly throw AWAY the. chance of win
nil no rir
If IL man is not in his right senses,
he is deserving of our pity. not our blame.
| wish you good evening"" And ne left
her looking after him like. one bewildered
1t may have been a letter she wrote
to Will that night, or it may have been
one that Ernest wrote refusing the loan,
but: for some reason Will came home Il
few days later. He had learned new
Way to carry his cane and his bows were
more profound than ever. but his accom-
7pfishments seemed to have small effect
upon his father and brother. AS for
Kuth-well, it may have been that she
haf grown tired Of giving admiration,
love. everything, and receiving in return
a kind of Indifferent attention. When Il
woman begins to draw comparisons be-
tween her sweetheart and other men
things are not as they should be, for love
knows no comparisons, She did think,
and often, of the way Ernest had spoken
to her, and of the manner in which VIII
talked" as if she, We're the one favored in
their love affeir.
And yet. to her. Ernest was nothing
IN the world but Wills brother. When
Ernest thought Of it seriously, he has
never been anything to anyone, but
Wills brother. He had been so unas-
Stunning, had cared so little for appear
ances. and Will had. cared. so .snufll.
ERNEST was an nyuolInpt
ne did the thinking, Will did the talking;
VIII used all of his ideas as if they were
his own, and transacted business for his
father in an easy, off-hand way; forgett-
ing to mention that Ernest had spent
hours of careful thought and study be-
fore the line of action had been de-
cided upon. It had been the same when
carefully: Will read Il criticism on it.
combined it with Ernests opinion, and
carried on brilliant conversations upon it
with other people, impressing all with
his remarkable mind, while Ernest sat
by and said nothing.
Ernest had realized this for a long
time. but there had never been any rea-
son to care before; he did care now. %,
am not good enough for Ruth" he
said to himself t. II do not know anyone
who is; and l would not for the world
make her think less of viii if thought he
loved her or would make her happy
but he would. not: so | intend to let her
see how superficial is his knowledge, and
what shallow man he is" $50
When Ernest Wilson made n resolll-
ton it was as good as accomplished, but
this was the: most difficult undertaking
of his life; for he intended not only to
prove to Ruth that she was wasting her
affections upon man who cared nothing
for her. but to teach his little world to
speak of him as Ernest Wilson, not as
any mans brother.
He was SO accustomed to sit by 81
lently when questions were discussed
knowledge Of the subject than those who
were talking, that it produced q sur.
prise that amounted almOse to a sensa-
ton when he first began to express his
opinion in a modest way.
1t was very hard for him, as he was
not only 4 modest man, but a tilnid one
as we'll, and had been long in the back
however, and with. Il logged determine
ton to carry his resolution through, he
was not willing to stop until he convinced
all his friends that he had mind anG
opinions of his own.
h They were not SO long in finding it on,
p he had been, fortunately, and sool
he began to be spoken Of as Earnest in
stead Of wills brother,' or ':Mr. viii
sons other SON., Much of the attention
he had formerly given to business M
! turned upon himself, to the delight Of hi.
mother, who understood him better thar
did anyone else jng the world, sas thu
way1with mothers, always, ors nearly aal
went further; b., she dropped q word herr
tand there of What Ernest Thought; how
,mucir they relied upon his jud gmefitt,, &ant
the like; and all this time VIII fingered
wondering why Ernest and his fathel
did not helpshim pecuniarly, so that h,
tscould return to the city. .s-...
He fingered aud made love to Ruth til