The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-07-03

--@
Or the cartit beneath, as to love and love.
--Geofse Horton.
PLAT0NIC FRIENDSHIP.
"Well, don't believe it's possibl e; even
if you do say it, Miriam. All this talk
about platonic friendship is simply alb
surd. Why, i'd be Willing to wager a
dozen pairs of gloves that you and Karl
Scott will be engaged before the year is
out, in spite of all your boasting about
friendship"
Done SAID laughing voice, and u
bright faced girl, seated upon y trunk,
proceeded to extract, by means of Il hat
pin, a large pickle from an extremely
small-necked bottle.
And by this, my friends, do I hereby
seal aforesaid covenant" and there was
Il shout of laughter from the crowd of
girls about her as the speaker solenlnly
devoured the pickle.
1t was not hard to see that Miriam
Westcott was the leading spirit among
these college girlsassembled here for their
full of humor, she seemed the life of the
little circle about her. The girls were
students i'll the great university Of
NJ, and after u week Of hard study
were disposed to make the most of their
evening together.
THAT'S the safest bet I eyer, made,
girls said Miriam: why, Karl aud 1
babies, and, besides. he's in love with
girl at home!' this last in Il very tri-
umphant tone, intended to carry conviu-
ton with it. 1t only served to bring to
the face Of the first speaker IL most sar-
castle smile.
We'll, We'll just wait and see, and.
meanwhile. Miriam, you'd best save your
spare cash.
Hardly were the words uttered wien
ring at the door was heard und Afrl=
ANS mischievous whisper:
"Why, girls, | do believe that's Karl!
He's come to take inc home. YOU know,
he's just like my brother." but her words
were drowned i'll the shouts of laughter
that followed.
AS the door closed behind Karl and
Miriam and they went out into the hight,
Miriam said:
It's awfully nice of you to coine after
me tonight. when ;yoit're So busy; too,
with that Latin quiz,
You know I wouldn't let s5u culre
across that campus alone Un sich il tight
as this Karl had answered as lie pHt
the girls arm through his; and iii the
movement there was s9nietiiiiig that
made Miriam look tip into her C0ttipdn>
ions face and say:
THANK you, Karl. l ami glad you
came"
Some way Kari was unusually silent
almost home that he said; hesitatilgly:
Say. Miriam, wish you'd let ilie ask
you something, though l know you'll be
angry"
Better not say it then; for 'twotild
be Il shame to spoil our friendship. Do
you know, I'm very proud Of the fact that
were such good friends and mot the least
bit in love with each othef?'' Aid the
girl looked up to her companion With a
frank expression in her brown eyes. 1t
was too dark to see the expression in
karfs face. There was Silence and
then short laugh from the young man
wen, after that | ,on',c know whether
It's this, Miriam,' he said, hurriedly:
Il wish you wouldn't go with Paul Yves
ton. He's not man that I would want
my own sister to go with, and | wish YOU
wouldn, It do it. either. | knew you'd be
angry, he continued, as the girl was
silent, for Miriam, with all her good
qualities, could not brook interference
reliant, she had always followed her own
WISHES. and even her best friends hest
tated about seeming to interfere at all
with her actions.
Its very kind of you to trouble your
self about me- she said, colby, but l
THINK l know whom to go with and
whom not. never think Of telling YOU
what girl to go with.'
You know l never so with anyone
but ,you," be replied, quickly, and then
as they went in at the gate: Miriam,
please e, don't be angry: You know very
well that | only said it for your good.'
MANY thanks" was the cool answer
and without another word Miriam went
INTO the house and shut the door,
"Wt1l. that doesn't look like falling in
love with Karl Scott" she said as she
went into her room and threw her hat on
the table. ",rhe idea," with a little in
d!ignant sparkle in her eyes, ''of his try
ing to dictate to me- And there was
flush on her cheeks as she sat down at
the table to read her psychology for the
next day. But in some way it had lost
it's interest for her and after twice read
ing the extraordinarily simple and lucid
statement: "An object is the objectified,
Interpreting activity of intelligence re-
lated by the ego to the abstracted uni
and went to sleep that night with Karl'..
last words ring ing in her ears: Miriam,
don't be angry"
The weeks went on, short. busy weeks
for Miriam. Between herself and Karl
Scott truce had been declared and
they, met apparently on their old friendly
footing; Only the girl and Karl himself
old friendly relation had somehow be-
come impossible and into their inter-
course Il strange, new element had crept.
swell, Miriam, how's that bet?" Said
Mary SanbOrn, one morning some months
after the scene with which our story
opens, as she met her friend coming out
Of college.
".All right. We had fight that very
evening, you know. and the sky's cloudy
even yet
.'rhat.s nothing said her companion.
with Il laugh. Il don't believe I'll buy
the gloves just yet
''l'll get them for you if YOU like. I'm
going. to ride over to lpsi this after
noon"
''No, thanks was the laughing an
swer, and then the girls separated.
But Miriam was not so light hearted
today as she had led her friend to inl-
agine. Somehow Karrs treatment of
her had often wounded her of late. 1t
was not that he was unkind. but some
way the old friendly relations were
broken. Karl was not the jolly COM
panion he had once been. Hc was silent
and reserved; kind, always. but somehow
the girl was miserable and unhappy.
And Karl? He, too, felt the differ
encc, but to save his life he could not
treat Miriam III his old friendly fashion
Why, he could not have told, but he
realized that life in these past weeks
was very different thing from that of
the years before. The hills about the
little college town had looked more beau
tiful i'll their snowy Wilderness against the
winters sky when he went with Miriam
i'll their weekly rambles.
On this December day, when Miriam
had met Mary Sanborn, the girl was I'M
usually restless and unhappy. She could
not study, and after wandering aimless-
ly about the house fol some hours. she
suddenly put OH her hat. remembering
some trife she had intended to buy at
ipsl, a few miles distant. Hastily put
ting the saddle on her horse, she start
ed off down the road. This was Miri-