The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-03-26
h MYSTERIOUS STRANGER,

! 4 New Years morning in the little
mountain hamlet of A. The town
church was filled with worshipers. The
rector had just assembled the pulpit to de-
| liver his sermon and to remind his par
ishioners of the Importance of the day.
| when suddenly his sharp eye male the
discovery that stranger was seated
among his audience, a man, whom-he
was sure that-he had never seen there
before.
| Whether from design or accident, the
stranger had seated himself OH the bench
reserved for the town officers and men of
rank. and was curiously gazed at by his
neighbors. Nobody had taken seat
close beside him, as though fearing to
modest SO distinguished appearing man,
in spite of the fact that the little etifce
was crowded.
A strange face among his parishioners
was very rare thing for the good rec
tor. who had baptized and confirmed the
majority of them, and while not in the
| could not help noticing from his vantage
ground on the pulpit, that the man was
very becomingly and richly attired
However. the rector did not allow the
| strangers presence to interfere with his
duties. He delivered his sermon, adj
monishing his hearers not to be forgetful
of the teachings of Christ, the lesson of
His coming and sufferings, and the joys
| and miseries which are our portion in
each succeeding year.
by the time he had reached his house
the rector had almost forgotten the ex-
lstence of the stranger. But the man had
also been noticed by his. wife, who did
not fail to mention the circumstance to
him: They exchanged a few casual re.
marks about the probable ca use that had
brought the stranger to their out-of-the-
way little mountain town on New Years
day of all days. Surely it was not the
architectural value of their little church.
for it possessed none; therefore the rec.
tors wife formed the pleasing conclusion
that he had somehow heard of the ora
torical talent of her husband and had
come to hear him preach the New Years
| sermon. He may have been, so she ar.
gued 1.-THE wish is ever the father of the
| thought, sent by the synod to satisfy
| himself from personal observation of the
rector's abilities, and so forth, all OF
which her husband modestly refuted.
! Pretty soon New Years callers began
II put in their appearance, and once more
| the rector discarded all thoughts of the
fascinating stranger. Later the sexton
arrived, having some commissions tC
| execute and business matters to Talk over
| This done he remained at the door
twisting his hat in his fingers, making
sundry. unsuccessful attempts to say
| something. He cleared his throat, and
finally summed up sufficient courage to
| ask: Pastor, have you noticed that we
had an incognito' living and in the flesh
in our church today?'
"Certainly, l have" responded the rec
| tor. II dare say you mean Il stranger
clad in a silver-gray great coat?''
| Yes, yes-sOmething truly noble!'
What, the coat or the stranger?"
| DO you mean to insinuate that the
stranger is travelling under an assumed
name?"
THAT is just it! An assumed name
that nobody knows
| "You mean name that you do not
know?'
,n +W te tn I d? n But our Count is
w n0ur c,,r ce @'nnnt %, What do you mean:
"Our Count and this stranger are very
timid acquaintance"
timd But u" ha asS1 think !@s se f Hs
aWhat o. Of it, it. ree{o o R There is secret
| connected with his appearance here,
tell You. They did not come to church
| L.
| cognito, and three minutes later the
Count. When he beheld the stranger
he looked somewhat surprised and taken
| aback. as though he meant to say, Keep
| it dark He then smiled very pleasant
| ~ and passed by to his pew. Mr.. In
cognito smiles also, no doubt meaning,
All right, Count. we understand each
| other! After the service the Count
! smiled again when passing the stranger,
| who. in return, made a polite obeisance,
looking knowingly at the pulpit and
vestry, as if to say, Our judgment
agrees, Count Well, you are
aware that the C9gnt thinks great deal
| "Not so fast, you sly fox. Tell me
Count knows more Of this mysterious
stranger. A mutual exchange of greet
ings alone may be purely accidental, you
| know
that out, rector: The mysterious
gregation had dispersed, and asked me
| to show him the few things worth seeing.
He had nothing to say and merely
glanced at everything in superficial
manner, with the exception of the covers
of our pulpit and the baptismal font,
| which he inspected very closely. Finally
| l summoned up courage to tell him that,
! while there was not much to be seen in
| the church, the Counts castle contained
| swered that he had had consequence
with the count an hour ago." 70
Conference, you idiot; not 'conse-
! quence'
"Well, then, conference. He gave me
IA bountiful douccur and asked the way
! to the station"
CAN right. I understand now"
| Tho loft Horf11xy had ho die
| appeared when the station master was
| announced. The rector was surprised
that the busy officer should have found
| time to pay him New Years call, but
he received him affably.
| After m exchange of the usual COM
monplaces, the railroad man remarked in
honored our humble place with short
visit this morning. returning to the CAPT
| tai after n hasty consultat ton with the
Count and visit to the church?''
| This information almost startled the
good rector out of his wits. He could
not forbear. asking for more details.
astes on he o tnf s fran
and proceeded OH foot to the castle.
There he and the Count had been in con-
sultation. Later he had been to church,
returning to the city on the 11:3O o'clock
train. l heard these details from one
of the Counts servants, who took the
same train for n visit to his sister, This
servant, be it understood, has the aris-
tocratic habit of travelling second class
for short distances, which, I must con-
fess, was an impertinence, considering
the august presence Of the Prince. But
what could do? Pacing up aud down
near the ticket Office, the Prince. could
not help herring what was going on.
He stepped up to the window, and asked
me to exchange his second-class ticket
for one Of the first class, offering the
money for the difference. This / was
not in u condition to do, as the train in
question does not carry first-classI COM
partments. The Prince was greatly an
noyed. . and. though / am innocent,
know he will make me suffer for his In
convenience. All ] could do wns to orr
der the conductor y TO place his hishness