The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-12-29

tion is to the good wishes of your
friends, and why you desire to destroy
that gift of Cameron's?" 1 inquired,
poking up the fire.
"Why, how in the world did you find
out he sent it?" asked Sue, in wide
eyed surprise.
silently took the cover of the box,
which lay on the table, and turned it
toward her. Her name, written in Her.
berts big characteristic scrawl, was a
sufficient explanation
II am" said Sue, in low and sub
dued tone, edging close to me on her
divan, 81 am in an awful quandary!
Something positively terrible! l have
been half wild over it all day long; and
you were so mean as to stay away up
to this hour-four o'clock in the after
noon!"
Now, considering that l had gone most
reluctantly on an urgent telegraphic
summons from an old invalid client
(and a wealthy one), who desired, I
knew, some alteration in his will; that
l had done without breakfast, SO as to
catch the early train; had driven six
miles out from the station, in the teeth
of a biting north wind; had worked hard
all day, and had hurried back to town,
to dine this special evening at home
with my unreasonable young sister, it
seemed to me 1 hardly deserved her
present keen reproach, one intensified
by the look.
But here, as in the matter of age,
women have their own special way of
looking at things; and if they jumble up
circumstances" with "volitions," SIM
tent" with necessity" it is doubtless
owing to their aloofness with the hard
problems of life, those terrible conun-
drums of bread winning which force us
to be more cautious in our apprecia-
tions and lucid in our differences.
"Just so," / remarked, without at
tempting an explanation of the why's
and wherefores of my enforced absence
"As l am here now, suppose you tell me
what the trouble is, little one"
"It's awful" again calculated Susan
impressively, and began to believe il
really must be, for there was just the
suspicion of dimness in her big, gray
eyes.
l began to feel a dim, stern animosity
awake in the bottom of my heart toward
Cameron. If that man has caused any
grief to my winsome, joyous pet viii
neither forgive nor tolerate it, if human
Intervention is of any avail.
"Awful!" repeated, lightly, scanning
closely Sues lovely, flushed, perturbec
face. what is the catastrophe which
has befallen during my absence? Ha.
a burglar carried off your diamonds
or have your dressmaker and tailo
/ spoiled your new gowns? Say the wore
and I'll cable to Paris and London"
Neither, you silly boy answered
Sue. "It's worse. just read that"
Sue tossed over to me an open en-
velope containing note or letter, an,
fixed on me a look of surprise and des
pair.
well" l said, turning over the mis-
sive without reading it. II can't Sc
how this can interest you so keenly, a
it is not addressed to you."
On the envelope was written in Came
ron's abominable handwriting "Mis
Louise Morrison"
"That's exactly it." said Sue, tear
fully. II opened and read i'll"
/ looked at Sue in astonishment.
knew her to be that exceptional thing
strictly and scrupulously honorabl
| young fellow-woman, / meant to say
The idea of Sue deliberately openin'
her friends letter, especially when sh
lnew-well, never mind.