The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-10-28

"Well, she was II would-be writer, a |
only not SO nasty"-she paused for con-
tradiction, but he was silent.
She wrote book. once" she contin-
Med, when she WAS young and fanciful.
There was a woman in it--a bitter, hard,
.Hrnel aWoman:--b9rroWseetls1 from some vel
really, notseren j r snasty self ~ p She
peaingly 81 Him. 'gVN' ''1 VssA'YY0 efss W.
mot her true self-her better SELF he
Not according to my tale Well, the
book went off fairly well for first ven
ture, but great critic dashed the heroine
"You own the heroine was bad?' The
inquiry seemed forced upon, him, it was SO
sudden and vehement.
,"Yes-oh. yes!: But the criticism hurt
her-the girl who wrote 1.-THE neurotic,,
passionate girl-terribly. She worried ali
day yover 1t: ! she lay awake at night and
cried over it! she-she-" Her voice broke.
angry little sob. 4
"And 90 she hated the critic?"
"She hated the critic, or she thought she
There was long silence. =
did she take her revenge upon hiln-in
your tale? His tone was chilly with as
sumed indifference. ~
""she meant to, but - : z4,
when She. met him she didn't know
that he was the critic
" a.. he he fell ell in love with her?'
did she like him-Agnes?" His face
was still cold, but his voice was almost
fierce in it's eagerness." ,.
I'm the story she did"
But when he told her that he was the
critic?"
II didn't say that he told her. ..
But he did didn't he?"
"Yes-in the story .':.
$50 she hated him?" a.;
"Y-es-no1 exac1iy-l don't know"
Her hands kept opening and closing aim.
lessly.
ANYHOW, she resolved upon revcnge?"
Eyes, Il sort of revenge"
"A sort of revengeY She shrunk and
quivered at the scorn in his voice.
"You should read the story" she
my God!" he cried, do not know
"No," she answered firmly, "you do not
know it."
"rhen 1 should like to hear" But she
knew that he had hardened his heart.
"'Well, she resolved to let him so on
liking her"
"A sort of revenge!'
"She made herself as attractive as she
could She wasn't very pretty, you know:
merely small, pale, big-eyed'-"
For Gods sake!' he cried tiercely and
hoarsely.
well, somehow she made him like her,
and She
"Hated him all the timer"
"No-o-not altogether-in the tale"
Then he proposed to her?'
eyes; he proposed to her"
"Lamely enough-but earnestly" There
was the rage of Gagged animal under
meath his quiet voice.
"Oh, no! Not lamely at all; honestly
and manfully and lovingly. He was
splendid character-in the tale.' It was
strange that he could not read the nero
worship in her tone.
"But she thought he wasn't"'
mo. She thought he was. She knew
he was" She tied her handkerchief
tremblingly in knots.
Agnes, you are trying to play with
me. do not understand"
NO." she said passlonately, looking up
at him with white, drawn face and quiz
ering lips, and eyes full of pain; you do
not understand. He did not understand"
Did she not refuse him? Did she not
tell him that the criticism had nearly
that she had resolved to take the bitter
est revenge that a woman could take:
Did she not tell him that she had studied
his books to find the ways that attracted
him most, to make. hith care for her? Did
she not tell him that she had meant him
to propose that she might refuse him?
Did she not say that she wanted him to
care for her all the rest of his life?" File
stood up and lowered over her like an ac-
cusing angel,
YES" she said with sob. But"
But! There is no but to excuse such
conduct as that!'
An, but she had a lot more to say if
he would have heard her. But he cursed
her and went away-in the tale!''
Agnes"' She sobbed upcontrolledly
behind her handkerchief. Agnes, for
mercy's sake tell me what she would have
told him if he had not gone.'' She looked
| up With tear-stained face.
She would have told him." she said,
steadying her voice bravely and laying her
finger tips upon his arm, that he had
conquered her passion and her wicked
ness; that she had found out how great
and strong and kind he was-''
Agnes. little Agnesl Would she have
told him that she loved him."
IL don't know. The-the tale
stops
But our tale, dear?" There was some
thing in his voice that was past describ-
ing.
Then she looked up at him, with eyes
Drumming over, and whispered word SO
brokenly that he could scarcely hear But
he took her in his arms and held her as
close as she could be, and she tried to
nestle closer.
r 20, Aggie, Aggie," he cried; II ought
to have known-a womans mercy
She lifted a flushed, happy face and
his neck No." she whispered, my dear,
| dear boy. A woman's love!'-Black and