The Virginia enterprise., 1899-10-27
A SUGGESTED WIFE,

The postmaster smiled little when he
passed uut the mali, but Luther Wilkins
did not notice. He was trying to re-
member whether it was yeast cake or
a pound Of cheese he had meant to get
at the store. He went out Of the post
| office still pondcring and ended by for
getting both articles, his attention be-
ing diverted by the sight Of two boys
playing marbles on the sidewalk. This
was the first sign Of spring Luther had
seen, sur it was no wonder that his men,
ory played him false.
After he had gone home and had eaten
his supper he thought of the mail in his
overcoat pocket. He brought it to the
table and sat down to examine it. There
was the weekly country paper, Il poultry
Journal, an agricultural monthly aud last
| Of I'LL Il letter.
We'll, now" said Luther, picking it
up. II wonder who's been writing to me.
|, don't know when I've had a letter."
He looked at it eagerly: held it nearer
his glasses and polished them i'll nervous
haste. After placing them OIL his nose
he picked up the letter again and
scanned it narrowly, then he looked over
his glasses as if at some person aud said:
Il Snum.'
He sank into reverie, out of wL.ch he
reused himself with start to study the
envelope with renewed interest.
Mrs. Luther Wilkins" he said. Mrs.
Luther Wilkins. And l an old bachelor
who never so much rs hardly thought Of
getting married! Mrs. Luther Wilkins,
why, where is she? And who Is she?
We'll, | guess IN see what's In it."
the corner of the envelope tay, then he
hesitate,l.
What business have opening of her
letters!' he asked himself II never did
| open other folks letters, and l guess l
| won't beg in now" He rose to his feet,
and carrying it to the mantelpiece leaned
| it up against the clock
thoughts of Mrs. Luther Wilkins kept
intruding on what he was reading about
| patent nest boxes and understanding and
the news of the village.
| Thereafter. during all his waking
hours; Mrs. Luther wilkins was often in
his thoughts She even haunted his
she was like, and he thought of the kind
of woman he would wish her to be. and
enjoyed himself very much in imagining
| how it would seem to have her meet him
at the door, when he came in from the
tleldss and how nice it would be not to
| have to yet his own meals
At first he was little cynical and told
himself that the imagining was much
more satisfactory than the reality would
| be, but after a while he changed his
mind, and would sigh heavily when he
came into his lonesome house.
| The letter by the clock, too, began to
trouble him. He had Il devouring curl
o!sltyy to see what was in it, and besides
! long before delivering it.
One evening in June Luther put on his
best clothes and walked three miles to
see an old schoolmate who had all un-
married cousin living with him. It
seemed to him that Eliza Elliott fitted
in exactly with his idea of Mrs Luther
Wilkins. He came home quite early
very much disappointed. Eliza wouldn' t
| do at all.
He worked doggedly for month trying
hard not to think of the disquieting sub
]ect. 1t was no use, and toward the end
OF July it was observed that Luther was
becoming very neighborly. He spent his
evenings at different neighbors' houses,
ne 1 accepts accepted Invitations to tea; he went
school picnics. And still he could not
find a suitable owner for the letter.
''I've got acquainted with about all the
women in town: they're nice women, ev
cry one of them, but somehow they don't
| suit me. | guess IN have to give up
beat
1t was one Gold, raw day in carly No
Vember that Luther sat ut the window
making clumsy attempts at melnling a
pair of very ragged socks. II ,ppening
to glance ACROSS the road he saw a
woman out in the Hammonds' yard. She
was busy raking up the fallen autumn
leaves.
''Letitia Hammond,' Luther COM
mented, bill Hammo ond's sister. We
don't see much of her lately. She
| don't even go to church, there's so many
Of Bilrs children to look after. and Bill's
wife is SO took up with her clubs and
things. It's hard on Letitia, but she
never finds word of fault"
The sock he was mending fell to the
floor and the wooden egg inside it struck
with such Il loud bang that the cat start
| ed in his sleep. Luther did not notice.
He was standing ut the window staring
| out
That is best which lieth nearest "
! ! bccnv'
He found his hat and left the house,
almost running across the road. He
| took the iron rake away from Ietitia
gently. 'That's too hard work for Il
| little thing like you,' he said.
bnt she yielded up the rake weakly .
said Luther. "lts cold out here"
No one had been thoughtful of her
| before for a long time. and I.etitia
! couldn't understand it. When Luther
| returned the rake she asked him to let
| her do something for him.
He carried her his best pair Of socks.
She was Mortified at their condition, and
mended them in a very artistic manner.
Luther looked 1T them in wonder and
reverence. 'I'll never wear EN-" he
said. when he was at home again. II
wouldn't have let her do it. only knew
it would make her feel better: and it gave
ME a chance to see her, too.''
He found that it was an easy matter
! to invent excuses for seeing her, and
| finally some time in the winter he asked
her in fear and trembling if she would
be Mrs. Luther Wilkins.
| At first she was afraid it would not
be right to abandon her brothers. chill.
dren, tut her scruples melted away be.
fore the warmth Of his eloquence. Then
she confessed that she was tired. 1T is
so long that l have had to take care OF
other folks, and it will seem like heaven
to have someone to take care of me-"
| So it happened that in little less than