The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-12-07

he caught at the idea like drowning
man IT. II lfe-belt.
why are all Irishmen chriStened Pat
rick?' he asked, going at the point in Il
roundabout way inStinctively.
But they aren't" she exclaimed MY
husbands name is George He was
christened George Carruthers, only Pat
suits him SO much better. You will say
so when YOU see him."
Dick could see him in his minds eye,
with couple of soldiers heaping dry
sand over him in shallow grave. and a
thn;g party retnrning to camp after
vaguely whether they marched back
with arms reversed. and what arms re-
versed might precisely mean He had
read Of soldiers funerals in newspapers.
You really ought to see him. she
went on. and. having once got upon the
topic. talked of the husband whom she
had married six months before for the
rest OF the dinner time. telling her host
eSS an anecdote Of him across the man
who sat between them. Her doing so
gave Dick an opportunity to think, and
possible solutions Of the question what
was to happen chased one another
through his head. She might not see the
new till the morning. reading it all by
herself in her lodgings: he had called on
uSi tAtlt, iul SHc udl tOlu nun now
lonely and forlorn she felt without
"pat.' The Nennekers were almost the
only peop:e she knew in London, and
they were only friends whom she had
known. as girls know married people in
London, for a year or two before her
engagement Again, she might read the
news in IN evening paper, as he had
than with the loneliness Of night to fol-
low the bloW-~all alone at night III + hose
dingy lodgings. Or some one might have
seen the telegram and might blurt out
the name he had read at any moment
during dinner: then there would be a
scene, in which he. Dick Templar. would
be a helpless spectator. Some day she
spent the evening. laughing and chatting
when her husband lay dead, and even
find ont that he knew all the time. Could
he tell he" quietly afterWard? He
could. Of course, drive home with her:
probably she would expect him to do so.
Should he tell Mrs. Vennckcr and ask
her to break the news? Some people. he
knew, thought that bad news came more
gentle dribbled out. perhaps with an ac-
compartment of phrases importing re-
ligious consolation. He thought OF how
he might best put it, and shivered. His
train Of thought was interrupted by Mrs
O'Br:en speaking to him, eating late
strawberry bv tiny mOuthtulS as she did
so. He hoped his face would show moth
ing for the present.
DO you think me horribly frivolous
and heartess, dining out and enjoying
myself: Do you think ought to be
Ilum. like-like you?' she asked with
sudden grave look in her eyes. If |
once gave way to all | feel at times l
should 90 mad. The worst battles were
fought before he got out there, and feel
II EnNw-thHf h.A tHrDrrh
right now You think the show is prac-
ticalIy ever, don't you? Everyone says
She laid her hand on his. or it touched
his, perhaps unintentional'?.. and her
face wa h TOR he IN omer 1dn so uFI T and
ity Of her feeling. looking into her eyes
and seeing for an instant below the sur
face. Then the surface closed over
again and rippleu, and, before he could
answer, Mrs. Venneker had signaled and
the ladies were filing out of the room:
There was no doubt of the feeling
no doubt of the weight Of the blow
OF her hand on his had set his pulses
1hrobbing. and he felt that there was d
future to think OF as we'll as 4 present
Speaking of the matter afterWard. Mr..
Ncnneker told his wife that he noticed
at the time that Templar punished the
not draw him into the conversation of
the other mon. he let him alone The
latter part Of this was true, for Dick
hardly answered coherently when he was
spoken to, With regard to the port, he
drank three sips, and left the rest stand
others to join the ladies. BY that time
he had made up his mind that it was of
no use TO say anything to Mr.. Vemeker
When they got upstairs. Mrs. O'Brien
was singing. 1t was an Irish song. some
thing with Pat, me darlin'." at inter
walls: and the usual "acushlas' and
tory in the old days, and he heard her
say that her husband had taught it to
her, when she had finished. and been
warmly congratulated on her perform
ance. But, as she was in the back draw
ing room, by the piano, with several la
dies around her, he did not 60 near her
can hear them three streets off," said
another man to him, and they stepped
together onto the balcony outsil. TIL.
drawing room window. Dick assented.
and suggested shutting the window; il
was the front drawing room, that faced
the roadway. and someone else was Sit
ting down to the piano, but still she might
well hear
"Horrible boo-hoo! Boo-hoo sIorter
payperr" they came along, working OPP
posite sides of the street, and believing
antiphonally, two ruf1ians with bundles
Of evening newspapers and voices Xix.
foghorns. A servant bought a paper
from one of them three doors off, while
tine other beloved; he had enough definite
news in his bill to be quite articulate AS
to the slaughter.
by George. We'll have one!' said Mr..
Venneker, in the room behind them. Dick
tried to stop him, but was too late. He
instead Of ringing the bell and sending
out.
Mrs. O'Brien was coming forward from
the back drawing room, standing in /: