The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-09
The BLESSING Of Jim Robbins.

He was quite too ready to admit that
he was just an average sort of fellow.
That was really all he cared to be.
What he could do he did fairly we'll, but
he did just as little as was decently pos
sohle. At college he had gone in little
fer athletics, and made a very credita-
Bile record, but he shrank from anything
really brilliant. He was a good scholar,
too but was quite willing to rank with
the intellectual second-raters.
The key to his aimless, irresponsible
life was the gold one. His fathers
wealth stretched like bar across the
crntive to work. And without incentive
Spencer Clifford merely vegctated. And
yet he felt a little conscience stricken
when Anna Goldie grayeiy asked him
one day about his future hopes 1t set
him to thinking, and thinking was an &C.
cupation that always disquieted him:
He avoided Anna Goldie for time, and
just as he was thinking he would invite
another talk with her on the subject she
told him. to visit an invalid aunt in the
interior Of the state. In what part Of
the stAtn lid Miss Goldie's aunt live:
Some where near Palmyra.
Palmyra? That was where Jim Rob
bins lived. Good old jim Robbins.
Iege year. Jim was somebody down in
Palmyra. Member of the Legislature or
something.
AS the days wore along the desire to
visit jim grew upon him. so he decided
to 80 down at once and make Jim a visit,
and he wrote to him to that, effect. :,
Then he went to the bank and called
on his father. And while he was there
his Uncle Tom came in and the three
We're closeted for long time in his ia
theirs private room: When they came
out his uncle Tom shook hands with him
and patted him on the back in his usual
hearty fashion, and both the older men
seemed highly elated., Spencer shook his
head a little doubtfully as he left them.
ing of his figure and clenching of his
hands, and accelerated his pace.
He arrived at Palmyra early in the
evening and concluded he would look jim,
up in the morning. He went to the ho-
tel and had his supper. After supper he
ION, jim Robbins?' cried the clerk.
Yes, yes. Jim is one Of our leading cit
liens. He's a great hustler, Jim is. Co.
ing to send him to the state Senate next
fall. Tell YOU what you do" continued
the clerk. Jim is the chairman of the
big banquet at Raymond hall tonight.
Of Col. Jack Speed, our congressman,
you know. Hon. Dwight Perkins, from
somewhere out West. one of the big ma
tional lights Of the House, is to be the
speaker Of the occasion. Better 60 over
Guess I will" said Spencer. 'I'd
like to see old Jim at the head of the
table: You say I can go?"
"All the credentials you need is a 81
BILL laughed the clerk
Spencer went back to his room and
donned his dress suit. A half-hour later
he assembled the stairway Of Raymond
hall. He noticed number of ladies in
the crowd that steadily marched into the
hall, and he was rather glad to find that
the banquet was not to be of the usual
political for-men-only character. AT the
head of the stairs he noticed a door
standing open, and looking through into
a brightly-lighted ante-room he saw his
old friend. The impulse was too strong
to resist. and he passed in the doorway
and held out his hand.
"What's the matter with Jim Rob-
bins?' he laughingly called.
In an instant his friends hand grinned
his. eep0O
spencer, old man, so glad to see youv'
He pushed Spencer off little and held
him there. "You are looking prime,' he