The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-04-27

Sing, little children, sing!
BILLY WARDS EASTER.
AS Billy Ward turned into the street
where his sister lived an organ on the
corner began droning out, "Oh, Don't
You Remember Sweet Alice, Ben Bolt?'
..:That's the first song remember
hearing father sing" thought Billy. And
a vision Of his fathers face, with the
steadfast gray eyes and CHEEKY, whimsical
| smile, suddenly rose before him. And
then across the mirror of his memory
| drifted another picture-that of lonely
grave in far away country churchyard.
He saw the laurel tree at its head. the
roses DOdding ut the foot.
Billy sighed and his honest face cloud
ed. He missed the companionship, the
advice of that dear comrade who had
Billy found himself softly whistling
the, sweet, old hackeneyed air as he
| pushed the electric button under his sis
terS name.
| The door clicked. She was at home,
| then. AS he went up the stairs he heard
uIS SISTER glorious voice Flnk OUT III lIle
| jubilant strains of an Easter anthem:
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, sons of men
and angels say;
Raise your voice and triumph cry, sing, ye
| heavens, and earth, reply.
| Billy listened enraptured. He was as
proud of her voice as he was of her beau
ty. He always went to the fashionable
Fifth Avenue church where she sang on
Sunday mornings, simply to hear her.
And when she stood and turned her love-
ly face toward the lofty, fretted roof,
and her rich voice rolled down through
the aisles, Billy always got lump in
| his throat.
She was rehearsing now the solo she
| was to sing at Easter service next morn
| ing. Billy had heard it before, with its
| wonderful flourishes nnd runs and STAG
cato notes, and his heart had swelled
But what Billy greatly wished was
that Alice would learn some of those
old familiar ballads that brought back
| memories of their childhood and their
| dear old home.
Billy had not been in New York long,
| and tonight he was homesick. The nos
| talgia Of spring was upon him. The
soft air, the daffodils in the windows
! yes, the very sound Of the street organ
grinding out the old song his father had
| loved-flled him with unspeakable long
ing:
He hoped he might find Alice alone
| for once. There were so many things
he wanted to talk over with her, but
some way she was never alone now, she
| had so many engagements, ana was con-
! stantly going here and there. Sometimes
it frightened Billy. He felt as if she
his superior.
Alice came forward to meet him-a
tall, attractive young woman, with a
wealth of brown hair and large, melting
! blue eyes.
She was dressed to 90 out, all in black
she was still in mourning for their ia.
ther-and with a tiny buttertly-shaped
| bonnet of jet on her sleek, satin-like
| hair.
She gave little embarrassed laugh,
,Why, Billy, l was not expecting you
Here is the general"
f'iily bowed gravely to the man who
was leunging by the window, with an all
OF t:elng very much at home.
| The general arose and held out a soft,
fat white hand. Billy took it careless
"We were just going out to dinner"
Welt on his sister.
eyes. won't you join us?" asked the
general.
NO." said Billy, shortly. Don't let
me detain you. III sit here while and
smoke, sis, and read the papers,
VERY we'll, y replied his sister with IN
air Of relief. Then, after few min
utes Indifferent chat she drew on her
gloves and departed with the general.
5 Ely smoked his cigar thoughtfully:
Elaintive refrain of the music
They have fitted a slab of granite so gray,
And sweet Alice lies under the stone ''
~ must get Alice to learn that and
Thought Billy. wien we are a'one'
Who was this man. this general. who
was always with her? Billy thought Of
the. flabby, livid face, the bold, heavily
lidded eyes, the fulsome manner, like an
unholy caress. Il don't like that man
said Billy: aloud. Il wish she wouldn't
20 out with him. l must caution her:
She's too handsome to be living alone'
The night wind blew stronger through
the half open window of Alice's bed
| room. Billy rose to shut it. Far on
down the street came the strains of
ben Bolt dying away in the distance
In the old churchyard in the valley, Ben
| Bolt.
Once more the vision of lonely grave
away in a country churchyard rose be.
fore hinl-his fathers grave.
On his sisters bed lay a pile of fnery,
like u fainting lady-her Easter gown.
Billy looked ut the mass of snowy silk
and chiffon, the foamy lace and futter-
ing ribbons, with curiosity and some
| mixing of its value rose in his mind.
"She always was an extravagant mink.
| She could never learn the value of mon
ey.. | hope she is not running into debt"
"A bill was pinned to the corsage. Billy
R !.%t ; it up, looked at it and sw9re.
hundred and twenty-five dollars for that
f1imsy stuff! By George! I'll have to
talk to Alice. She can't afford such lux
uries.'
The dressing table stood before him.
lie looked at the silyer-backed brushes,
with jeweled pins-the thousand and one
dainty trit1es suggesting the coquetry of
| charming woman.
A lace-edged handkerchief had been
carelessly dropped upon some object.
Billy lifted it to inhale the delicate per
paused with the handkerchief held mid
| way in air.
The object that the lace-bor,lered trifle
concealed was leather jewel case con-
tanning a bracelet king might covct.
If Billy: did not know the value of a
womans gowns, he did that of diamonds
A card lay with the jewel. 1t bore the
generals name and a senile inscription
the silly Numbering of dOddering old
| man.
Billy's face flushed deep scarlet. as
II someone mad struck him He stood for
a moment as if turned to stone. Then he
walked slowly into the next room. and os
he went he mechanically whistled ''Ben
BOlt.''
The ugly truth grinned at him like a
| skeleton. Many things came back to him
| little glances, soto voce remarks, ex-
travagances. Oh, too we'll he knew now
the significance Of many hitherto mys-
| FERROUS details. His sister-his little SIS
| ter-whom he had worshiped and cher
| ished and of whose beauty and talents be-
had been so proud-was-God how
could he speak the hideOus words?
1t was only moment that lie stood
there, his hand to his head, as if to crush
his brain: Then with the fury of q mad.
man he dashed into the bedchamber.
| He seized the pile of lace and silk and
chiffon and rent it to tatters. The re-:
mains futtered helplessly down to the
floor, where they lay in little heaps. ike
| feecy snOwdrift gashed and form NV :.