The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-03-30

l
| Atlanta Constitution.
AN unknown QUANTITY.
| was, regret to say it, the Unknown
Quantity, and was so for no other rea-
son than that l had got over my earliest
youth, while she was at the halcyon age
of pigtails. Her pigtail was black, fire.
| quently tied with a black ribbon, and
matched her blue eyes beautifully. Peo-
pie say that such things-blue eyes and
dark hair-are to be found in Ireland by
the hundreds, but they say so many
things about Ireland. 1 have not been to
| Ireland, but do not believe it, I do not
| believe that beauties grow on any par
tlcular soil, like prize turnips.
| Often ! rallied at fate for reducing me
| to an Unknown Quantity. Why, because
| l was supposed to have seen the world,
having been in India for few years; be-
cause had brought back few tigers
claws, purchased, for all she knew, in
than these boys who lowered round her,
| and had forgotten how to blush like them
why should 1 be reduced to this absurd
position? After all, five years in India
| does not make one q grandfather, and
| man may even have shot tigers without
| But fate, rejoicing in irony, has ordained
that to sixteen twenty-six shall be a mys-
terry. separated irreconcilably by long
years of experience and intolerable wis
| dom, for twenty-six has seen life, while
sixteen is learning department. The an
moving thing about it is that in another
year,or two at most--when the pigtail
shall! have become a coil on the top of the
head-unknown quantities will cease to
exist; X, by the universal vanishing of age
distinctions, will be resolved into one
more man, and-from twenty to 1OO-no
reasonable offer will he refused,
In the meanwhile we were friends
with a difference. She tyrannized over
the col!egians when they gathered in
her train too sheepishly. or deferred to
them when they blusteringly laid their
regulations as rowers or batsmen at her
feet, and she drank in their comforta Bile
eeotlsm. Our relations We're not of the
other perplexing Oriental subjects, in
which she displayed n constrained intel
hgence and I a fictitious interest am
not sure even that was not compelled
to get up the religion of Buddha from
dusty works of reference, and I know
s'io seoaeu oA tie SUBJECT OF aVaterS. 1t
was not so very long since had stroked
my college eight and my average for
cricket in India. What does it matter?
Hne could not understand that such sub
Jects were meat for travelled man, so
that l had no opportunity of mentioning
laurels won. Seeing ON what easy terms
they would have placed us, l kept re-
iaure!S OF mere wish or mere regret-I
lear L am quoting some philosopher-are
Wlthered leaves that never were green.
But nearest approach to mutual under
standing was when l ventured to tease
Der. lfsshe understood my jokes, which
naPpened, admit, when they were at
their poorest, we INDUCED in common
laughter. And laughter is one of the
methodss OF solving X. If, on the other
hand. they. contained some bewilderina,
Su6tlety, she was good enough to over,
iook the point and we went on to pas
lures new. e"S
One day-it was at the time when Nav
grows odorous among the bleachins
macs, when laburnums let fall their vel
low rain in the sunlight, and the lapwing
as l am given to understand, although
no NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. himself another
crest-My Lady of the Pigtail brought
out divine sailor hat. Many were the
colieglans who saw her home from school
ana purchased boxes of chocolates to win
or swear, a superior flavor, but, where
as She accepted theirs as votive offerings
WIN queenly condescension, mine elected
an impulsiye gratitude, as though thew
nad been the tip of some elderly uncle
once then gratitude-the emotional quid
TOT the material quo-has always, in nv
opinion, been least among. the virtues.
felt differently. l suppose uncles do. But
1 was not her uncle, nor did I wish to be.
Inc pseudO-aruncular position is worse
tnan that of the brother by compact. As
an unknown quantity writhed. She m
derstood enough of to read disappoint-
ment on my face, for she set about CON
s sou me by stating that she wished for
opinion, as if you really thought it worth
listening to (which of course you never
4o)' Is the surest way to his good graces.
was not an old man, and 1 wondered
II the sirens spoke with so alluring a lisp.
we were sitting at the tennis court,
Where many of her collegians were play
ing: gathered from her mysterious
prciace that several of the collegians had
maze dark requests for gloves and flow
ers and such things. Indicative of momen-
tous intentions. She desired nv opinion
upon them.
Il want to know what you think Of
Tom Redington,, she said. do you con-
tnl0er MN nlce!
MIR. Tom Redington,'' I replied, s.is q
man or exquisite taste and unim peach
'Why?" she asked.
Because he has the felicity to attract
your attention"
mo; but seriously" she lisped. It was
somehow understood between us that
polysyllables denoted an absence of So
riousness.
''Well, then" said, ''he bats, doesn't
he, or rows?"
s,i Are ES% sure Sr;.Syt G y, serious she
And shining" said, solemnly.
.He'th got a very good average so far
this season." she reflected, not taking me
into this athletic monologue.
1.-The season is young yet" said hope
fu!ly. You should never count your
chickens until you're sure they are not
ducks"
But Dick Walkers is higher" she
went on. balancing merits, 'tonly beth
so conceited about it." 49,.
pride comes before a fall" I said.
though a good deal depends on the
:Then. there's Mr.. Dean,'' she said.
thoughtfulE, che brought me some choc.
Olates today" .> -,
Nv What does e.: Mr.. Dean do?' I asked.
"Of course not" she said, laughing.
He rows, and he won thculling match
the other day." b = II. =
Deans hot man." I said. = s.s@ n
There are such a lot of young men,"
she said, furrowine her brows, as Pene-
lope did in all-probability when she CON
sidered the vast number OF her suitors.
wait a few years, suggested.
There wont be SO many men,"
why not?' she asked. @:@ SRI. ,;:s5.s.s
It's kind Of political economy" 1
said vaguely. There'Il want to be
quite as many. Very likely more. But
You will only see one. He will have an
exceedingly high average, and you will
probably think he ought to represent
England against the Australians.
Whether he SOULS or not you will be
convinced that he is the best potential
will not agree with you,s and the COM
-mittee of selection will declare that they
cannot put everyone into the English
eleven: You will abuse the committee
OF select The only-existing-yo young
man will wave his hand negligently. and
al hot