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

''NothinG in the evening paper. I sup
pCse?' said Mr.. Hollebone. lazily. from
the armchair to which he had betaken
himself to sip his coffee.
"N-no," answered his wife. with a
hcS:tatiEg assumption Of equal ianguor.
'\othing but war rumors and and-ad-
vertiserents.'
Poor reading for the intcllectualS,' re-
marked the man. "Literature today is as
Shamefully neglected as the parish pump!
The critics have all become military eX
prrtS Instead OF 'Crabbe's Synonyms
and Somebody on STYLE they are study
ing war tactics and-to be in fashion
their personal appearance. | positively
envy the successful general and the prom
inent politician noWadays.'
And Mr.. Hollebone, who was a solicitor
and-no title Of incongruity is suggested
ii poet in Il small! way Of business,
rhuckled softly over his gay conceit.
His wife reshly judged this merry mo
ment to be the psychological one for the
diversion she contemplated.
Il have Il letter or two to write, EvS-
tac,." she said, rising and ylanciny at the
door.
leave me the paper said Hollebonc:
and then. with the air of one who grants
il privileges: Il think I'll stay at home
tonight and read in your company in
stead Of going round to the q ub. l rath
or fancy half bottle Of the old port
by my own Preside tonight: Don't be
too long with the correspondence. Mr..
Hollebone. always purchased his port in
half bottles. He was not allowed to
drink more, and never drank less.
At any other time his partner would
have mildly acknowledged the compli
ment but UPON this occasion she gave no
reply.
For there was that in the journal
which she held in her hand that she
would have hidden from all eyes. 1t ia
notoriously difficult business to keep
the interesting paragraph from the no
tice Of the Interested. as many wight
once high in the esteem Of his neighborS
OF daily journal has dealt out much harm
to the highly respected and much good
to the mainly undesirable.
Had tact been an ingredient OF Mrs.
Hollebone'a queerly mixed nature. she
would have surrendered the sheet with
good grace, and prayed her. prayer to
Fortune, who is ever on the side OF those
who risk something, he it cash or honor
Instead. she claspcd it tighter.
''Do you want it all?" she interrogated
weakly.
"Why?" asked the man, and to him his
query sounded reasonable enough.
The woman heSitated. ''lnere is an
answer it,
"All right. said the man. "rleuty of
time. | will not destroy it,
Il wish to write tonight she persist
Mr.. Holebone looked up. and, not be-
ing a stage poet, Immediately saw that
something was wrong somewhere.
Then tear the thing out. dear. and
give me the rest" he said. swcetly, MAX
ing no exception to the rule that marital
endearments and the beginning OF sllspi-
cion go hand in hand.
The woman proceeded to neatly SniD
out the paragraph.
As the door closed behind her. Mr..
Hollebone turned to the place that it had
once occupied. Him." he unused. "a
stray item of war news: How peculiar!
Let us turn to the other side Of the
Situ.li'>::. Well, she can hardly be so
lntere>41'l in the missing details OF that
noblemaAs speech. No. it must be the
war news, and she said it was an adver-
tisement-and it is not. Oh. tie. tie!
Now.- If l were an inQuisitive person
the club, merely to ascertain the nature
Of the contents OF that missing para
graph. After all, man is a much over
rated animal: his virtues are for the
most part negative-and they keep excel
lent port at the club III half bottleS.'
wife ten minutes later, II think l must
so round to the club this evening, after
all: Can | post your letters:'
His wife gave him an order for two
tons of coal upon a postcard. IL have
not finished the others yet. Martha will
'Goodby. dear; shall be back about
II. You don't mind me leaving you?'
no, Eustace; how ridiculous. Good
by
But not until the street door banged
did the paragraph and half finished let
ter emerge from the blotting pad.
Evening Standard. sir?' answered the
waiter Both copies engaged. SIR
'ihen. send out at once and get me
one" said Mr. Hollebone, testify.
Il call it internal meanness," unused
the poet; as ne sank into chair: TN
]ustltlable and commonplace curiosity
nothing more nor Tess. And l ought to
be ashamed of myself
Evening Standard, sir"
Ihanks, said Mr.. Hollebonc. "Ah,
here 1t is. ,I1isl Of officers inyalhpd home
lolf Morbin gton, Fourth New Zealand
Mounted infantry, wounded, severe Nv
God! Ruddy Morbington. So he went
to New Zealand. Why the devil didn +
he stay there? Steamer due to arrive On
tho 18th. | must do some hing, I sup
pOSt one is Sure 10 80 ana nave 4 look
at him. He was dangerous enough when
alive and well; he'll be the deuce now
he's sick and wounded.'
Nothing in the paper this morning,
Eustace,' said Mrs. Hollebonc at break
fast the next morning.
Her husband took the journal. and his
eye Travelled smdrtly up and down the
columns. resting presently at paragraph.
Nothing but the same war news and
different advertisements eagreed, after
a pause: And putting down the sheet. he
placed his elbow upon it and leant for
ward: Paris is very nice just now,
DEAR he began.
Rather unsettled,' said his wife, hest
tatingly.
We'll, it always is, You know" re-
marked the man. Il don't suppose it
will ever marry the rest of France and
settle down, though it has been rake
enough to be good husbands
They don't like the English across the
channel Just now she objected.
1.-The Parisians are, it is true, losing
the respect they once possessed for Eng
lishmen with money" replied her hus-
band, ''but '3e are retaliating. We are