The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-11-02
LOVES EYES.

OF time over our tea. Constance and |,
for the windows of our dining room look
out upon bit OF ocean beach, at whose
edge we may see the green water crink-
ing and folding in the afternoon sun, or
FURTHER out the White wings OF the ships
mat 90 down to the sea. We sit and
gossip to each other across the table.
suppose we talk good deal about our
selves and a little about our neiyhbors.
who occupy the score OF summer cot
tagcIs on the bluff, whose boats bob at
dren race barelegged over Our beach
many times in the day. But am sure
that the neighbors talked as much as we
40 about them, so, in tue end, | fancy
matters are about even.
Constance was pouring the tea, and so
far she had been unusually silent. |
Watched her hands move swiftly among
with q strand of her hair, which It had
tugGed at Till it got loose. Constance
was very sober, and presently noticed!
that the little dart-like wrinkle in hey
forehead grew deeper, as ii something
troubled or perp.exed her and she was
not quite sure how to tell about it,
put two Jumps OF sugar in my cup and
watched the bubbles rise and trouble the
surface; then | looked out to where the
and from purple to green again, and |
SAID, by way OF breaking the ice:
Its always different, isn't it? As if
we had a marine hanging on our wall
which was changed for US every minute
OF the day.
smiled; then she said: Il had note
from Helen Dorr this morning. She's
coming up to spend Sunday with u.s.
''That's good,' | ventured.
'SheS going to be- married. They've
decided on the 10Th Of October. It's her
birthday.'
I carefully helped Constance to bit of
buetiSh: ITS come, has it," I said,
come: AS long as they didn't get mar.
ried l was in hopes that something would
come up to break it off. l didn't think
that Helen would really marry him wheH
it came to the final step. don't like
Mr.: Wemyss. He isn't good enough fp1
Helen. Honestly. now, do you think
5annI t y any possibility he can make her
no, I don't,' said. "Wemyss is not
the chap TO make anybody happy except
himself, and for my part [ cant under
stand why Helen marries him. That is.
can understand, but l should think she'd
have sense
Il suppose she loves him.
'She thinks she loves him. She's get
ting tired Of being the only unmarried
one Of her sex. All the rest of you are
married, and she has been bridesmaid
now six times and has stood at the foot
Of the stairs and caught the roses that
the brides tossed to her until it must
have got a trifle mOnOtOnOus. How old
is Helen?''
"She's year, older thar. I am"
And how old are you"'
You know we'll enough. H. two more
years l shall be 80. Think of it!''
Yes; think of it for Helen. Thirty is
It locks the door on girlhood. and Helen
must have felt that the years were going
by pretty fast. PERHAPS she found a
white hair. She thought that pretty soon
people would begin to call her an old
maid. She wanted to get away from the
possibility of that. She also wanted to
be loved: Then Wemyss came along
and his quiet. careful way with the
women. 1t was natural that Helen
should think she loved Wemyss."
Il don't believe she'd marry him 70
keep from being an old maid. know he4
BETTER"
"She wouldn't reason it out, my dear.
She isn't the kind of girl to do that. Ii
she'd reasoned she'd have gone further
and told herself that it was a good deal
better to be what people call an cid maid
than to marry un1appily"
Her father ought to have known more
about Mr.. Wemyss before he consented.''
Its the people who are most concerned
ory says that Heien usually has her own
way-doesn't she?
Edward" said Constance, growing
very sober, what do you think OF him -
| slipped my tea. He's a good-humored
fellow, but he doesn't pay his debts, and
hear he has a good many"
Il don't like him. said my wife de-
cdedly
Il don't know anybody who does,'' said
1--"except Helen"
''Nobody?'
Il don't believe I ever heard anybody
say good word for Wemyss. They adj
nit he's pleasant and good-looking, but
they all say that at bottom he's Smooth
and worthles
Of Helen than any Of the others. And
can't bear to think of her throwing
herself away on a man of that sort. If
we We're the only ones who didn't like
who hasn't the respect of other menMT
believe if Helen only knew that. she
wouldn't do it; Do you think | ought
to tell aao her, r Do Do you think it would do
You nave lived twenty-eight years in
ILLS WOIlu, COuStduce, ana mat long
enough to know that you can't advise
people about their love affairs. You can
only stand off and hope they will not be
But if he's what sou say he is, it's
my duty"
1T wouldn't do any good; it would
only give Helen a bad half hour, take
her nearer to Wemyss and push her far
Their from YOU. You'd get credit for
m9eddling. Two people would hate you
where before one loved y0i; It is like
throwing your bread on the water with
no prospect of return"
ANYWAY, my conscience will be easy.
and that's something"
But your conscience won't he easv
1t will tell you that YOU have made q girl
very unhappy merely because you were
a stickler for duty. Now, will it do any
good to soothe your own conscience by
making Helen your enemy!'
How do you know she wouldn't take
my advice and at least wait till she knew
Mr.. Weymss better?'' a.
If, when you were engaged to me.
some one-Helen, say-had come to YOU
and said: Constance. dear. the man you
are going to marry is bad man and al
together unworthy of you;' if some one
said that, would you have broken the
engagement, or would you nave even
considered that she might be right? %