The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-05-31
ETHEL WAYNE'S ESCAPADE.

Everybody declared that Hugh Cole
wood ought to be the happiest man in
Greenville. He was young, handsome
and we'll educated; then, just as he was
preparing to fight his way to fame with
poverty arrayed against him, he had sud-
denly been made the sole heir to the fine
old estates Of his eccentric aunt, Miss
Betsy Colewood, recently deceased.
What more was necessary to the happi-
9ess Of gay young fellow like Hugh
However, there were conditions, or one
at least, in his aunt's will which caused
him no little uncaslness. He must love
and marry the girl of her choice. one
whom he had never even seen. Hugh
Colewood caught up his aunt's last letter
to him and read it again and again, hop
from the CALLING condition. but it was
there in merciless black and white This
is the part that worried him:
If you cannot comply with my wishes
for you to meet Ethel Wayne and love
and marry her, you forfeit your heirship
to my estate. Ethel's mother was my
dearest friend. and if you marry her
desires. You cannot help loving her. I
could not rest in my tomb peacefully and
know that Ethel was not mistress Of my
estates, and you, dear boy, the master.
My lawyer, Mr.. Cranston, will arrange
for you to meet Ethel, as he is one Of
her guardians. You know how thorough
~ l despise old bachelors, therefore
you to inherit my houses and land as one
of that disagreeable. crusty order"
Hugh loved the Colewood estates, and
could not bear to think of giving them
up. Now. if the will had not specified
whom he must marry, but left the selec-
ton of wife entirely to himself, Hugh
believed that he "'culd have enjoyed the
picked up his hat and rushed from his
room. going up to the hotel where Mr..
Cranston was stopping while he ar
ranged some business matters with
Hugh
"Halloa. Colewood! Take seat,'' said
the lawyer.
You are aware of that one peculiar
feature IL q, my late aunt's WILL Mr..
70 what pe:u1is!r. feature do you re-
The one that absurdly commands me
to marry a girl whom haye never seem
'Oh, that" returned Mr.. Cranston.
You are lucky fellow, Colewood.
That's the best part of the fortune"
Hugh cried, desperately. How can a
fellow love and we'd to order?'
well, it's a deal of time and bother
saved to the wooer,'' remarked the law
yer, putting. 1--WE. no doubt Ethel Wayne
will suit you better than any selection
you are capable OF making"
I'm sure she won't suit me, sir. The
estates can 60 to charity for all I care.
l don't love any woman, and l love my
freedom too well to marry vet awhile.
1 don't want to be thrust upon any wom-
an for the sake Of fortune, and I don't
suppose Miss Wayne cares two straws
about the absurd condition in my aunt's
WILL @-s n. 49, f +. -. &
1T is very likely, although Ethel had
the greatest respect for the late Miss
Colewood and was very careful to hnmor
all her vagaries,'' returned Cranston.
However. hardly feel able to state
whether the girl would accept Miss Cole
woods last vagary in the shape Of her
impulsive nephew or not s49E *sS.
49, I shall not give her the opportunity 2
said Hugh, nettled at the lawyers words.
Hold on, Colewood. , Let's drop nom
sense and come to business. You like
your aunt's estates, but you cannot re-
tain them without complying with her
wishes. You have never met the Rirl
whom your aunt has chosen. Perhaps Il
will be proved that you are neither a
you opposed to fulfilling the condition. Al
least, you must meet. will arrange