The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-12-06

with the message that Miss Bradford
would not be able to receive Mr.. Main.
his blitheness faded little before such
Spartan terseness: Still, he managed to
pull himself together as a spare and ell
derby woman, bearing all the outward
marks Of indurated spinsterhood. beck
nned him into sideroom, and he bowed
before Aunt Jane as before queen.
Be you the young man who was so
smitten with Marthy when she went
yisitin' down to the lie Moinses?" she
Mr.. Mann admitted the soft impeach-
ment.
Then you're ject the one want to
see,' she continued: and with all the
energy of sighted affection, the spinster
detailed the circumstances Of Martha s
engagement, ending with the warning that
bez was praying like every othe~ old
fGol' for an early marrl e.
But what can do?" asked the young
man, now all disconsolate miss Brad
ford has the right to do as she oeases
with her own; she knows her own heart"
"Hoity-toity,' snapped Aunt Jane. 1T
isn't heart IT'S compunct'uns. Don't I
:h:: man: Now, if you want to save
ne" from being wretched forever, you'll
hurry off to Judge Marcellus and tell
him about the pretty duck and brakes his
ward IS going to make of her fortune.
Ihe idea: taking that little mink after
all these years.
Without attempting to determine the
FASTENED on his mission. No words can
tttingly describe the judges rage. "A
charlatan, complete. utter hypocrite,"
he stormed. "who should have been
kicked out of the house years ago; but l
believed, as did old Jane herself, that he
was after the aunt. This is plant. a
base frand; or he would have taken the
is 20 convince Martha that she has been
deceived and stopping for a moment to
summon Abe CrOnkite, he went on even
more vehemently for the instruction of
that efficient agent.
''Of course. it looks suspicious, SIR re-
hected the detective: from his having
access to the Bible and then making such
l imagine suspicious wouldn't count with
girl like Miss Martha, and before we
could run them down into proof, she
might be married and done for. We
must rest our case, sir, on the intrinsic
evidence Of the letter itself. If that is
forgery, the chances are that it bears ull-
erring marks of fraud. So many, many
things enter into the manufacture of
letter sixty years old that it is almost
positive that an amateur like MIN would
make s!iD-a little one, no doubt. but
none the less fatal.'
Il am sure.' said the judge, ''that Mar
tha's confidence in me viii cause her to
send me that letter on my simple request:
yes, and without saying a word about it
to that rascal"
A week later Abe Cronkite came :nto
the office. the letter in his hand. Il am
ready to make my report, SIR" he said.
SWELL, well?" cried Harry Main, press
ing forward eagerly.
But the Judge waved his hand magis-
terially. I'VE shall reach the truth more
certainly" he said, Through responses
to categorical questions. Now, then,
handwriting?'
1T is like. very like, SIR replied the
detective. The same curves. the same
strokes. OF course, you can get experts
to swear any way you want; but the pre-
ponderance. I believe, would be in favor
of its genuineness."
Hum! The paper?'
''The best of old Irish linen, sir. thicker
than they make nowadays, to say moth
ing of the watermark of house hun.
0rs &i years penS Co.
" :.Hhd Ten >, with quill SIR"
t.tS SSod ni iron ink sir of the sort our
4dlucIS USCU.
Lord" eroaned Harry Main; there's
no hope for us!''
REALLY, Cronkite," said the judge anx-
iously. II can't see that we have leg
to stand on; and yet, judging from your
manner in other matters, l thought you
felt confident"
''Not confident, sir; certain
'What do you meanw cried Harry
Main; and this time the judge echoed his
words and pressed forward eagerly with
him.
''Just look at that writing, sir, remem-
bering that ink flows readily from quill
and that the stroke must be broad and
thick. Does it look as it had been left
to dry after it was written"
d The judge held the paper slant-wise to
pa se pan un
formly even: That whiting blot -
S mot 40 fast. sir: here's strong glass
that will make those lines look like gar