The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-07-25
Jonas Wilkins Birthday Present

BY L. w. S.
Certainly, Jonas must have birth
day present! Now the question is, What
shall it be-" said blackeyed May Gard
ner in a determined manner. Gust
think! He'll be IS years old, and has
never had one, except when he was a
little boy, almost too young to remcm-
ber!" she added, sympathetically.
"Did he say that?" asked Jennie Deer
ing, with curious blush.
eyes, he told Uncle John So" said May
quickly, "and when uncle repeated it to
me I just decided that he should have
a present this year, sure"
Lets send him something that is USE
full! An old bachelor needs 50 many
things that he would never think of buy.
ing himself. We could send him a
clock" said Jennie, but again May
frowned upon the suggestion.
"No, indeed! That won't do. Jonas
has no end of clocks and needs no more.
Let's give him something that he would
never dream of getting for himself"
ooh, girls!" broke in Sallie Green, with
ringing laugh. give thought of the
very thing! Let's give Jonas wife for
his birthday present! He has everything
else that he needs, and you know he is
altogether too timid to even secure a
wife without some assistance!"
"Won't he resent ?" asked the girls,
timidly, but May checked them imperi-
ously.
"Certainly not, if she is the right one!
What man would! The only thing is TO
see that she is in every way worthy of
him, for Jonas is really splendid fel-
low, even if he is bashful. Jonas shall
have wife for his birthday, that much
is settled! Now, who shall she be, and
how will we present herr"
The three girls sat for a moment in 81
lence; then suddenly May was struck
with a bright idea. The other girls
stared at her in breathless amazement
when she told them what it was.
"Why, May Gardner, you must be
crazy!" they cried simultaneously.
"Not bit of it," said May, stoutly.
"Now, see here, girls, be sensible. Here
we are, getting older and older every day,
and not man in the village that is mar
riageable except Jonas. Now, we all
like him, you know we do; but if we
wait for him to propose we'll all die old
maids, and that would be awful. All
Jonas needs is a little encouragement,
and no one will ever know that we used
our influence for each other!"
And, finally, her reasoning prevailed,
possibly by the aid of tender sentiment
existing toward Jonas in the hearts Of
both the blushing maidens.
81 say, Jonas, you'd oughter be think
in of marryin'," said Uncle John Gard
ner shortly after the important agree
ment between the three young ladies.
II s'pose So" said Jonas absently, with
little blush.
"'Pears to me you'd better be lookin'
around" continued the old farmer, as in
differently as possible. "Your thirty
fifth birthday is comm and you've ben
half your life without wife. Must be
sort O. desolate fer We, Pm thinkjn'."
"That's SOL" said Jonas, little
mournfully. "There amt so much fun
a-settin' alone o. evenin's, but I'm used
to it, he added, despondently.
"Pshaw! There amt no sech thing as
gittin' used tew it! It amt nat'ral!"
said Uncle John, stoutly.
"What'll do?" asked Jonas, sheep
ishly.
"Ask one of these pretty girls around
here to marry you-sort of a birthday
present to yourself, don't you know"
The old man chuckled as he glanced slyly
at Jonas.
''They wouldn't have me-" said Jonas,
with a decided shake of his head.
'There's three of 'em that would''-be.
gan the old farmer, but he checked him.
self abruptly. He had come very near
betraying his pretty niece's secret. Gust
you ask 'em,'' he finished abruptly, but
with an encouraging smile.
(Which one'll ask" queried Jonas.
"Ask 'em ALL" said the old farmer,
with roar of laughter. He had evil
IDENTIFY thought of something that was ex-
ceedingly funny.
''John Gardner, be you out of your
head?" said Jonas, half angrily.
But the farmers words burned in his
brain long after he had parted with his
friend and neighbor.
And that evening he put on his best
suit and went over to call on Jennie
Deering.
An hour before midnight they were sit
ting alone in the kitchen, for the old
folks had gone to bed in a most accom-
modating manner.
did you know my birthday was next
week, Jennie?" said Jonas, suddenly.
He was sitting as near her as he dared
when he asked the question.
Suddenly, Jennie giggied in a most un-
accountable way.
DO you want a birthday present, Jo-
nas?" she asked, with a fit of laughter
that bordered on Mysteries.
Jonas looked at her with some sur
prise, but when he answered her he was
in desperate earnest.
~ want wife!" he said boldly, and
then blushed as red as poppy.
"That's what I meant" said Jennie,
still lowering on Mysteries. 'Do you
want wife for birthday present?'
Jonas caught his breath and looked at
her sharply. Had she turned mind-read-
er or was it simply a chance question?
But Jennie was desperately in earnest,
as we'll as Jonas. She had to fulfill her
part toward securing the combination
wife and present. rs: Z*5
MAY Gardner or salhe Green would
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