The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-12-19


100000 worth of merchandise, which BIZ
OF sufficient locomotives to cope with 4
uncomfortable habit of roaming every
where, and they were boisterous in hail
ing an acquaintance. Besides, they
talked, and McLane dreaded having his
little intrigue the joke of the school. At
any moment an Objectionable art student
might drop into the park to sketch the
fountain, or the nurses and children, OF
the cathedral at one end of the park, or
even the low, gloomy, unimposing front
OF the Morgue at the other.
He was an easy-going young fellow.
who hated trouble, and perhaps. knowing
that the inevitable day of reckoning was
approaching, this accounted for the some
what tardy awakening of his conscience
He sometimes thought it would be best
simply to leave Paris, without any ex-
PLANTATION, but he remembered that She
knew his address, having written to him
often, and that by going to the school
she could easily find out where his home
was. So, if there was to be scene, 1t
was much better that it should take
place in Paris rather than where the nice
girl lived.
He ncrved himself up many times to
make the explanation and bring down
the avalanche, but when the time came
he postponed it. But the inevitable ulti-
mately arrives. He had some difficulty
at first in getting her to understand the
situation clearly, but when he at last
succeeded there was no demonstra tor.
She merely kept her eyes fixed on the
gravel and gently withdrew her hand
from his. To his surprise, she did not
cry, or even answer him, but walked
silently to and fro with downcast eyes
in the shadow of the church. No one, he
said, would ever occupy the place in his
heart that she held. He was engaged
TO the other girl, but he had not known
what love was until he met Yvettc. E:c
was bound to the other girl by ties he
could not break, which was quite true,
because the nice girl had rich father.
He drew such a pathetic picture OF the
loveless life he must in the future lead
that great wave of self-pity surged up
within him and his voice quavercd. lie
felt almost resentful that she should
take the separation in such ali unemo-
tional manner. When a man gets what
he most desires he is still unsa tisted.
This was exactly the way he had hoped
she would take it.
All things come to an end, even eXpla
nations.
'Wcli. goodby. Yvette,' he said, reach.
ing out his hand. She hesitated an in
slant, then, without looking up, placed
her small palm in his.
They stood thus for a moment under
H. 49, l.
FLASHED and trickled musically. The
shadow of the church was slowly creep
ing toward them over the gravel The
park was deserted except by themselves.
She tried gently to withdraw her hand:
which he retained.
"Have you nothing to say to me,
Yvette?" he ased, with touch of re-
proach in his voice.
he old not answer. He held her fin
gers. which were slipping from his grasp,
and the shadow touched her feet.
"Yvette, you will at least bid me good
BY"
She quickly withdrew her hand from
his, shook her head and turned away.
He watched her until she was out of
sight, and then walked slowly toward his
rooms on the Boulevard St. Germain.
His thoughts were not comfortable. He
was disappointed in Yvette. She was so
clever, so witty, that he had at least ex
pected she would have said something
cutting. which he felt he thoroughly de-
served He had no idea she could be 80
heartless. Then his thoughts turned to
the nice girl at home. She, too, had ele-
ments in her characterethat were some
what bewildering to an honest young
man. Her letters for long time had
been infrequent and unsatisfactory. 1t
couldn't be possible that she had heard
anything. Still, there is nothing SO easy
as point blank denial, and he would SEQ
TO that when he reached home.
An explanation awaited him at his
rooms on the boulevard. There was a
foreign stamp on the envelope, and it
was from the nice girl. There had been
a mistake, she wrote, but happily she
had discovered it before it was too late.
She bitterly reproached herself, taking
three pages to do it in, and on the fourth
page he gathered that she would be mar
ried by the time he had the letter. There
appeared to be no doubt that the nice
girl fully realized how basely she hac
treated talented, hard-working, aspir-
ing, sterling young man; but the realiza-
ton had not seemingly postponed the
ringing of the wedding bells to any ap-
probable extent.
Young McLane crushed the letter in
his hand and used strong language, as in
deed he was perfectly justified in doing.
He laughed a hard, dry laugh at the
perfdy Of woman. Then his thoughts
turned toward Yvette. What a pity it
was she was not rich! Like so many
other noble, talented men, he realized he.