The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-09-05
JUST ONE GIRL

But Dame fortune sometimes plays
queer freaks on her most unsuspecting
sons and daughters, and it so happened
that Mrs. Douglass was far away when
her sons telegram arrived.
Twill be home tomorrow with Lock
wood. Stay a week." So the telegram
read. Nothing so formidable sounding
| about that, but mother was away. And
Lockwood? Well, Gilbert Lockwood was
the only son and heir OF Hon. Grant
Lockwood, ex-senator and county judge.
'Whatever shall we do?" asked poor
Margaret. Proud, aristocratic Margaret,
who loved nothing so much as fine dis
play. Margaret never did know just what
! to do unless her younger sister, Beth,
suggested.
Mother away" she continued, "Molly
trums, to say nothing of cook, who is
reany to ny at moments warning'
Now Molly was upstairs girl, while
Nll!ly enjoyed the double privilege of
waitress and ladies' maid. Her tantrums
were chronic, aggravated this time by
.Molly illness and a consequent increase
of work. 4 dreadful state Of affairs. most
surely. 10''
"Well; we are in tight place. that's
fact,' answered Beth. eve havo
spoiled AIilly by doing most of A1ollv's
work, and she will never consent to doing
both. More than that, Julia always in
slsts on extra help in the kitchen when
there is company. There's where Molly
proves herself a jewel"
AND Harold so particular. Beth. it's
awful: Gilbert Lockwood, Of all people,
and his first visit! Things are sure to 90
wrong, and I shall die of modification.
Harold will scold, and mother! Beth, can
yon imagine how poor mother will feel %
But in the meantime Beth had done
some thinking, and, to judge by the de-
clded pose of her chin, had thought to
some purpose.
<<, Il have it. Madge,'' she answered;
leave it to plain, practical Elizabeth.
and the honor and dignity of the Doug
lass family will live forever. I am going
to put ,Milly in the kitchen with Julia
| and
"But," demonstrated Julia.
mo butts my dear. 1 am going to
take Milly's place with Nlolly's work. -
And with curtesy half knocking, half
triumphant, Beth stood before her Sis
ter, arms akimbo.
But II" again ventured poor Mar
garet.
''You? Oh, yes! You will do the hon
sy went away for a rest, and how sister
Beth is visiting a friend! See?"
Margaret protested that Harold would
be angry, and that their mother would
never get over it, but Beth was firm.
Leave it to me-" she said. "I'll man
age Harold, and mother will never
know"
So it happened that when Harold
Douglass and his friend alighted at the
steps of the Dongless home only Mar
garet was there to greet them.
'Why, Madge'' he exclaimed. "Where
are mother and Beth?''
"Oh, mother was not we'll. so we sent
her to Aunt James for a rest, and
Beth" But here Margaret was inter-
rupted with:
IF you please, Miss Margaret, will
Mr.. Harold just step into the library a
moment:' And there stood Beth, in a
neat but plain calico, with white apron
on, her hair smoothed plainly back, only
| an occasional curl escaping over her
brow and neck.
Too astonished to speak, and obeying
| a slight but imperative nod of Margaret's
head, Harold followed Beth in. After
listening TO her explanation he gave a
most reluctant consent, promising Sc
crecy, saucy Beth giving as final ar
gument:
"Well, with only one to choose from
Mr.. Lockwood may leave his heart, and
incidentally his fortune, in the Douglass
At dinner, however, and at all subse-
quent meals, Harold noticed that many
Of Gilbert Lockwood's stray glances fell,
not upon Margaret, but upon Beth, who
certainly made very demure and de-
cidedly pretty waitress.
Each evening when he met her in the
little summer house for their daily chat,
Harold tried Beth's patience by coaxing
her to give the farce up, or at least to
let him introduce her and explain to
Lockwood.
mo; like the fun,' Beth always an
swered. 1T is rich to watch Madge's
face when l come in. She is so afraid
almost did when called you Harold this
noon; but guess he didn't notice."
The brother and sister made a very
pretty picture as they sat thus talking,
| but it seemed not to so strike Gilbert
Lockwood, who for the third night in
| that week stood at his window watching
them.
''Humph! This after-dinner tete seems
to be steady diet for Douglass" he
! growled to himself. "a deucedly pretty
girl, but why doesn't Hal look higher:
But say, that's the very face that has
| been haunting my dreams ever since l
came. Am moonstruck, too, and in love
fellow is actually kissing her-and I,
why, I believe I'd like to kick him. This
is a pretty state Of affairs"
| hut it was even so. And when Harold
rejoined his friend for a quiet smoke he
found him decidedly grumpy and dis
posed to discuss the folly of unequal
! marriages. At the end of the week, on
their return to college, there was a de-
cided GOODNESS between the two fellows,
but Lockwood soon made up his. mind
| that was foolish on his part, and soon all
| was as it should be. But even so, Gilbert
used to envy Harold those regular let
tiers that came, at the same time con-
| demning his folly.
At last came the commencement, and
with it all the fathers, mothers, sisters.
| brothers, sweethearts, cousins and aunts.
And here was Gilbert Lockwood's sur
prise, for with the Douglass family came
| that pretty waitress"
His mother must know all about il. -
thought Lockwood; wonder how she
likes it? That other rather stunning girl
must be his sister Beth, Of whom Hal
is always talking. Guess I'll 20 over and
make myself agreeable"
No sooner said than done. The intro
auctions were not hurried, but Gilbert
lockwood could not believe his own ears
| when Harold introduced him to Beth.