The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-03-28


give me no peace otherwise. You're an
INTERNALLY obstinate woman, Alice. JUST
like your poor MOTHER
Il only wish were half as high prin
cip'ed as mother" sighed Alice.
you're on the high road to it. think
Anyway. YOU have the same weakness
as she had for mixing up principles with
business affairs. A COMPOUNDED mistake.
! assure YOU, However; SINCE your mind
is quite made up to- this insane dress
making scheme. i'll keep my eyes open,
my dear. and let YOU know as soon us
anything likely turns M
IL the course of few weeks small
drcssmaking business was purchased, and
Alice started upon her new venture. She
proved very little more successful than
penscs were heavy. Her ''hands.'' quick
ly detecting her incapacity for keeping
them in order, were extremely indcpend-
cnt and saucy. Her customers behaved
with exasperating deliberation in the
matter of settling their little accounts.
had gone, with nothing to show for it
except an accumulation of more or less
doubtful boOk-debts-a state Of affairs
which naturally made poor Mrs. Maber-
leigh feel very Respondent. It was about
this time that she received a call from
her Uncle BENJAMIN.
MY dear" said the old gentleman, aft
or they had exchanged greetings, Il want
4 little talk with you. Tell me candidly,
now. are you making anything out of this
business Of yours?"
mot much" admitted Alice. detected
". Il have good bit owing to me, but
l cannot get it in.''
''Just so,'' nodded her uncle. "And a
large proportion Of it you never will get
in. In fact, l should say that it is little
better than losing concern-a concern
in which YOU pay all the ready money
and give all the credit. Not good enough,
my dear. Now Just you listen to me.
good news to you, Alice. There has been
little family conclave Of some of your
weather. relations, my dear. at which
you were the subject unoer DISCUSSION,
eral feeling of the though not
mine, for still adhere to my original
vieW-was in favor of your spirited re-
fusal to take any Of your abandoned hus-
bands money. They thought it a proper
and becoming, pride. But they disap-
proved and the family generally disap-
your money--for it is evident that you
are wasting both-in this precarious bust
ness. They consider it due to you, as
well as to their own feelings, that YOU
should +, be secured sufficient indcpend-
me to offer YOU land 1 cannot tell YOU,
my dear. with what pleasure / do So
an annual income Of f4OO.'
An annual income of f4OO,' cried
Alice, flushing. do you mean that INV
r re- ion will contribute that amount to
while I am deeply-deeply grateful to
them for their generosity-''
ideally, my DEAR interposed her uncle
with a distressed look, "you must not
Jump down my throat in that manner
before you hear all that I have to say.
know that YOU have several relations who
are extremely we'll off, not one of whom
would miss the f40O. even if he paid the
whole sum himself, which, in point of
fact. nobody does. And"
20 you refer Ter TO- Uncle. Tom and
my. dear: l must answer no questions
on this point. We all agreed that it
would be the more delicate and consider
ate course not to inform you of such
details. l can assure you. however. that
the money is being contributed with the
t Utmost to, spontanfty and good WILL and
vexed and panied if you do not accept it
in the spirit in which it is offered.''
There was something in Uncle Benja-
MINIS manner as he said that which sud
denly enlightened Alice.
"0h::' she cried. Il see! | know! 1t
js-it is you-you yourself-Uncle Ben
jamin."
And she threw her arms round the old
gentleman's neck and kissed him warmly,
while grateful tears shone bright in her
tired eyes. =. ..; =
Tut: tut, never said anything of the
kind: There, that will do. my DEAR"
muttered her uncle, in conscious confu-
sion, as he disengaged himself from her
embrace.
"But know it is you, you kindest of
T 9ncles: Your ;. b y, give you away.
Il neither deny nor admit anything"
he answered, with an embarrassed air,
from which Alice finally knew that the
eccentric old gentleman was himself her
benefactor.
For long while she persisted that
she could not take the money. But in
the end, after much difficulty, he per-
suaded her to do so. :" = -
Her consent, thus gained by dint Of
arduous persuasion. evidently afforded
this benevolent old bahcelor supreme
satisfaction. Indeed, 50 pleased was he
that he actually recanted one of his own
most stoutly expressed opinions.
II think, perhaps, my dear" he said,
that you were right, after all, in refus-
ing to take your husbands money, though
that woman being left in undisturbed en-
joyment Of it. I must say" .~G@
LET them enjoy it as they WILL" re-
piled Alice, with scornful bitterness. 1T
will bring them no true happiness. Retri-
button will certainly overtake them"
From what hear retribution has ov-s
ertaken your husband already said I'm
Gle Benjamin. II am told that that crea-
ture--Ruth what's her lame-has got
him completely under his thumb, and is