The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-12-05
LOVE AND TICKLE FORTUNE.

LOVE AND TICKLE FORTUNE.
The girl was very pretty and daintily
dressed. Jack Granger, sitting beside
her in the park, had every facility for
studying her closely. He was puzzled
by the sad, harasscd look on her face,
which he thought had no business to be
there at all. 1t was lovely June even
ing, but the park was rapidly thinning
for the inevitable dinner hour claimed So
ciety for its own.
So absorbed was Granger in contem-
plative study that, mirabile dictu, he had
forgotten about that all important func-
ton.
Presently the chair ticket man came
along and stopped before the girl.
"Have you paid yet, m'm?"
NO. she answered.
Zone penny, please
She f,1mbled in her pocket, but no
purse made its appearance.
'Tm afraid II haven't-I've left
"Allow me-" put in Jack, Selling the
welcome opportunity. "Most awkward,
of course" he went on, not noticing her
deprecating gesture. II really see no
other way out of the difficulty" and he
settled the matter by paying for them
both, while the ticket man walked on, his
face wreathed in inscrutable smiles.
IAN old trick, that" he thought, as
he strolled along, though there's many
marriage the outcome of it an the
likes"
1T is really good of you,' said the
girl at last, "but rather than be under
any obligation to you would have much
preferred to pay another day"
"A pleasure at any time to help lady
out of difficulties,' answered Granger,
delighted that the ice was broken. Its
SO easy to forget your purse, too. 1
never bother myself with such impedi-
ments. Much safer to carry your money
loose in your pocket; don't you think
SOP"
IF you have any-yes:" replied the
girl, smiling in spite of herself and trac-
ing little patterns in the grass with her
parasol.
Rather an odd remark" thought
Granger
"Er-er, perhaps your pocket has been
picked?" he ventured at last.
mo"
"Lost your purse?''
She shook her head.
Forgot it 2"
"Oh! how dense you are" she cx-
claimed almost petulantly, "you men
never seem able to realize that we women
can be hard up although we present a
fairly respectable appearance. Now, does
not another possible contingency occur
to you other than what you have
guessed?'
Jack thought for long while, but his
brain could not rise to the solving of
such riddle. Impecuniosity was as
polar bear.
"Then you must shame me to an adj
mittance," she answered.
"Oh!" put in Jack, at last beginning
to realize the truth, ''you don't mean,
you can't mean that you haven't got"
yes" she whispered, and her eyes
filed with tears as she gulped down a
sob. Gin spite of all-all this" and she
made a pretty gesture, indicating her
dainty clothes.
"Wheugh,' whistled Jack softly, well
l'm-;'' he didn't say what he was, but
whistled again.
She hardly realized why she had taken
this man, L total stranger, even thus far
into her confidence. But there was some
| thing so kind, so sympathetic in his face
something different from other men.
Have you no friends, no relatives ii,
town." asked Granger at last.
Il know no one"
Then what are you going to do:'
Il don't know" She began to cry.
Come" said Jack cheerily, "there is
always a silver lining to every cloud.
Perhaps | can help you. Tell me all
about it,
MY father and mother died a year
ago, leaving me with scarcely any
money!" began the girl, land until a
month ago I remained IN my Devonshirc
home. My slender resources began to exc
out, so came to London to see if could
get employment as a governess. Luck
has been against me, and I have now
| come to the end of my resources. That's
| all-the whole thing in q NUTSHELL" she
concluded bitterly. Il need not go into
details. You will understand what
have gone through"
The girl flushed scarlet with shame at
| such an exposure. Her pride and self
esteem were wounded, too.
The irony of it struck him forcibly.
'pm-1'm awfully sorry" he said at
last, awkwardly enough. 'It's fearfully
hard'
Their eyes met. Her face was still
| flushed, and there were tears in her voice
and eyes as she smiled and said: 'Thank
You for saying that. You are so SYM
pathetic"
The words, though slight in them
selves and 80 simply uttered, carried a
world of meaning.
Granger stared vacantly across the
road again.
What a sweet face she had. Why
should fate be so cruel to one with whom
Nature had dealt so generously. Who,
to look at her, would have thought such
cruel poverty was hers? Daintily, charm
irgly dressed-not penny in the world!
Well, he couldn't leave her without do