The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-08-01

frst,"' he said. "and you make it the
last" His arms frightened about her an
instant, and he was gone. She smiled
as she heard the door close after him.
Men were so unreasonable vas either
stairs to the library and took a book
and went back into her favorite corner
to read. A few minutes passed, and
then she discovered that she was simply
staring blankly at the page she had not
read word. Where was her mind? It
seemed to be filled with some vague I'M
rest Of it's own over which she had no
control. She closed the book sharply.
What was it he had said: "You do not
love me enough to marry me, and it
hurts?" Yes, that was it-and she did
not want to hurt him-she cared too
much for him for that. Why, he was
different from any other man she had
eyer known in her whole life, If the
different everything would have been.
She put her book down and went over
to the window. This would never do, to
think so much of him before he was
even out of the town. With sob in her
throat she turned back to the room: 1t
in a chair and laid her face against
it's cushioned back and cried.
1t was not very much later than that
when tall, slender young woman, wear
ing long, loose, light coat, and with Il
black hat drawn down oyer her eyes, and
over which she had drawn, too, long,
light tulle veil, as if to keep the curious
from knowing that she had recently shed
tears, came hurriedly into the Grand
Central station, and approached the tick
ct Office.
''The o'clock EXPRESS said she trem-
ulously-to Chicago. must 60"
You will have to hurry said the
agent. "You only have a couple Of min
utes.'
She seized the ticket and the money
due her and darted out to the car tracks
oh, would the man ever let her through
the gates. "You will have to hurry"
he said.
The long line of cars of the 5 o'clock
express stretched down the track. Only
stood by their cars, ready to swing on.
She began to run, her light veil flying
out behind her What if, after all, she
would not be able to reach him. A ter
ror filled her. and utterly weakened by
her hurry and fear, she reached the first
porter.
"The Chicago sleeper she cried
breathlessly. He pushed her up the
steps Of the platform and swung up him
self. She could already feel a slight
swaying motion. "All right, Miss" he
fafd ro 1T t. i; s three cars ahead will
take you TO 1t.
The rumble of the train was in her
through the Pullmans. Her senses We're
dazed, and her heart was Sitting her
with great throbs. They seemed to be
walking by interminable rows of berths
and passengers that made only a blur
Of heads, and then they, came to the
Chicago sleeper, and Wilmot was the
first one she saw. He sat alone in his
berth, his hat down over his eyes, star
ing vacantiy out of the window, She
forgot everything but the fact that she
had found him. She touched him on
the shoulder.
oh" she cried. lit was mistake-all
mistake. l do not want you to 90
away
At the sound of her voice Wilmot
leaped to his feet. For moment he did
not seem to realize what she had said
to him, and then as the meaning of her
words daWned On him, his eyes swept
thing he saw there sent little SILVER
of delight through him. He reached out
and seized her hands.
'Sit down. he said She slipped into
the seat beside him. Her chin was quiz
ering, childishly and tear glittered on
her cheek.
He loosened her hatpins and took her
hat off and smoothed the little locks
back from her forehead gently. The
train was just beginning to enter the
tunnel and the lights had been turned
up. Their radiance fell on the softly
| waving hair that framed Virginia's face
and for moment it seemed to Wilmot
that she wore halo round her head.
His eyes rested on it an instant and then
with certain boyish movement that yet
had in it something Of alteration he
leaned down impulsively and pressed his
face against her arm.
What would you have DONE" Wilmot
asked his wife some months later, IF
had not been on that train? Suppose 1
had taken another one. or had been de-
tanned or something like that?"
| 81 never thought of such a possibility. -
answered Mrs. Wilmot, truthfully. Il
just seemed to think that If could get
that express everything would be all
| right. 1t was just the way that any
woman would have done."-New York
l COmmaroia1 6vor-t;enr