The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-03-21
AN APRIL DAY.

| was quarter past 10 by his cathedral
clock when Capt. Maddix parted the cur
tains of his bed on this April morning
and rang for his man Che was the one
inhabi of Sempronius who enjoyed
this luxury, and proceeded leisurely with
| his toilet.
| Having completed this, Capt. Maddix
read over a letter upon the composing
of which he had bestowed much care and
thought the light before. 1t was adj
dressed to Miss Constance Lanisdale. and
contained an offer OF marriage. He dis
patched the letter by his man, toyed with
a roll, and slipped his coffee, and, last of
all, languidy took up the morning paper.
the yawn, stared. jumped to his feet
and with a bang the action begins.
| 10 retrace little, Capt. Maddix had
been resident in Sempronius some ten
months. lie was handsome, courtly, and
AN adventurer. Gossip had been swift
to connect his name with that of Con-
stance Lanisdale, orphaned and beauti-
full. Nor were these Miss Lanisdale's
only attractions. Almost cOincidently
with Capt. Maddix's meeting with her,
a wealthy, eccentric aunt living in Nova
Scotia, or some place equally remote, had
! died, leaving Constance $4,000. An
humble prize, perhaps, for a gallant
/
ming, but $4,000 in cash (as Constance's
fortune was) may become in the hands
| of a man who is truly great Qike Capt
Maddix. for example, the nucleus OF Il
splendid fortune.
Now, Capt. Maddix numbered among
his wide acquaintance certain brilliant
scientific man known 10 fame as Prof.
Schnitzwasser. The professor was the
inventor of an electric airship which
promised to supersede all existing modes
OF travel. After years of experimenting,
a magnificent machine had been con-
structed after the perfected model, and it
had worked like a. charm on several pre-
liminary trials. A great test trip from
New York to Chicago was soon to be
made.
Capt. Maddix had talked electric air
ship to Miss Lanisdale. She had bent an
had invested in the greatest of modern
inventions everything he had on earth,
which statement was not half so far
away from the truth as other things the
captain had said. She was seeking an
investment. Could she do better than to
line, Fifty thousand shares at $40 each
had been put on the market. They We're
quoted now ut almost par. After the big
test trip from New York to Chicago the
stock would soar aloft as high as the
airship. Miss Lanisdale's twenty thou
| Siuu Npulll IL uuuuicu tuOuSduu
"a million. Constance was GREATNESS
She consented to think of it-then to act
upon the captains advice-and had end
ed by sending her man OF business to
New York to invest her fortune in cleo
trio airsbip stock.
had seen more than once at Constance S
home. He was a young lawyer about p
years old. His tie was knotted with no
distinctive grace whatever; his gray suit
did not fit him as though he had been
poured into it: and his hands and feet
also one of Your silent men. and he cut
but poor. figure beside brilliant con-
versationalist like Capt. Maddix-in the
eyes or the brilliant captain at least. He
had other disadvantages, too, this young
iaWyer-a pair Of clear, gray eyes, which
straight at one who might nave some
thing to conceal, and a strong, aggres-
sye chin.
TO return now to the brave captain
whom we left in his chambers, staring
Wldly. at the morning paper He has
dash madly down the street. He is after
his man. the bearer of that letter. The
cause Of his agitation is what he saw ii
the morning paper. He had not stopped
to read ala few fragmentary sentences
had sufliced: Collapse Of the great cleo
heights yesterday afternoon steering
gear breaks-ship collides with steeple
of First NJ. E. church-Prof. Schnitzwas
ser crashes through roof into the organ
loft-machine continues to butt against
the stone tower of the church until il
falls to the ground tangled mass OF
wreckage."
The captain stopped to read no more
not even to see whether Schnitzwasse1
was alive or dead-what did it matter?-
the airship was Il ruin. He must catch
his man jenkins and get that letter be-
fore it was everlastingly too late.
AS he ran he seemed to hear fragments
, of the ships dynamos crashing about his
ears. and the tumbling of the stock OF
the E. \. S. L.-falling to rock bottom
with thud -Four blocks away he caught
| sight of his man jenkins coming out OF
fortune!-- The captain shouted-Jenkin:
, quicAened his pace and turned the cor
) ner. Jenkins was running-had heard
of course-feared 1eprimand. The cap
tain caught him at Miss Lanisdales doo1
but he was coming out.
"Where's that letter?' gasped the cap
tain.
81 gave it to the maid, SIR said fright
. ened jenkins.
The captain calculated tremendou.
oath and jerked the bell. The maid ap
peared - e% 94 nid He o! heard tn,
gaily within. Forgetting his exquisit,
manners, he pushed past the maid ant
stood before the drawing room door. Con
stance, holding the unopened letter
looked up and smiled brightly. She hat
heard nothing: then. How fortune fav
"Ah, Miss Constance-a charming
morning. So glad to see you so well.
he painted. pardon my haste, but the
fact is
All. brave and willy captain, your sec
ond blunder! So intent had you beer
, on intercepting that letter that during
: your mad rush you gave no thought tt
what you were going to say.
BE seated. captain said Constance
you are quite out of breath. I have
: just received letter. shall read it, il
: moment"
"No. not was of that I came tt
speak-that letter. 1t is from me:
D it back
: What. before I have read itv'-he,
! eyes were dancing with mirth-"aut
D why?'
"Because'-(ah, stupid, the carelessl,