The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-08-29
A MatrimOn al Mixture.

A A'A$&AA AAAAOA 90 A'AAAl VI
"Birchall and myself have been talking
over on: marriage CUSTOMS" remarked
old Col. Custer, "and we are agreed that
the present promiscuous system of select
ing partners for life is utterly absurd and
hurtful"
His two sons, Hubert and Harry, TO
whom this dogmatic assertion was ad-
dressed, listened to it with comparative
Indifference.
'Birchall thinks" he resumed, "that
The FRENCH plan is infinitely preferable to
ours, and agree with him. The parents
should apply their own experiences to
Judge of what unions are best for the
children, and the children should marry
accordingly, without any nonsense about
"What I wish to tell you both is that
Birckall and l have put our heads to-
gcther and have decided that his two
daughters shall marry my two sons"
4 The young men Strengthened them
selves. at this announcement, looking in
astonHhmcnt at their father.
Il am in earnest" he went on gravely,
:'and to prove it have taken one of two
villas at Bay View, Morcsca. for the sum-
mei. Birchall has taken the other, so
that you will have ample opportunity of
meeting the young ladies'
Harry was the first of the two broth
ers to fEd his tongue.
Il say, SIR" he expostulated, "you don't
really mean it, do you? We're not ex-
actly school boys now, you known"
''You are both just as dependent upon
me as though you were So" responded
the colonel dryIy Hubert is a bar
rister without briefs, and fancy it was
only yesterday you limited to me that
You expected me to find you money to
purchase practice now you are a full
fedged doctor'
The bald statement of the position
drove the other from his guns.
But there are two Miss Birchalls," he
returned, changing the argument. WHO
is to settle which l am to have? Are
the ladies to choose? Or, perhaps, Iu-
bert and I are to toss for it?''
mo, sir" Numbered the colonel, rising
in wrath, and preparing to quit the room.
"You are to do exactly as you are bid
Hubert is to propose to Myra, and you to
AAoA AOi, e%1iu VAIN Jou, TIC SouC1uuCu
the peremptory tones of the orderly room,
that any divergence from these instruc-
tons will involve severe punishment"
Il call it horribly hard lines,' Harry
said to his brother some months later at
AIoresca, that father won't move an
inch from his absurd plan; and old
Birchall is just as stiff. l think there is
no girl in the world for me but Myra.
and they insist she must marry YOU"
1T is too ridiculous" Hubert agreed,
gloomily. II have told them both that
l came down here to try to please them
by falling in love to order, and that I've
come as near their wishes as they can
reasonably expect, by tumbling into it,
head over ears, with Muriel. But there
is no reasoning with them; they say,
forsooth, that their experience tells them
Muriel was meant for you, and that 1
must have Myra."
ut is groresque,' chimed Harry, "a
roaring farce, if only it was not so seri-
Gus for us. Can't you see some way
out of it ?" he queried, hopefully. There
must be one"
Hubert shook his head gloomily..
There is not" he answered, in utter
dependency. "Pm going to make final
appeal to our father tonight; if he still
lefuses shall tell him intend to drown
myself. Life isn't worth living with any
other than Muriel."
This was all very we'll as theory, but,
unfortunately, the position was almost
as black as Hubert painted it. So, at
least, the two young women concerned
thought as they consulted together about
the same time as their two suitors were
talking matters over. 1t was Muriel, the
elder, darkcomp1exioned girl of inl-
petuous manner, who stated the facts.
"There never was such shame,' she
said to her sister, with vehemence. "Hu-
bert has spoken to father, but he says
old Col. Custer and himself have arranged
that am to marry Harry, and you are
to have Hubert, and that there is no
more to be said. It is inhuman," she re-
iterated passionately, positively inhu-
man,
What is to be done, them" demanded
Myra, who lacked initiative. II certain
ly shall not marry Hubert-besides, he
has not asked me-" she added. blushingly.
Il can't advise you," returned Muriel,
what I have made up my mind to do,
and that is to tell father that if he won't
move, and is determined to make my life
unhappy, shall end it."
That Muriel Birchall had been on]v too
sadly in earnest was evident the follow
ing day, when the occupants of the two
villas at Bay View, and of Moresca gen.
orally, were Mortified to learn that the
young lady had lost her life while BATH
ing. It was Myra who first brought the
news.
"Muriei: Muriel!" she cried, rushing
into the room where her father and Col.
Custer were enjoying their morning CT
CARS in company, ooh, Muriel!"
II had finished bathing" she explained
then, gaspingly, ~and had almost dressed,
when I noticed that Muriel had not re-.
turned to the tent. had left her swim
ming in the cove and went down to look
for her, but she was not in sight. She
must have been caught in the current. OF
have been seized with cramp, and I've
lost Muriel-my Muriel!"
All their search proved futile; the only