The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-07-10
q II
A CRUCIA AL TEST
BY HORACE GLASS
Copyright. 1905. BY Daily Story Pub. Coz

Copyright 1893. By Daily Story Pub. Coz )
IIYHEN Duncan Taylor was COM
w PEELED to give up his college
course at the end of the Freshman
year. he was bitterly disappointed.
From his boyhood he had looked for
ward to political career with all the
enthusiasm of his ardent nature. He
had gone in for political economy
and all the allied studies and his head
was filled with ideas and ideals. He
knew that his father was not wealthy
but had supposed that his business
was on sound basis and would
stand for his education and start in
the law. -
Hence it came as much Of q
shock to him as to the rest of the
family and the outside world to learn
after the sudden death of his father
that the business was badly involved
and only by the closest and most
faithful and intelligent application
could the entire property be saved
from being swept away. Being the
only male member of the family of
mature years, this task manifestly
fell on him. In any event there was
no money available for his further
education. "
So bravely and without complain he
babe farewell to college and his
dreams and took up the family bur-
den. Being young man of intelli-
gence and industry he was fairly we'll
equipped for the work and although
his heart was not in it he succeeded
in preventing a crash and got the
business in shape where it yielded an
economical living for the family and
tended toward the up grade.
OF course he did not lose his inter-
est in politics-thc leopard does not
change his spots, but his vision was
changed from congress, the senate
and the presidency to the closer du-
ties of good citizenship and partici-
patton in ward and precinct organiza-
ton.
It was not long before he became a
thorn and menace to the gang who
controlled his party in the city and
county. When he first surprised the
managers of the Reorganization" by
heading an Independent delegation
from his ward in the county conven-
ton and fighting the prearranged
slate, they laughed at him and were
satisfied by the victory of their slate.
But when he attacked their methods
md plans by persistent talk with ,peo-
pie with whom he came in contact
and by communication to the papers
as well, they became uneasy and
when a year later he cleaned them
out again in the ward in an open
fight in which they used all their re-
sources, and headed another indie
pendent delegation which was joined
by others in two other wards they
became alarmed and realized that he
must be dealt with as positive fac
tor.
In the meantime new factor had
come into Duncan's life. He fell in
love and when a man of his temper
ament falls in love it is a serious
matter He was practically alone in
his family. His mother and sisters
had always esteemed themselves in
comfortable circumstances and the
truth so suddenly thrust upon them
at the fathers death had been hard
to realize. The rigid economy insist
ed upon by Duncan when he under
took the task of reestablishing the
business was not taken to kindly and
there was an atmosphere almost of
complaint and discomfort at home.
And so when Alice Morton crept in
to his life and he learned little by
little to know the breadth of her
mind and the deep sympathy of her
nature it came as balsam to his wor-
ried mind and heart. He sought her
companionship more and more and
came more and more to confide in
her and lay down upon her hopeful
mind the problems that confronted
him. AS his attentions came to be
more and more marked his people
arose in revolt.
"Why, Duncan" said his mother,
the Mortons have neither money nor
social: position. You must not be-
come involved with them. Our only
hope is for you to make a good mar
riage-which you can easily do with
your name and personality"
'By a good marriage you mean a
rich marriage, I suppose" he replied
with more feeling than he often dis
played in family differences. "Wen,
I must disagree with you. Our only
hope is tolive: within our income and
make. the business 60 I hope am
not an unmindful son and brother
but I. declare myself. here and now
that come what may I will not be a
fortune hunter and matrimonial ad.
: venturer. All else will do for the
family but not that"
And his intimacy with Alice Morton
continued and. increased until she be.
came the brightes+ spot in his life
And then one soft spring evening
carried away by the poetry of he1
Il n