The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-04-24

French bicycle suit and flew about
the c~ountry--on Mrs. Deans wheel
with Harry an adoring attendant.
Her good nature and gayety seemed
unending, and she made friends with
everyone in the village, from old Jake
Parker, whom she persuaded to take
her in his dory one morning, when he
went to set his 'slawbster-'' pots. tc
the tribe of small Black children
whom she stuffed with candy until
even their: weak-eyed mother protest.
ed. =" ";' -.
She won the hearts of the. Misses
Conway, and so completely that they
took her up into that treasure cave,
their wide, musty attic, and told her
stories Of by-gone days. The romance
of their lives appealed to her. imagi.
native nature, and. she had spent
hours sitting on a brass-bound chest,
her chin in her hands, with Harry,
who followed her everywhere, at her
feet, gazing up at the bronze halo
which a shining shaft of sunlight
from the small window made about
her head.
Such little episodes as walking
across on the high, arched railing of
Long bridge over the river, while Har-
ry and old Mr.. Stockwelt held up UNI
brellas at arms length to steady her;
going in wading till she almost froze.
and then running, barefoot, a race
with the Dean children straight down
the principal street of the village, to
get warm; hiding Mr.. Grey's, the min
ster's hat, when that. precise gentle
man came to call, and then joining in
the search for it with the most in
nocent of faces-these kept poor Mrs.
Dean in continual terror. But, as
n said to Helen. she really couldn't
turn Mr.. Deans guest out of his own
house unless she did something very
fragrant, and SO far she hadn't.
One of Mademoiselle's scrapes,
which Harry took good care should
not reach his sister-in-law's ears,
might perhaps have changed her opin-
ion.
1t happened on a bicycle ride which
Madamoiselle Colette and Harry took
the second week OF the visit. They
had dismounted at the top of a long
upgrade and were busy with a most
interesting and satisfactory quarrel,
the beginning of which they had both
f~orgotten; the middle of which had
been that Mademoiselle Colette had
insisted upon Harry's going down on
his knees in his clean ducks, in a mud
puddle to tie her small tan shoe, and
the end whereof was fast approaching
in sulkiness on Harry's part. This
sulkiness threatening to become seri-
Gus, Mademoiselle Colette decided
that a diversion was needed, and for
tunately IL appeared on the lonely
road in the shape of a gawky country
youth, driving a still more gawky
horse in a dilapidated wagon. Sud
denly declaring that she was too Tex
hausted' to ride any more, Mademoi-
selle Colette hailed the youth and
asked him with her sweetest smile
to drive her home. He didn't answer,
and nothing was expressed in his face
but stupefied amazement; but, per-
fectly satisfied, Mademoiselle Colette
skipped up beside him, and taking the
reins from his unresisting. hands,
started off at as fast a pace as she
could persuade the numbering steed
to take, leaving Harry to follow with
both wheels. But whether some long
forgotten sporting blood in the old
horse suddenly developed itself, or
whether the rapid strides down hill
upset his equilibrium, at the bottom
he gave a solemn hop and shy, which
brought n of the old wheels into
contact with a. large stone, broke it
short off, and down went everything
in a heap. Never had Harry coasted
a hill as fast as he did that one.
When he reached her he found Made
moiselle Colette safe, only hysterical
with laughter, while the old horse
gazed with peaceful surprise at the
ruin he had created, and the youth
sat silent on the ground with the
same unchanging expression of open
mouthed amazement. It did not alter
even when Harry paid him generously
for his loss, but when Mademoiselle
thanked and praised him, gradually
a grin of delight spread from ear to
ear, and when they left him, still
.speechless, he was looking after her
with rapt alteration.
This adventure had the effect of
somewhat subduing Mademoiselle Co.
lette's spirits for a day or two, a
change which Harry welcomed. with
delight, as it inclined her to lie on
the deck of his yacht, the Nudge, and
do nothing but talk to him.
Harry's infatuation was by this
time 81 open and .avowed that Mrs.
Dean trembled lest the boy should
be really entrapped, and Helen, to
whom she confded her fears; could
only join with her in longing for, his
fathers arrival.
There was a good deal of fog the
next few nights, which made, all the
boats late, so that on the day his
father and brother were expected.
Harry announced that he did not in