The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-03-06

crack of their carbines (which were loaG-=
ed, of course, with blank cartridge) had
an Immediately exciting effect upon the.
defenders in the wood, who began to
idget and finger4their weapons .n%ervousiv.
rs "Steady! .Steady!"@ said Capt. Polly,
in a voice that trembled from eagerness.
AS she spoke the attacking force, who
had been: advancing at a. smart double.
appeared to meet with a sudden check.
Polly, watching them through her field
glasses, distinctly deserted Lieut.: Amy
Mcintosh seated on the fve-barred gate
and engaged $50 it appeared) in an indig-
nant and animated conversation with a
rustic who was driving a herd of cattle
into the field which the attacking ladies
had, next to cross. : -.
ut can't be-no. it can't be-that they
are afraid. of cows!" cried poor Capt.
Polly, in angry dismay.
The words were hardly out : of he:
mouth before: sne became. aware of a
sudden pertmrbed movement among her
own chosen ten, two of whom had al.
ready sprung to their feet and were wav-
ing their cowboy hats round their heads
and repeatedly u..ering the exclamation
."Choo!"' in a most. violent. and excited
manner.
"steady! Steady! Lie down there!"
exclaimed their indignant captain.
"Wasps!"
It made even the dauntless captain
pause. She started. She turned pale.
But she pulled herself together and man.
fully-I' beg pardon, womanfully-tried
to encourage her sister warriors.
"N-never m-m-mind. A. f-f-few
w-w-wasps won't hurt you" she declared,
ir tremulous tones, involuntarily waving
her pocket handkerchief round her own
head. .:.:
"A few wasps!" cried one: of the ANA
IONS, shrilly. There. are hundreds of
them, and oh, look, look! Do you see
them pouring out Of that hole there? It
is-yes,: it is-wasps nest.
"Wasps" had been: a fearsome worl.
but swasps' nest was uncomfortable. The
ten damsels broke and fled in precipitate
confusion down the hill. Their captain,
be it said to her credit, was; the last
woman to leave her post. Moreover, she
did not u as the others did. She mere!y
walked fast-fve miles an hour-casting
her nervous glances alternately over her
right and left shoulder. 49,.
At tins point Maj. Merilees came gal
lantly up to Polly.
"What has happened" he inquired.
why have you abandoned your posi-
tion?"
"Wasps!"
"Wasps?" inquired the major, with a
puzzled look.
1T Was-was-wasps, you know, that
caused us--the others; l mear-to aban-
don our-their post in. the wood. They
found they were lying almost on top Of a
wasps' nest. And, of course, you couldn't
expect them to stand that, could you?"
"No, to be sure" replied the major
alphabetically. ..a.
"But, I say, please, Mai. Merilees."
went on Polly in hurried tones, while the
color mounted to her cheeks and fore
head. "You-you-won't tell Dad about
this, will you? He's so prejudiced. He'll
never understand. And I know he'll say
that if we couldn't keep steady when at
tackled by wasps we should never keep
steady under a storm of shells and bull.
let's. Of course, the two things are MOI,
in the least parallel. I shouldn't MINI
shells and bullets one bit. But wasps-,.
that might crawl UP your sleeve, or dow
YOU" neck, or sting you or the nose AMI
make it swell up to the size of a potato
its another thing altogether, isn't it :"
"Quite another thing" admitted Mai.
Merilees.
"Ah! you're a man of sense. But
father is not like that. He would never
understand. He would be sure to make
no end Of stupid jokes about it. So
you'll promise not to tell him, won't
you?"
"Al right. I won't give you away,
Miss Drake" answered Mai. Merilees. :.
He didn't. The squire himself did that
at Drakeworth church some two months
later. when Miss Drake-unaware that
she had been the victim of all artful lit
tie conspiracy between her father and Der
gallant admirer-r renowned the role If
Polly Atkins and retired into domestic
existence as Polly Meri1ees.- London
Taller.