The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-02-19

Mrs. Curtis led the way to the din
ing room, and James Randolph fol-
lowed meekly. 1.-The only hope see
for you,'; she said, presently, lis in
your Scranton visit. You can stop at
Horace Perkins while you are there.
OF course. don't know anything about
Hates housekeeping. She used to be
reprehensibly lazy as a girl, but I pre-
sumo marriage has brought her out of
some of her bad habits. And anyway,
she'll have servants, and even if she
shouldn't have, what you do get to
eat will be home cooking and will
agree with you better than the slabs
Of heavy food they serve at hotels and
restaurants"
James Randolph looked uncomfort-
able, as if already smitten with an
advance installment of the inevitable
dyspepsia. cts very kind Of you," he
said, ito take such an abiding interest
in my digestion. but don't see how
l can accommodate you. don't like
to stop at Perkins. It doesn't look
we'll. He is the man 1 am going to
strike for the biggest pile OF money
while I am gone, and it looks hog
gish to soak him for several hundred
thousand dollars worth Of stock and
live Off him at the same time It's add
ing insult to injury
Il don't know anything about the in
jury you propose TO inhict," returned
Mrs. Curtis, "but do know that Kate
and Horace would be insulted if you
We're in Scranton for week and didn't
stay with them. I'll write to Kate to-
day and tell her you are coming. I
am sure she will invite you to be their
guest"
James Randolph demurred volubly
and with spirit, but his demonstration
OF disapproval was ineffective. That
night the disconnected correspondence
with Cousin. Kate was renewed with
fervor. Two days later an answer
was received, and when James Ran
dolph left New York on the following
Monday it was the understanding all
around that during his stay in Scran-
ton he would accept the hospitality of
Mr.. Horace Perkins.
The Horace Perkinses lived in style.
1t was made plain to James Randolph
during his first meal that there was no
danger of his going hungry while I'M
der their roof, and that if his stomach
suffered, it would be from overstimula-
ton rather than the lack of it. James
Randolph rejoiced in the gastronomic
abundance provided and the excellence
thereof on his wife's account as we'll
as his own.
'The dear girl will be delighted to
know that am so we'll taken care off,
he said to Cousin Kate. II must write
at once and tell her how l am fixed
otherwise she will be worrying herself
sick for fear I am starving to DEATH"
Notwithstanding the business acumen
which Mr.. Smith aattered himself he
had discerned in James Randolph, that
young man was in some respects a
simple soul. Never was his innocence
more blatantly displayed than in his
letter to Mrs. Curtis.
Il am living on the very fat Of the
land,' he wrote. "Your Cousin Kate
may have been rather lackadaisical
When a girl, but she has certainly de-
Veioped into a remarkable housekeep-
er. shall try to tell you what we had
for dinner last night. We had some
kind of soup with little green specks
floating in it forget the name Of it
two or three kinds of meat with >ap-
recipe for which must have been
CLEANED from the angels, and coffee
that might have been brewed in
Heaven. l don't believe New York
could show a better menu than that.
Really, Minnie, you ought to see me
eat. My appetite must astonish the
Perkinses. They probably think that
tasted for several weeks before COM
ing to Scranton. am sorry that I
shall wind unthe business here in a
week or ten days. I shall hate to leave.
I think would get fat if I lived with
the Perkinses long"
Detachable as was the fare, James
Randolph stretched facts little when
describing the variety of the yiands
served, but he did 1t in good cause,
and his conscience was in nowise out
ragged. He awaited with impatience
his wife's reply. When it came he
wished it had been delayed a little
longer. Its breyity frightened him.
Dear James, she wrote. II am
glad you enjoy Kate Perkins cooking.
Under the circumstances perhaps it
would be we'll for you to prolong your
visit indefinitely
For the first time James Randolph
realized that he had overshot the mark
in his former gushing epistle. "By
George!" he said, 1.-The little girl is
Jealous. thought understood Min
ME clear down to the ground, but it
seems I didn't. I'm on the track of
her idiosyncracies now, however, and
another letter Will bring her around
all right" i=:5Ss
IN his second letter James Randolph
changed his tactics.
EI On, mt =,