The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-08-12


Nh a q y Nh, !, y, ~
III a right NOV
yotl. \, (,
Mademol he ], cried an III q
Get up and open the door, or III viii
burst II in!a' no reflected for mo-
ment, and then added
whole house win know 81 sssSs
He hearda movement ssof SONG
one slowly rising, and groans, Ny
head! my head!" Then q; heavy fall
to the door. Sc . . Is =... ssss Il
At that. exerting ali his strength, he
struck the lock with his foot, the door:
few open and thick, white smoke. as
from q wood fire, curled out toward
him, sitting him. j i i s' VI g. 49,, = = .s
81 From the clearness Of some part Of
the room he believed the fire had not
been long burning. y s -
| Quickly lifting the girl from beside
the bed, he bore her into his own
room, where, placing. her on couch
near the open window, he douched her
head and throat with cold water. He
was on the point of running for help,
when her bosom futtered, the lips
twitched. and the >eyelids slowly
opened. ~. .
/ She gazed into his tender eyes for
moment as il she did not recognize
him; then, turning, she burst into pas
I siOnate tears. As her hands leaped to
cover her face he noticed a wedding
ring upon her finger. It had never
been there before.
When he had helped her into her
room, which was now cleared of smoke,
he said, little brusquely: ''Mademoi-
selle, you will promise to do nothing
rash again." --
S"I will promise you, yes" she said,
almost humbly, her eyes dropping be-
Whatever may be troubling you,"
he went on, you can always depend
on me to help you" :
| AS they sat at tea, he tried by cheer
full talk to bring her mind away from
brooding, and after the meal she was
betrayed into some brightness on see
ing him wash up the tea-thiugs, and
wished, against his laughing protesta-
lions, to do it for him. ~>>
Suddenly, in the midst Of their al
most gay talk, she became silent, the
face clouded, and shining drops started
from her eyes. .. f., N....s 49,
II never dreamed you were so kind, -
l oo3d n% III %h~
falling down her face. II always
! thought you were so stern and cold.
I called you in my mind the man with
the hard eyes,
20, but you mustn't trust to ap-
pearances!" he replied, cheerfully.
.sI've often thought you were in trouble
-and-and hadn't many friends, per-
haps." -
II have no friends since my poor
father died, year ago." she said,
sadly, when she had wiped her eyes
and could speak quietly. 'He had a
concession which he : thought some
rich men here would pay him for,
but they took it and gave him worth
less papers, When he died, disap-
pointed, 1 tried 10, keep myself. . All
our ffiendE 1eeEiSd to- nave hidden
themselves: have suffered many
things, but cannot starve. It is so
base. Oh, monsieur, I know you de-
spise me for being a coward today,
| but"
Don't say that" replied Stephen.
None Of US know how weak we may
be when the time comes. But now,
listen! You must begin again. You
must let me lend you some money to
go on with, and we must look about
and see what work you can get. Will
you do that?"
She shook her head, putting his offer
from her with quick forward ges-
ture Of her hands, which seemed to him
both pretty and pitiable.
TO-" she said with trembling voice,
II almost wish you had not-not found
me to-day!" Then, with a sudden
quickness in look and tone, she said,
How, monsieur, did you: come to sus-
pect so soon what I was doing? l
thought you had gone out"
'Never mind that now, he said
brusquely. "You must take my offsr.
It will. only be loan which you can
repay when you have work."
tThank you, monsieur" she replied
in cold tones. II will take the money
as loan"
He passed some gold to her across
the table and her face went proud and
pallid as she murmured thanks. Then,
hot at the thought of what might be
in her mind, he tore leaf from his
note book. made out an Il. o. o." and
handed it to her, with his pen. t.
She signed the paper in silence. To
him the flimsy page seemed q wall o1
ice between them that, for his part
he swore to himself he would never
break down. 49,,
Next evening she came to tell him
Of the efforts shc had made that day
. to obtain work. Her manner was some.