The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-10-07
rose that had fallen but recently from


dodgers, whom trifling number of in
cidents had made friendly. First it had
been bound book lent to Miss Starr;
then had followed timely interfer-
ence between Lottie and an irate COW,
who took exception to a red sunshade
Haunted in it's face; and from that
stage the rest had been comparatively
easy.
Lottie had learned that his lordship's
incognito was simply "Mr. Medhurst,"
ec55 Sat her landlady was in ignorance
of his identity.
"Medhurst.''' she had murmured
thoughtfully, ut sounds like a family
name or a country place; he is sure to
have several"
In the meantime she had kept up her
pose of a simple little worker in the
city, and the soft braids of neat brown
hair and bewitchingly trustful blue
eyes had never looked so alluring to
her admirers in the boxes as they did
to Mr.. John Medhurst, who found it
difficult to peep beneath the foppy frill
of her blue sunbonnet without long
ing to kiss the rosy face of it's wearer.
She had waited in van for a stray
word that would betray his lordship
to her, but he had preserved as strict
a silence on the subject of his real
identity as she did about her conneC-
ton with the Felicity theater in town.
That morning Lottie had received a
letter from the stage manager of the
Felicity, telling her that rehearsals
would begin shortly, and sending her
the typewriter copy Of her part in
the Rustic Maid"
"You are looking thoughtful to-day
Tell me, will you, Miss Starr" said
John Medhurst as he entered her little
sitting room, lis it because you are
nearing the end of your holiday?"
LOttie nodded. She was wondering
what to say that would make her COM
panion speak those magic words that
| would send her back to town the future
Lady Carslake." Unless he proposed
! soon, she would have wasted a whole
month, when she might have gone with
Meta Gay and had good time.
"Yes," she murmured; II don't look
forward to going back to the roar and
turmoil of London Earning ones own
living is not always happy lot, es-
pecially if it is uncongenial"
He took her slim white hand in his
| and stroked it SOFTLY
Poor little girl! 1t is awful for you
to have SO few pleasures in your life,
while throw money away so careless
ly."
Lottie's heart bounded. Then he was
going to tell her that he was really
the rich Lord Carslake! She was re-
lieved, for of late a wild doubt had
seized her as to his identity with Dick
Haslam's cousin. She had also, strange
ly enough, sometimes found herself
wishing that she had not come down
to Enfield with the purpose of catch
ing" him. If he did not fall into her net
she would feel humiliated; and yet, if
he did, she would feel herself the mean
est and most contemplate of creatures
There was something so different from
what she had expected to see when she
made her plans
Her fingers were still clasped in Mr..
Medhurst's strong brown ones, and as
she endeavored to withdraw them she
suddenly caught glance from his
dark, expressive eyes that made her
heart leap with a strange gladness
and her pulses throb with ridiculous
rapidity. She closed her eyes with a
little shiver. Ambition! Ambition!
Her brain seemed to be hooking her
with the memory of what she was to
succeed in winning from the man be-
side her. And yet, louder than the
| voice of ambition, she heard the call
of love clamoring for admittance into
her heart-and she knew, as she lis
tened, half dazed, that love had al
ready crossed the threshold of the
hitherto empty throne room of her
heart.
"Lottie, Lottie, you know-you must
know, darling, that you are all the
| world to me-" John Medhurst was say
ing, in quick, uneven tones. '"Tell me,
darling, that you love me-that in
stead of going back to the cold, noisy
city, where you earn your poor
little living, you will come to me!
be my treasured wife, and let me
stand with my back against the world,
protecting you from all that is hurtful' v
She turned her head and gazed
through the window at the distant
meadows and blossom hung orchards
How beautiful everything was-all ex-
| cept herself, who, a mass of deceit,
cunning, and ugly ambition, was listen
ing to the eager love words of a man
whom she had plotted to marry. If
he only knew that she had been aware
all the time of his incognito!
II never thought that could love any
woman as do you, dearest and sweet
| est of little rustic maids in TRUTH" he
laughed, softly; land yet your pure
face and simple, girlish ways have
made me forget every other face I saw
| before" He drew her to him. Look
at me, Lottie; let me see the answer
ing love in your dear eyes!"