The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-07-21
TheHealin6of
a Social Feud
By L. LUMLEY

T HE river at WrOxham upon busy,
midsummer Saturday is not unlike
lesser Henley at the point of dissolu-
ton; muttled tumult Of departure,
punctuated by the squeals of steam
launches, and the excited directions and
counter-directions of the occupants of
entangled craft.
On the evening Of such day, in the
thick Of the craft below the bridge, lay
the wherry Vanity, marvel of multum
in paryo ingenuity. with every possible
luxury on board.
The Laismeres-lately come aboard
were justly proud of the Vanity. Per
haps the only regret that disturbed the
mind Of Mrs. Laismere. as she lay back
in a wicker rocking-chair upon the roof
OF the deckhouse, was that the Mainlys
were not there to witness the wonders
of the wLerry
For between the Laismeres and the
Mainlys there existed, on the former
side, barrier of envy. hatred. and I'M
charitableness; and on the latter, of cold
disapproval-a condition Of affairs
to the circle in which the Mainlys gy-
rated brilliantly. and round which the
Laismeres yainly lowered, with those
cursed golOshes, like a milestone round
our necks,' as Laismere, careless of
metaphor, constantly exclaimed, allud-
ing to the source of his wealth as
manufacturer.
Mrs. Laismere, as she sat Illuminating
upon the subject of the Mainlys, allowed
her eye occasionally to rest upon the
opposite bank of the river, from which
the boats were dropping off downstream
one by one.
Suddenly, she put out her hand and
grasped the arm of Laismere, who was
also reclining, rejecting, md. in addi-
ton, smoking, while the crew of two
all-round Norfolk "skippers" pursued
amphibiOus occupations
The action caused Laismere to drop
his cigar and with it crisp summary
of his disapproval. But, as his eyes in
stinctively followed the direction of his
wife's gaze he forgot his cigar in the
sensation caused by the spectacle of
Mainly, in a neat duck suit, coiling rope
on the deck of a smart cutter. which had
come into view with the departure of
substantial boathouse from it's moor
ings
simultaneously. the Laismere eve
swept the Mainly decks, and the Mainly
eye swept those of the@ Vanity, but
neither, by so much as an instant's
pause, revealed that any mutual shock
had been caused. The cold beam of a
searchlight could not have been, appar-
emily, less inquiring
In both yachts the final work of prep
aratlon proceeded On board the wher-
ry, the Laismeres sat in silent state
but secretly longing to explode" upon
the subject of the Mainlys. On board
the Puck Gas the gold letters at her bows
betokened herr, Mainly was full of &C.
tivity, while above the cabin hatch
bobbed his wife's captivating little
blonde head-sO blonde Mrs. Laismere
had been heard to declare. that YOU
ceased to wonder where she got her fair
ness from.
lhe Puck was first to cast her moor
lngs and drop down the river. not help
tul puff OF wind rustling the TRANQUIL
evening.
An hour later the Laismeres' imnOs-
ing boat lay moored above Wroxham
Broad, in the shelter of the tall trees
mat trlnged the river at this point
Alongside the grassy bank opposite was
the Puck.
With curiosity, carefully screened by
the curtains of their cabin window. Mr..
and Mrs. Laismere had watched certain
preparations, the most interesting of
which was the erection of a snug tent
upon the bank. Evidently it was in
tended for the occupation of Mrs. Main
~. who fitted busily.to and from the
Puck, while hey husband drove home
3 pegs and tautehed ropes.
At length the couple retired into the
cabin OF the cutter, and, from the
sounds ct clinking china and laughter
which presently arose. it was evident
that they were absorbed in the novelty
of a picuic.
Not so the Laismeres. A certain
amount of pomp of portable descrin-
ton accompanied their dinner even
here
But nature was in a restless mood
and by and by the wild duck, in the